Denmark

Denmark, officially (translated to English) the Kingdom of Denmark (,, (archaic:) ) is the southernmost and territorially the smallest of the five if its offshore territories are excluded, and the largest if they are included. Denmark is one of the. The mainland is north of its only land neighbour, ; southwest of ; and south of. Denmark also encompasses two off-shore territories, the and, granted  in 1948 and 1979, respectively. The national is.

Denmark borders both the and the. The country consists of a large peninsula, (Jylland), which borders northern, plus a large number of islands, most notably  (Sjælland),  (Fyn), , ,  and  as well as hundreds of minor islands often referred to as the Danish. Denmark has long controlled the approach to the Baltic Sea, and these waters are also known as the.

Denmark is a and is a member of the, having joined the  in 1973. The Faroe Islands and Greenland remain outside the EU, including the EU customs zone.

Originally relying on, and  and with no other major s, Denmark experienced rapid  and  in the 19th and early 20th centuries. These trends enabled the establishment of a "welfare state" of public services, starting with the 1933 social reforms known as the . Denmark was during World War II and, ending a tradition of political, in 1949 became one of the founding members of. In 2006 a survey found Denmark to be the happiest place in the world, based on standards of health, welfare, and education. In 2007 the country's capital is ranked the second most liveable city in the world by Monocle magazine and ranked as the happiest nation in the world.

Prehistoric Denmark
The earliest date back to 130,000–110,000 BC in the. People have inhabited Denmark since about 12,500 BC, and has been in evidence since around 3,900 BC. The  (1,800–600 BC) in Denmark was marked by s, which left an abundance of, including s and the.

During the (500 BC –  1), native groups began migrating south, although the first Danish people came to Denmark between the Pre-Roman and, in the  (AD 1–400). The s maintained trade routes and relations with native tribes in Denmark, and Roman coins have been found in Denmark. Evidence of strong Celtic cultural influence dates from this period in Denmark and much of northwest Europe, and is among other things reflected in the finding of the.

Historians believe that before the arrival of the precursors to the Danes, who came from the east Danish islands and  and spoke an early form of, most of  and some islands were settled by. They later migrated to the, together with and  to form the.

The exact origins of a unified Danish state have been lost in history. However, a short note about the Dani in "" from 551 AD by historian is believed by some to be an early mention of the , one of the ethnos from whom the modern  are descended. The defence structures were built in phases from the 3rd century forward, and the sheer size of the construction efforts in 737 are attributed to the emergence of a Danish king. The was first used at the same time, and, the oldest town of Denmark, was founded about 700.

Pre-Christian Denmark


In the early 8th century, 's Christian empire had expanded to the south border of the Danes. Danes were aware of the massacre of pagans in Germania, and that threat made Danes and other Scandinavians organize. Over the next couple of centuries the were known as, together with  and. With their great skills in shipbuilding they colonized, raided, and traded the coasts and rivers of. Viking explorers first discovered by accident in the 9th century, on their way towards the, and eventually came across "" (Land of Grass/Land of Meadows), known today as , in. The Danish Vikings were most active in the and Western Europe, and they conquered and settled parts of  (known as the ),,  and founded. More  of this period have been found in Denmark than in England.

The Danes were united and around 965 by Harald Blåtand, the story of which was recorded on the. It is believed that Denmark became Christian to prevent invasion by the rising in  which was created by. In response, Harald Bluetooth built six around Denmark, collectively called, and reinforced the defense structure. The exact extent of Harald's Danish Kingdom is unknown, although it's reasonable to believe that it stretched from the defensive line of Dannevirke, including the Viking city of, across Jutland, the Danish isles and into southern present day Sweden; and perhaps  and.

The son of Harald, Svend Haraldson, mounted a series of wars of conquest against England, different from earlier viking activities (raids and localized settlements) in that Svend's wars seems to have been centrally organized and with long-term planning involved, displaying the emergence of a central organization and a kingship with strong internal power. The conquest of England was completed by Svend's son Knud towards the middle of the 11th century. The reign of Knud represented the peak of the Danish Viking age. King Knud's North Sea Empire included Denmark (1018), Norway (1028), England (1035) and most likely held strong influence over the north-eastern coast of present-day Germany.

Medieval Denmark
From the viking age towards the end of the 13th century, The kingdom of Denmark consisted of, from the extending northwards, The danish isles (, ,  and smaller islands),  ,  and. From the end of the 13th century the lands between  and the river  was separated from the kingdom as two vassal  of  and. In 1658,  and  was ceded to Sweden.

Following the end of the viking age (8th - 11th century), Denmark underwent a transition from a decentralised realm with a weak and semi-elected royal institution and little to none nobillity, into a realm more reflecting the European patron-client (or feudal) type of socity, with a strong king ruling through an even stronger noble class. The periode is marked by internal strife and a general weak geo-political position of the realm, who at long stretches fell under Emperial German influence. Though the periode also features the first larger stone build buildings (mostly churches), a deep penetration by the christian faith f.ex. the appearence of monastic orders in Denmark and the first written historical works (F.ex. Saxo's historical work "Deeds of the Danes").

By the end of the 12th century the transition can be considered complete and the realm regained strength primarely through a strong allience between the royal familly and powerfull noble famillies. Emperial-German political as well as religious influence is firmly ended in the last decades of the 12th century under the rule of King and his fost brother  Hvide, Archbishop of, through succesfull wars against  peoples of present day North-East Germany and through wars against the German Empire.

A medieval high point is reached during the reign of, whos baltic sea politics resulted in the formation of a (abeit short lived) Danish "Baltic Sea Empire", which by 1221 extended control, or influence, from Estonia in the east to Norway in the north. In this periode several of the "regional" law codes are given. Noticably the from 1241, which asserts several modern concepts like Right of property; "that the king cannot rule without and beyound the law"; "and that all men are equal to the law".

Following the death of in 1241 and  to the assencion of  in 1340, the kingdom is in general decline due to internal strife and the rise of the. Also, the competition between the sons of, had the longterm result that the southern parts of Jutland was separated from the kingdom of Denmark and became semi-independent vasal dutcheries/counts. A problematic arrangement that would persist untill the end of World War I. During the reign of and his daughter, the realm is re-invigorated and following the battle of Falköping,  had her sister's son  crowned king of Denmark, Norway and Sweden after the signing of the union charter of Kalmar  (The ), Trinity Sunday 1397. Much of the next 125 years of Scandinavien history revolves around this union, with Sweden breaking off and being re-conquored repeatedly. The issue is for practical purposes resolved the 17th of june 1523, as Swedish King conqurors the city of Stockholm. Denmark and Norway remained in a personal union until the, 1814.

The came to Scandinavia in the 1530s, and following the  civil war, Denmark converted to  in 1536.

Recent history
Two centuries of wars with Sweden followed. King attacked Sweden in the 1611–13  but failed to accomplish his main objective of forcing Sweden to return to the union with Denmark. The war led to no territorial changes, but Sweden was forced to pay a of 1 million silver  to Denmark, an amount known as the . King Christian used this money to found several towns and fortresses, most notably (founded as a rival to ),  (following a fire destroying the original city),, , and. Christian also constructed a number of buildings, most notably, , , , a and a. Inspired by the, he founded a similar. Christian had planned to claim as a colony but the company only managed to acquire  on 's. In the, Christian tried to become the leader of the states in Germany, but suffered a crushing defeat at the  resulting in a Catholic army under  occupying and pillaging Jutland. Denmark managed to avoid territorial concessions, but ' intervention in Germany was seen as a sign that the military power of Sweden was on the rise while Denmark's influence in the region was declining. In 1643, Swedish armies and in 1644. In the 1645, Denmark surrendered Halland, , the last parts of Danish Estonia, and several provinces in Norway. In 1657, King declared war on Sweden and marched on. This led to a massive Danish defeat and the armies of King of Sweden conquered both,  and much of  before signing the  in February 1658 which gave Sweden control of , ,  and the island of. Charles X Gustav quickly regretted not having destroyed Denmark completely and in August 1658 he began a two-year long siege of but failed to take the capital. In the following peace settlement, Denmark managed to maintain its independence and regain control of Trøndelag and Bornholm.

Denmark tried to regain control of Skåne in the (1675-79) but it ended in failure. Following the (1700–21), Denmark managed to restore control of the parts of  and  ruled by the house of  in 1721 and 1773, respectively. Denmark prospered greatly in the last decades of the 18th century due to its neutral status allowing it to trade with both sides in the many contemporary wars. In the, Denmark originally tried to pursue a policy of neutrality to continue the lucrative trade with both and the  and joined the  with , Sweden and. The considered this a hostile act and attacked Copenhagen in both  and, in one case carrying off the , in the other, burning large parts of the Danish capital. These events mark the end of the prosperous Florissant Age and resulted in the Dano-British. British control over the waterways between Denmark and Norway proved disastrous to the union's economy and in 1813, Denmark-Norway went. The post-Napoleonic demanded the dissolution of the Dano-Norwegian union, and this was confirmed by the  in 1814. Denmark-Norway had briefly hoped to restore the Scandinavian union in 1809, but these hopes were dashed when the of Sweden rejected a proposal to let  succeed the deposed  and instead gave the crown to. Norway entered a new union with Sweden which lasted until 1905. Denmark kept the colonies of, and. Apart from the Nordic colonies, Denmark ruled over ( in ) from 1620 to 1869, the   from 1658 to 1850, and the  (the ) from 1671 to 1917.

The Danish liberal and national movement gained momentum in the 1830s, and after the European Denmark peacefully became a  on.

After the (Danish: Slesvig) in 1864, Denmark was forced to cede  to, in a defeat that left deep marks on the Danish national identity. After these events, Denmark returned to its traditional policy of neutrality, also keeping Denmark neutral in. Following the defeat of Germany, the offered to return the then-German region of Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark. Fearing German, Denmark refused to consider the return of the area and insisted on a concerning the return of Schleswig. The two took place on  and, respectively. On, after the plebiscite and the King's signature  on the reunion document, Northern Schleswig (Sønderjylland) was recovered by Denmark, thereby adding 163,600 inhabitants and 3,984 km². The reunion day (Genforeningsdag) is celebrated every year on Valdemarsdag.

's invasion of Denmark on  – codenamed  – met only two hours of military resistance before the Danish government surrendered. Economic co-operation between Germany and Denmark continued until 1943, when the Danish Government refused further co-operation and the Navy sank most of the Danish fleet and sent as many of their officers as they could to Sweden. During the war, the government was extremely helpful towards Jews living in the country, and the resistance managed to get most of the Jews to Sweden and safety. Denmark led many "inside operations" or sabotage against the German facilities. Iceland severed ties to Denmark and became an independent republic, and in 1948 the gained. After the war, Denmark became one of the founding members of the and  and in 1973, along with Britain and Ireland, joined the  (now the ) after a. gained home rule in 1979.

Politics
The Kingdom of Denmark is a. As stipulated in the Danish Constitution, the monarch is not answerable for his or her actions, and his or her person is sacrosanct. The monarch appoints and dismisses the Prime Minister and other ministers. Before being validated through royal assent, all bills and important government measures must be discussed in the Statsrådet, a privy council headed by the monarch. The Danish privy council's protocols are secret..



While executive authority belongs to the monarch (as ), legislative authority is vested in the monarch and the Danish parliament conjointly. Judicial authority lies with the courts of justice.

Executive authority is exercised on behalf of the monarch by the and other  who head departments. The cabinet, including the prime minister, and other ministers collectively make up the. These ministers are responsible to (the Danish Parliament), the legislative body, which is traditionally considered to be supreme (that is, able to legislate on any matter and not bound by decisions of its predecessors).

The Folketing is the national legislature. It has the ultimate legislative authority according to the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, however questions over have been brought forward because of Denmark’s entry into the European Union. In theory however, the doctrine prevails. Parliament consists of 179 members elected by proportional majority. Parliamentary elections are held at least every four years, but it is within the powers of the prime minister to call one sooner. On a the parliament may force the entire government to resign.

The Danish political system has traditionally generated coalitions. Most Danish post-war governments have been minority coalitions ruling with parliamentary support.

Since November 2001, the Danish Prime Minister has been from the  party, a center-right liberal party. The government is a coalition consisting of Venstre and the, with parliamentary support from the (Dansk Folkeparti). The three parties obtained a parliamentary major in the 2001 elections and maintained it virtually unchanged in the 2005 election. On October 24, 2007 an early election was called by the Prime Minister for November 13. The result was that the right-populist Danish People's party was strengthened while Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen's Venstre lost 6 mandates. The result ensured that Anders Fogh Rasmussen could continue to be prime minister for a third term.

Geography
Denmark's northernmost point is s point (the north beach of the Skaw) at 57° 45' 7" northern latitude, the southernmost is point (the southern tip of ) at 54° 33' 35" northern latitude, the westernmost point is  at 8° 4' 22" eastern longitude, and the easternmost point is  at 15° 11' 55" eastern longitude. This is in the archipelago 18 kilometres northeast of. The distance from east to west is 452 km, from north to south 368 km.

Denmark consists of the of  (Jylland) and 443 named s (1419 islands above 100 m² in total (2005)). Of these, 76 are inhabited, with the largest being (Sjælland) and  (Fyn). The island of is located somewhat east of the rest of the country, in the. Many of the larger islands are connected by bridges; the connects Zealand with, the  connects Funen with Zealand, and the  connects Jutland with Funen. or small aircraft connect to the smaller islands. Main cities are the capital (on Zealand),,  and  (on Jutland) and  (on Funen).

The country is flat with little elevation; having an average height above sea level of only 31 m and the highest natural point is, at 170.86 m. Other hills in the same area southwest of Århus are  at 170.77 m and  at 170.35 m.  The area of inland water is: (eastern Denmark) 210 km² (81 sq mi); (western D.) 490 km² (189 sq mi).

Denmark is split into 443 named islands which results in a long coastline, 7,314 kilometres (4,544 mi). A perfect circle enclosing the same area as Denmark would have a circumference of only 742 kilometres (461 mi). Another feature that shows the close connection between the land and ocean is that no location in Denmark is farther from the coast than 52 kilometres (32.3 mi). The size of the land area of Denmark cannot be stated exactly since the ocean constantly erodes and adds material to the coastline, and because of human land reclamation projects (to counter erosion). On the southwest coast of Jutland, the tide is between 1 and 2 metres (3 to 6.5 ft), and the tideline moves outward and inward on a 10 kilometres (6 mi) stretch.



The climate is in the. The winters are not particularly cold with mean temperatures in January and February of 0.0 °C and the summers are cool with mean temperature in August 15.7 °C. There is a lot of wind, which is stronger during the winter and weaker during the summer. Denmark has an average of 170 rainy days. The greatest rainfall comes in November.

Because of Denmark's northern location, the length of the day with varies greatly. There are short days during the winter with sunrise coming around 9:30 a.m. and sunset 4:30 p.m., as well as long summer days with sunrise at 3:30 a.m. and sunset at 10 p.m. The shortest and longest days of the year have traditionally been celebrated. The celebration for the shortest day corresponds roughly with (Danish: jul) and modern celebrations concentrate on Christmas Eve,. The Norse word jól is a plural, indicating that pre-Christian society celebrated a season with multiple feasts. Christianity introduced the celebration of Christmas, resulting in the use of the Norse name also for the Christian celebration. Efforts by the Catholic Church to replace this name with kristmesse were unsuccessful. The celebration for the longest day is, which is known in Denmark as sankthansaften (St. evening). Celebrations of Midsummer have taken place since pre-Christian times.

Regions and municipalities



 * For the administrative divisions used until 2006, see .



Denmark is divided into five (: regioner, singular: region) and a total of 98. The regions were created on  as part of the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform to replace the country's traditional thirteen  (). At the same time, smaller municipalities () were merged into larger units, cutting the number of municipalities from 270 to 98. The most important area of responsibility for the new regions is the national health service. Unlike the former counties, the regions are not allowed to levy taxes, and the health service is primarily financed by a national 8% (sundhedsbidrag) tax combined with funds from both government and municipalities. Each Regional Council consists of 41 elected politicians elected as part of the 2005 Danish municipal elections.

Most of the new municipalities have a population of least 20,000 people, although a few exceptions were made to this rule.

The  (95 inhabitants (2007)) is neither part of a municipality, nor a region but belongs to the. and the are also parts of the Kingdom of Denmark, as members of  but have autonomous status and are largely self-governing, and are each represented by two seats in the parliament.

Economy
Denmark's features very efficient agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures, very high living standards, a stable currency, and high dependence on foreign trade. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and has a comfortable balance of payments surplus and zero net. Also of importance is the sea territory of more than 105,000 km² (40,000+ sq mi).

The Danish economy is highly unionised; 75% of its labour force are members of a trade union. Most trade unions take part in the organized system of trade unions, the organization at the highest level being the so-called LO, the. However, increasing numbers in the labour force choose not to become members of a trade union or to become members of one of the trade unions outside the organized system (often referred to as the yellow, in Danish gule, trade unions).

Relationships between unions and employers are generally cooperative: unions often have a day-to-day role in managing the workplace, and their representatives sit on most companies'. Rules on work schedules and pay are negotiated between unions and employers, with minimal government involvement. The unemployment rate for September 2007 was 3.1%, for a total of 86,000 persons, a reduction by 101,600 persons - 2,300 per month - or 54% since December 2003. The number of unemployed is forecast to be 65,000 in 2015. The number of people in the working age group, less disability pensioners etc., will grow by 10,000 to 2,860,000, and jobs by 70,000 to 2,790,000. Parttime jobs included. Because of the present high demand and short supply of skilled labour, especially for factory, transport, building and construction jobs, in addition to hospital nurses and physicians, the annual average working hours have risen, especially compared with the economic downturn 1987 – 1993. Increasingly, service workers of all kinds are in demand, i.e. in the postal services and as bus drivers, and academics.

Denmark's national currency, the  (plural: kroner), is de facto linked to the through. The exchange rate is very steady at approx. 7.45 kroner per euro. Currently the krone converts to American dollars at a rate of about 0.20 per krone (about 5.1 kroner per dollar). (Exchange rates updated November 2007)

The government has met the economic convergence criteria for participating in the third phase (the common European currency - the Euro) of the (EMU), but Denmark, in a, rejected The Monetary Union. The Government of Fogh Rasmussen, re-elected in November 2007, announced a new referendum on the euro for 2008 or 2009 at the latest.

In the area of sickness and unemployment, the right to benefit is always dependent on former employment and at times also on membership of an, which is almost always -but need not be- administered by a trade union, and the previous payment of contributions. However, the largest share of the financing is still carried by the central government and is financed from general taxation, and only to a minor degree from earmarked contributions.

The Danish welfare model is accompanied by a taxation system that is both broad based (25% VAT and excise) and with high income tax rates (minimum tax rate for adults is 39.6%).

Denmark is home to many well known multi-national companies, among them: (Maersk - international shipping),  (children's toys),  (hi-fi equipment),  (beer), and the pharmaceutical companies  and.

Transport
Enormous investment has been made in recent decades in building road and rail links between and,  (the ), and between  and  (the ).

The main operator is  (Danish State Railways) for passenger services and  for freight trains. The railway tracks are maintained by. Copenhagen has a small system and the greater Copenhagen area has an extensive.

Denmark's national airline (together with Norway and Sweden) is (SAS) and  is the country's largest airport, and also the biggest hub in Scandinavia.

A ferry link to the is maintained by. Other international ferry services are mainly operated by (to Norway and the UK) and  (to Germany and Sweden).

Demographics
The majority of the population is of Scandinavian descent, with small groups of from, , and immigrants. According to official statistics as of, 477,700 immigrants and their descendants made up 8.9% of the total population &mdash; a large number of whom come from  and the. People of Danish descent totaled 4,968,436 people. During recent years, anti-immigration sentiment due to the alleged large influx of radical muslims, has surfaced in Denmark as is the case also in many other parts of Europe. Nevertheless, the number of residence permits granted related to labour and to people from within the / has increased since implementation of new immigration laws in 2001. However, the number of immigrants arriving in Denmark for family reunification has decreased from 14,140 during 2001 to 4,198 during 2006, a decrease of 70%, highlighting the tough climate for non-EU immigrants to bring their families. Also, during the period 2001-2006 the number of asylum permits given has decreased from 6,263 to 1,095, a decrease of 82.5%, the drop reflecting the decrease of asylum seekers from 12.512 in 2001 to 1.960 in 2006..

is spoken throughout the country, although a small group near the German border also speak. is the most widely spoken foreign language. Foreigners could easily live with just English, though application for permanent resident status in Denmark requires a significant proficiency in Danish.

As in most countries, the population is not distributed evenly. Although the land area east of the only makes up 9,622 km² (3,715 sq mi), 22.7% of Denmark's land area, as of   it has 45% (2,452,962) of the population. The average population density of this area is 254.9 inhabitants per km² (660.27 per sq mi). The average density in the west of the country (32,772 km²/12,653 sq mi) is 91.36/km² (236.62 per sq mi) (2,994,122 people) (2007).

The age is 39.8 years with 0.98 males per female. 98.2% of the population is literate (age 15 and up). 1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.), which reflects a coming drop in worker to retiree ratio. The annual average population growth is 0.33%.

Population  was 5,451,826, which equals 128.60 inh./km² land area or 333.07 inh./sq mi. land area (16,368 sq mi). : 5,457,415. : 5,470,919. es merely for population numbers are not conducted; they are based on the computerised, day-to-day updated.

Religion
According to official statistics from January 2006, 83.0% of Danes are members of the state church, the  (Den Danske Folkekirke), also known as the Church of Denmark. According to §6 of the, the family must belong to this Church. 4% of the Danish population adhere to Islam, and other, include non-Lutheran denominations. The oldest state recognised religious societies and churches are: Religion, religious societies and churches do not need to be state-recognised in Denmark and can be granted the right to perform weddings etc. without this recognition.
 * The Catholic Church in Denmark recognised by the state since 1682
 * The Reformed Church recognised by the state since 1682.
 * Det Mosaiske Troessamfund, the main Jewish organisation in Denmark, recognised by the state since 1682.

According to the most recent 2005, 31% of Danish citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 49% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 19% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force".

Education


The Danish system offers free access to,  and most kinds of  ( etc.). About 99% of the general population attend compulsory elementary school (lasting 9 to 10 years); 86% attend secondary school and 41% pursue further education.

Primary school in Denmark is "" (translated: "the Danish Public School"). It goes from 1st-10th grade (10th grade is optional, as is the introductory børnehaveklasse ("kindergarten class")). In Denmark one can also go to Friskole ("free school") or Privatskole (""): i.e. schools that are not under the administration of the ; e.g. s or.

Following graduation from Folkeskolen, there are several other educational opportunities, including  (academically oriented upper ),  (similar to Gymnasium, but one year shorter),  (with focus on  and ), and  (HHX) (with a focus on trade and business), as well as, training young people for work in specific s by a combination of teaching and.

Gymnasium, HF, HTX and HHX aim at qualifying students for in universities and s. Denmark has several ; the largest and oldest are the  and.

added: By law, all college education in Denmark must be free

, ("Folk high schools") introduced by politician, clergyman and poet in the 19th century, are social, informal education structures without tests or grades but emphasising communal learning, self-discovery, enlightenment, and learning how to think.

Culture


is known beyond Denmark for his fairy tales, such as "", "", and "". (pen name: Isak Dinesen), Nobel laureate author, Nobel laureate physicist , the comedic pianist and the Philosopher  have also made a name for themselves outside Denmark.

The capital city of includes the, the  (home of the Danish monarchy), and the  sculpture.

Historically, Denmark, like its Scandinavian neighbors, has been one of the most socially progressive cultures in the world. For example, in 1969, Denmark was the first country to legalize pornography. And in 1989, Denmark enacted a law, being the first country in the world to grant same-sex couples nearly all of the rights and responsibilities of.

Cinema of Denmark
Modern film makers of note include and, who in the 1990s brought international attention to Danish cinema with the  95 film movement. Denmark was also the home of one of the most acclaimed directors in the history of cinema:.

Danish sport
The most popular sport in Denmark is (soccer). and other water sports are popular, as are indoor sports such as, and various forms of gymnastics. In Denmark there is also a small group of people doing motorsport, but with some success. The most successful driver on the 24 Hours of Le Mans race ever, with seven 1st places is, who comes from Denmark. In Denmark has won several World Championships. Other notable Danish sportspeople include 's all-time leading scorer, cyclists , , and , -player , -player  and  players  and  and. Teenager is rising up the rankings on the WTA tennis tour. Denmark is also the home and birthplace of former WBA & WBC Supermiddleweight boxing champion,.

Music of Denmark
Denmark has long been a center of cultural innovation. Its capital, Copenhagen, and its multiple outlying islands have a wide range of folk traditions, while an extensive recording industry has produced pop stars and a host of performers from a multitude of genres.

Danish food


The of Denmark, like that in the other Nordic countries (Finland, Norway, Iceland, and Sweden), as well as that of northern Germany, its neighbour to the south, is heavy, consisting mainly of meat and fish. This stems from the country's agricultural past, as well as its geography and climate of long, cold winters.

Traditional Danish food includes (fried meatballs, often served with potatoes and various sorts of gravy), karbonader/krebinetter (another sort of fried meatballs), steaks and so on, mostly eaten with potatoes, which is slightly less popular nowadays in Denmark. Fish is also widely eaten, especially on the west coast of. A traditionally favourite, , is eaten with , on fried , on or  sandwiches. Smoked fish dishes from local s or røgerier, especially on the island of, are increasingly popular.

One of the most interesting aspects of Danish food is the wide variety of attractive open (Rye-bread) sandwiches or  traditionally served for the mid-day meal or frokost. This usually starts with fish such as marinated, smoked or hot fried breaded plaice. Then come meat sandwiches such as cold roast beef with and fried onions, roast pork and  with, hot , Danish meat balls () or  with bacon and mushrooms. Some typically Danish items are Sol over , literally 'sun over Gudhjem', consisting of smoked herring, chives and with raw egg yolk (the "sun") on top; or Dyrlægens natmad, 'vet's late-night bite', with, saltmeat (corned veal), onions and jellied. Finally cheese is served with radishes, nuts or grapes. beer accompanied by small glasses of snaps or are the preferred drinks for a Danish frokost.

Military
Denmark's are known as the Danish Defence Force (: Det Danske Forsvar). During peacetime, the Ministry of Defence (FM) in Denmark employs, in four branches, 15,450 in the, 5,300 in the , 6,050 in the and more than 55,000 in the  following completion of their conscript service.

The Danish army has 350-400 soldiers in  and around 600 in. Between 2003 and 2007 there were approx. 450 soldiers in. Seven Danish soldiers were killed during the deployment in Iraq, which at the end of July, 2007 saw the force reduced to a fleet of support helicopters.