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General information


Population : 5.7 milion people (112th in the World, 24th in Europe)
Total Area : 42,931 km^2 (130th in the World, 30th in Europe)
Official languages : Danish
Official currency : Danish krone(DKK)
Capital : Copenhagen
Population density : 134 people/km^2 (94th in the World,21st in Europe)
Top 5 biggest cities : Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg, Esbjerg

Denmark (officially the Kingdom of Denmark) is a Nordic country and a sovereign state. The southernmost of the Scandinavian nations, it is south-west of Sweden and south of Norway,and bordered to the south by Germany. The Kingdom of Denmark also comprises two autonomous constituent countries in the North Atlantic Ocean: the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

Denmark proper consists of a peninsula, Jutland, and an archipelago of 443 named islands, with the largest being Zealand, Funen and the North Jutlandic Island. The islands are characterised by flat, arable land and sandy coasts, low elevation and a temperate climate. Denmark proper has a total area of 42,924 km^2 , while the total area including Greenland and the Faroe Islands is 2,210,579 km^2, and a population of 5.78 million (with the Faroe Islands and Greenland each having around 50 000 residents.)

Denmark is considered to be one of the most economically and socially developed countries in the world. Danes enjoy a high standard of living and the country ranks highly in some metrics of national performance, including education, health care, protection of civil liberties, democratic governance, prosperity and human development.The country ranks as having the world's highest social mobility, a high level of income equality, is the country with the lowest perceived level of corruption in the world, the fifth-most developed in the world, has one of the world's highest per capita incomes, and one of the world's highest personal income tax rates.

The Regions of Denmark were created as part of the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform. The counties (amter) were abolished and five regions were set up. At the same time, the number of municipalities (kommuner) was cut from 270 to 98.

The naming of the regions in English are not uniform. The government often uses the Danish names or directly translated English names (e.g. Greater Copenhagen, Zealand, North Jutland, Southern Denmark, Central Jutland). The regions themselves partially use other names in English, substituting 'Jutland' for 'Denmark', as shown below.






National sport : Football

Handball



National animals : Mute swan(Cygnus olor)

Small tortoiseshell butterfly(Aglais urticae)


National plants : European beech (Fagus sylvatica)


Marguerite daisy (Argyranthemum frutescens)


National instrument: Lur







The significance of the 5th of June

The 5th of June celebrates the signing of the First Constitution of Denmark in 1849, which transitioned the country from an absolute monarchy to the constitutional monarchy it still is to this day. The Constitution of 1953 was also signed on the 5th of June.

Though it is not an official national holiday per se, collective labor agreements usually give workers half a day or the whole day off on Constitution Day. Most shops and workplaces close at noon on this day and political rallies and meetings are traditionally held.

The day is widely celebrated throughout Denmark with church congregations, associations and political organisations meeting for what are essentially "secular services". These services include the raising of the Flag, a short presentation by a local politician or celebrity, and collective singing (Danish: fællessang). Celebrations usually end with coffee and the eating of traditional buns.

The 5th of June is also Father’s Day in Denmark.










Christiania

If you ever looked at a map of the city of Copenhagen, you might have noticed something weird. Within the biggest city in Denmark lies a weird district, known to us as Christiania. What’s up with that?

Always colorful and endlessly controversial, Christiania is a unique place to visit. More than a city district, Christiania is a way of life, that started as an idealistic social experiment and has survived an adapted to remain a part of Copenhagen today.

In 1971 an abandoned military area in the Christianshavn district of the city was taken over by squatters. They claimed the area of Christianshavn as a freetown, free of taxes and run by their own laws. New settlers poured in to this alternative area and the social experiment of a few free thinkers became a permanent feature of the city. Christiania survives and adapts and it is still a vibrant alternative hub in the city, with around 1,000 people permanently living in the area.

Christiania has influenced Danish culture in a number of ways. One particularly common sight around Denmark's capital comes from Christiania; the Christiania bike. Christiania was established as a car-free zone, so its inhabitants came up with another way to travel and transport goods and family members. The famous cargo bike that resulted was so popular, that the company expanded and moved from Christiania.


Christiania is a unique experience; a hotch-potch of warehouses, huts and houses, colorful murals and outdoor sculptures. Visitors are welcome to stroll around Christiania and to eat and drink in the area’s cafés, restaurants and bars. There are a number of live music and other outdoor events in Christiania over the summer and a few nightclubs to enjoy. You can also walk around the lake which Christiania backs on to.


Christiania has always been controversial and is still a very hotly-discussed area, not least because of problems with the illegal trading of hash. Some visitors may find Christiania, particularly the area around Pusher Street, to be rough.

When entering Christiania it is therefore extremely important that you follow the Do's and Don'ts signs up at the entrances. Here you'll find advice against running or talking on the mobile phone inside Christiania. As well as this, visitors must not take photographs or film inside Christiania.





Top 6 places visited by tourists


Copenhagen















Most travelers will begin their visit to Denmark in Copenhagen, the country’s largest city and capital. As well they should as Copenhagen is a vibrant city with much to offer. The former Viking fishing village is now the cultural and financial center of the country.

Most visitors come to Copenhagen for two things: to enjoy Tivoli Gardens (4,5), the most visited theme park in Scandinavia, and to see the Little Mermaid (6), a bronze statue based on a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. Another beautiful sight is the residence of the Danish royal family : Amalienborg Palace. (7)

Known for its Dutch Renaissance architecture in the Christianshavn neighbourhood, Copenhagen has a horizontal landscape marked with some neat castles and medieval churches.



Odense (Fyn Island)











Odense translates as “Odin’s sanctuary,” but it’s more famous for other things than a safe haven for worshippers of this Norse god. It is the birthplace and childhood home(3) of the famous story teller Hans Christian Andersen, so you can expect to see many statues (2) and sculptures of his characters around town.

Denmark’s third largest city also is famous for the sweet treat marzipan. Plus, many of its attractions are a treat for tourists’ eyes. The list includes an old Viking castle(4); Funen Village Museum, which recreates life during Andersen’s years there; Funen’s Abbey, one of Denmark’s oldest art museums, and the 11th century Saint Canute’s Cathedral. (5)



Skagen









Denmark’s northernmost city, Skagen, is also the country’s main fishing port as well as one of the most popular places to visit in Denmark, attracting two million visitors annually. This charming village, with its scenic seascapes, long sandy beaches and fishermen, was popular with 19th century impressionist painters. Danish royalty summered here in the early 1900s; Skagen continues to attract the wealthy today, including sailboaters from around Scandinavia. Skagen, where the Baltic and North seas meet (4), is renowned for its herring fishing, so be sure to try some here. The city boasts one of Denmark’s oldest lighthouses (3).



Helsingør











Elsinore, also known as Helsingør, is home to one of the famous castles in the worl😛 Kronborg (2,3), the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The play has been performed here annually for 80 years. The former medieval fishing village was founded in the 15th century, though a fortress and a church surrounded by convents were established a century earlier. It’s now a bustling port city. A 2012 statue, Han (4), in the harbor is considered the counterpart of Copenhagen’s Little Mermaid. Top attractions include the castle, the maritime museum, and the statue to Holger Danske (5), a legendary character who warred with Charlemagne.





Roskilde









Located 30 km (20 miles) west of Denmark’s current capital, Copenhagen, is one of the country’s early capitals, Roskilde. One of Denmark’s oldest cities, it is where many monarchs are buried. Their royal tombs can be found at the 12th century Roskilde Cathedral, the first brick Gothic cathedral in Scandinavia. Another key attraction is the Viking Ship Museum, which contains the remains of five Viking ships that were sunk to protect Roskilde from sea invaders. Other sights you might want to see include the royal palace, now an art gallery, and the Roskilde Jars, three mammoth vases that commemorate the city’ 1,000th anniversary. In late June, early July a giant rock music event called the Roskilde Festival takes place here.



Legoland









Legoland Billund, the original Legoland park, opened on June 7, 1968 in Billund, Denmark. The park is located next to the original Lego factory and Billund Airport, Denmark's second-busiest airport. Over 1.9 million guests visited the park in 2011 and since the opening more than 50 million guests have visited the park. This makes Legoland the largest tourist attraction in Denmark outside Copenhagen. The Legoland parks that have since been built are modelled upon Legoland Billund.







Places recommended by the locals:

The South Fyn Archipelago



Jægersborg Dyrehave - (nature park north of Copenhagen)



Helnæs Island



Møns Klint







Inventions Denmark gave to the world!

*Lego!
*1949





*Hansen Writing Ball - the first commercially produced typewriter!
*Rasmus Malling-Hansen, 1865




*Handball- the first set of handball rules!
*Holger Nielsen, 1906




*Gram stain - the most famous stain for differentiating bacteria!
*Hans Christian Gram, 1884



*Madsen machine gun - the first mass produced true light machine gun!
*Julius A. Rasmussen and Theodor Schoubue, 1902



*Google Maps!
* Lars and Jens Eilstrup Rasmussen, 2004-2005



*Bohr-Rutherford model of the atom!
*Niels Bohr & Ernest Rutherford, 1913








Famous people from Denmark


Hans Christian Andersen - was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels and poems, Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales. Andersen's popularity is not limited to children: his stories express themes that transcend age and nationality.

Andersen's fairy tales, of which no fewer than 3381 works have been translated into more than 125 languages,have become culturally embedded in the West's collective consciousness, readily accessible to children, but presenting lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity for mature readers as well. Some of his most famous fairy tales include "The Emperor's New Clothes", "The Little Mermaid", "The Nightingale", "The Snow Queen", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Little Match Girl", "Thumbelina", and many others. His stories have inspired ballets, plays, and animated and live-action films. One of Copenhagen's widest and busiest boulevards is named "H.C. Andersens Boulevard".


(1805 - 1875)


Tycho Brahe - was a Danish nobleman, astronomer, and writer known for his accurate and comprehensive astronomical and planetary observations. He was born in the then Danish peninsula of Scania. Well known in his lifetime as an astronomer, astrologer and alchemist, he has been described as "the first competent mind in modern astronomy to feel ardently the passion for exact empirical facts." His observations were some five times more accurate than the best available observations at the time.

(1546 - 1601)


Michael Laudrup - is a Danish former professional footballer and the manager of Qatar Stars League club Al Rayyan. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. He is the older brother of fellow retired footballer Brian Laudrup.
During his playing career, Laudrup won league titles with Ajax, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus, playing mainly as an attacking midfielder, although he was also capable of playing in other offensive positions. A world class playmaker, he was a member of Johan Cruyff's "Dream Team" at Barcelona, where he won nine trophies, including four successive La Liga titles from 1991 to 1994 and the European Cup in 1992. Laudrup moved to arch-rivals Real Madrid in 1994, with whom he won his fifth La Liga title in a row.


(born 1964)



Karen Blixen - was a Danish author who wrote works in Danish and English. She is best known under her pen names Isak Dinesen, used in English-speaking countries, and Tania Blixen, used in German-speaking countries. She also published works using the aliases Osceola and Pierre Andrézel.
Blixen is best known for Out of Africa, an account of her life while living in Kenya, and for one of her stories, Babette's Feast, both of which have been adapted into Academy Award-winning motion pictures. She is also noted, particularly in Denmark, for her Seven Gothic Tales.
Blixen was considered several times for the Nobel Prize in Literature.


(1885 -1962)


Lars Ulrich - is a Danish musician, songwriter, actor, and record producer. He is best known as the drummer and co-founder of the American heavy metal band Metallica. The son of tennis player Torben Ulrich and grandson of tennis player Einer Ulrich, he also played tennis in his youth and moved to Los Angeles at age 16 to train professionally. However, rather than playing tennis, Ulrich began playing the drums. After publishing an advertisement in The Recycler, Ulrich met vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and formed Metallica.

(born 1963)


Søren Aabye Kierkegaard - was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher.He wrote critical texts on organized religion, Christendom, morality, ethics, psychology, and the philosophy of religion, displaying a fondness for metaphor, irony and parables.

Much of his philosophical work deals with the issues of how one lives as a "single individual", giving priority to concrete human reality over abstract thinking and highlighting the importance of personal choice and commitment.

He was against literary critics who defined idealist intellectuals and philosophers of his time, and thought that Swedenborg,Hegel,Goethe,Fichte, Schelling, Schlegel and Hans Christian Andersen were all "understood" far too quickly by "scholars".


(1813 - 1855)







Traditional food


Stegt flæsk med persillesovs (Roast pork with parsley sauce)



Flæskesteg - (another recipe for Roast pork)


Smørrebrød (Danish tartines)



Røget makrel(Smoked mackerel)



Frikadeller(Danish meatballs)



Tarteletter



Bøf med løg(Steak with onions)



Æggekage(Danish omelette)



Pølse(Danish hot-dog)



Mørbradbøffer((Pork medallions)




Traditional desserts

Æblekage(Apple pie)




Rødgrød med fløde(”Red groats” -> groats + summer berries)



Citronfromage(Lemon mousse)



Brunsviger(Danish coffee cake



Trifli



Koldskål(Buttermilk with biscuits)




Traditional drinks

Beer



Gammel Dansk



Coffee -( while not exactly traditional, the Danes are big coffee drinkers)








Interesting facts about Denmark


1.As of 2013, Denmark has 14 Nobel laureates, mainly in literature (4) and physiology/medicine (5). With its relatively small population, this is one of the highest numbers of Nobel laureates per capita in the world.
2.Greenland is the world’s largest island, assuming Australia is a continent, and has a total area of 840,000 square miles (2,175,600 sq km). About 80% of Greenland is covered by a huge ice-sheet that is up to 2 miles (3 km) thick. Since 1953, it has been declared a part of the territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
3.The name Lego® is an abbreviation of two Danish words leg godt, meaning “play well.” The company was started in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen. Lego began producing its iconic bricks in 1958. For more than 60 years, over 320 billion Lego bricks have been sold worldwide—nearly 60 bricks for every human on the planet.
4.The Danish pastry that the world has come to know was introduced to Denmark in 1870s, when striking bread makers were replaced by Viennese immigrant bakers, with their repertoire of sweet breads, cakes, and puff pastries. In Denmark, these pastries are known as Wienerbrod (Viennese bread).
5.Danish Lurpak® butter is world famous. It can be bought in stores in more than 100 countries worldwide.
6.The Great Dane breed of dog originally came from Germany and not from Denmark.
7.The Danish alphabet has three letters not found in the English alphabet: Æ, Ø, Å. All three are vowels and come after the letter Z in the alphabet.
8.Dane are relaxed when it comes to issues such as marriage. The country’s divorce rate is one of the highest in Europe, and nearly 20% of Danish couples cohabitate without ever getting married in what are called “paperless marriages.
9.Walt Disney visited Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen once and was so inspired that he decided to create something similar in America: Disneyland.
10.On Denmark's Faroe Islands, there are twice as many sheep as people.






My 5 words when I hear about Denmark:
#Viking,#Tuborg,#Lego,#Bohr,#Carlsberg

What are your 5?





Special thanks to Maine Coon, Ushlau and Kitarou and a special message from them:






I leave you with some Danish memes:





Waiting for feedback , comments , opinions and if there is anyone that thinks I missed something , I could do something better or just wants to help me with this project , PM me !

Special thanks to Kariky for the spacers !!




Hope you enjoyed and see you next time!

P.S. Article 50/74!









P.S.2. Don't forget to push the flags !