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| {{Infobox Country | |||
| |native_name = <span style="line-height:1.33em;">''Kongeriget Danmark''</span> | |||
| |conventional_long_name = <span style="line-height:1.33em;">Kingdom of Denmark</span> | |||
| |common_name = Denmark | |||
| |image_flag = Flag of Denmark.svg | |||
| |image_coat = COA_of_Denmark.svg | |||
| |national_motto = none<br />(]: ''Guds hjælp, Folkets kærlighed, Danmarks styrke''<br /><small>"The Help of God, the Love of the People, the Strength of Denmark"</small>) | |||
| |image_map = EU location DEN.png | |||
| |map_caption = {{map_caption|country=]|region=]|subregion=the ]|legend=European location legend en.png}} | |||
| |national_anthem = '']'' <small>(national)</small><br /> | |||
| |royal_anthem = '']'' <small>(royal and national)</small> | |||
| |official_languages = ]<sup>1</sup> | |||
| |demonym = ] or ] | |||
| |capital = ] | |||
| |latd=55 |latm=43 |latNS=N |longd=12 |longm=34 |longEW=E | |||
| |largest_city = capital | |||
| |government_type = ] and ] | |||
| |leader_title1 = ] | |||
| |leader_title2 = ] | |||
| |leader_title3 = ] | |||
| |leader_name1 = ] | |||
| |leader_name2 = ] | |||
| |leader_name3 = ] | |||
| |accessionEUdate = 1 January 1973 (7<sup>th</sup>) | |||
| |area_km2 = 43,094 | |||
| |area_sq_mi = 16,639² <!--Do not remove per ]--> | |||
| |area_rank = 134th² | |||
| |area_magnitude = 1 E10 | |||
| |percent_water = 1.6² | |||
| |population_estimate = 5,475,791 | |||
| |population_estimate_year = 2008 | |||
| |population_estimate_rank = 108th | |||
| |population_density_km2 = 129.16 | |||
| |population_density_sq_mi = 334.53 <!--Do not remove per ]--> | |||
| |population_density_rank = 78th² | |||
| |GDP_PPP_year = 2006 | |||
| |GDP_PPP = $198.5 billion | |||
| |GDP_PPP_rank = 45th | |||
| |GDP_PPP_per_capita = $37,000 | |||
| |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 6th | |||
| |GDP_nominal = $311.3 billion | |||
| |GDP_nominal_rank = 27th | |||
| |GDP_nominal_year = 2007 | |||
| |GDP_nominal_per_capita = $57,261 | |||
| |GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 6th | |||
| |Gini = 24.7 | |||
| |Gini_year = 1997 | |||
| |Gini_Relations = Canadians of Europe | |||
| |Gini_rank = 1st | |||
| |Gini_category = <font color="#009900">low</font> | |||
| |HDI_year = 2004 | |||
| |HDI = {{increase}} 0.943 | |||
| |HDI_rank = 14th | |||
| |HDI_category = <font color="#009900">high</font> | |||
| |sovereignty_type = Consolidation | |||
| |sovereignty_note = 8th century | |||
| |currency = ] | |||
| |currency_code = DKK | |||
| |time_zone = ]² | |||
| |utc_offset = +1 | |||
| |time_zone_DST = ]² | |||
| |utc_offset_DST = +2 | |||
| |cctld = ]<sup>2,3</sup> | |||
| |calling_code = 45 | |||
| |calling_code_note = <sup>4</sup> | |||
| |footnotes = <sup>1</sup> Co-official with ] in ], and ] in the ]. ] is recognised as a protected minority language in the South Jutland (Sønderjylland) area of Denmark. Danish is recognized as a protected minority language in the ] region of ].<br />² For Denmark excluding the Faroe Islands and ].<br />³ The TLD ] is shared with other ] countries.<br /><sup>4</sup> The ] use +298 and ] uses +299. | |||
| }} | |||
| The '''Kingdom of Denmark''' {{Audio-IPA|en-us-Denmark.ogg|}} ({{audio-da|Kongeriget Danmark|Kongeriget Danmark.ogg}}, {{IPA2|ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊}}, (archaic:) {{IPA2|ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊}}), commonly known as '''Denmark''', is a country in the ]n region of northern ]. It is the southernmost of the ]. The mainland is bordered to the south by ]; Denmark is southwest of ] and south of ]. Denmark borders both the ] and the ]. The country consists of a large peninsula, ] (Jylland) and many 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 ]. The ] and ] are autonomous provinces of Denmark with ], but are not members of the ]. | |||
| Denmark is a ] with a ] of government. Denmark has a state-level government and local governments in 98 ]. Denmark has been a member of the ] (formerly ]) since 1973, although has not joined the ]. Denmark is a founding member of ]. | |||
| Denmark is a highly ], capitalist economy, ranking 11th of 162 countries in the ] 2008. From 2006 to 2008, surveys<ref></ref> ranked Denmark as "the happiest place in the world," based on standards of health, welfare, and education. In the 2008 survey, the ] ranks Denmark as the second most peaceful country in the world, after ] .<ref>. Vision of Humanity.</ref> In 2008, the capital and largest city, ], was ranked the most liveable city in the world by ''Monocle'' magazine.<ref></ref> The national language ] is close to ] and ], with which they share strong cultural and historical ties. 82.0% of the inhabitants of Denmark and 90.3% of the ethnic Danes are members of the ] state church. About 9% of residents are citizens of other countries. | |||
| ==Etymology== | |||
| The etymology of the word Denmark, and especially the relationship between Danes and Denmark and the unifying of Denmark as a single Kingdom is a subject that attracts some debate. People live in trees, including Charlie's board-gaming, tree-climbing, wheeling-dealing sons of guns, Bjorg and Jesper!<ref>Kristian Andersen Nyrup, Middelalderstudier </ref><ref>''Indvandrerne i Danmarks historie'', Bent Østergaard, Syddansk Universitetsforlag 2007, ISBN 978-87-7674-204-1, pp. 19-24</ref> The debate is centered primarily around the prefix 'Dan' and whether it refers to the ] or a historical person ] and the exact meaning of the -mark ending. The issue is further complicated by a number of references to various Dani people in Scandinavian or other places in Europe in ancient Greek and Roman accounts (like ], ] and ]), as well as some medieval literature (like ], ], ] and ]). | |||
| Most handbooks derive<ref>], ''Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch'', 1962, 73; ], ''Dansk etymologisk ordbog'', 1989, 85-96.</ref> the first part of the word, and the name of the people, from a word meaning "flat land", related to ] ''Tenne'' "threshing floor", ] ''den'' "cave", ] ''dhánuṣ-'' "desert". The ''-mark'' is believed to mean woodland or borderland (see ]), with probable references to the border forests in south ],<ref>Navneforskning, Københavns Universitet .</ref> maybe similar to ], ] or ].<ref>Asernes æt </ref> | |||
| ===Mythological explanations=== | |||
| Some of the earliest descriptions of the origin of the word 'Denmark', describing a territory, are found in the '']'' (12th century), ] (late 12th century), ] (early 13th century) and the ] (mid 15th century). There are however many more Danish annals and yearbooks containing various other details, similar tales in other variations, other names or spelling variations, and so on. | |||
| The ''Chronicon Lethrense'' explains that when the ] ] went against Denmark in the time of David, Denmark consisted of the territory ], ], ], ], ], ] and ], but was not called Denmark (Dania) because they were governed by the ] king Ypper.<ref>The 'David' referred to here appears to be ], the ]: of course this is wildly ], but it is fairly typical of such sources, which commonly sought to push national or dynastic origins as far back as possible.</ref> He had three sons, Nori, Østen and ]. Dan was sent to govern Zealand, Møn, Falster and Lolland, which became known jointly as Videslev. When the ] were fighting Emperor Augustus they called upon Dan to help and upon victory made him king of Jutland, Fuen, Videslev and Skåne. After a council about what to call this new united land, they named it Denmark (Dania) after the new king, Dan. Saxo relates that the legendary Danish King ], son of Humbli, gave the name to the Danish people, though he does not expressly state that he also is the origin of the word "Denmark". Rather he tells that ] ultimately derives its name from Dan’s brother ]. As a side note, however, Saxo also tells that the Norman historian ] had already written that the Danish people and Denmark derived their name from the ] people of modern day ] and northern ]. From Dudo we hear that ] was expelled from ] and went to Scania with six boats. In the Ballad of Eric we hear that the ] king Humli set his son Dan to rule the settlers of a territory called Vetala, and after Dan, Vetala was named Denmark. | |||
| ===Earliest occurrences=== | |||
| ]", seen from the north with "] Mound" in the background.]] | |||
| The earliest mention of a territory called "Denmark" is found in King ]'s modified translation into ] of ] ''Seven Books of History Against The Pagans'' ("Historiarum adversum Paganos Libri Septem"), written by Alfred when king of ] in the years 871-899. In a passage introduced to the text by Alfred, we read about ]’s travels in the Nordic region, during which 'Denmark was on his <nowiki>] side]... And then for two days he had on his the islands which belong to Denmark'.<ref>Thorpe, B., ''The Life of Alfred The Great Translated From The German of Dr. R. Pauli To Which Is Appended Alfred's Anglo-Saxon Version of Orosius'', Bell, 1900, p. 253.</ref> | |||
| The earliest recorded use of the word "Denmark" within Denmark itself is found on the two ], which are ] believed to have been erected by ] (c. 955) and ] (c. 965). The larger stone of the two is often cited as Denmark's birth certificate, though both use the word "Denmark", in the form of ] "tanmaurk" ({{pronEng|danmɒrk}}) on the large stone, and ] "tanmarkar" (pronounced /danmarkaɽ/) on the small stone.<ref>The ] form ''tąnmarku'' (pronounced /danmarkʊ/) is found on the contemporaneous ].</ref> The inhabitants of Denmark are there called "tani" (/danɪ/), or "Danes", in the accusative. | |||
| In the ], estimated to have been written between 1040 and 1115, though the oldest manuscript dates to 1140-1170, the first mention of the legendary Danish hero ] appears, who is specifically mentioned, several times, as "Holger of Denmark" (Oger de Denemarche) | |||
| ==History== | |||
| {{main|History of Denmark}} | |||
| ]. A Danish down. Note the glacial character of the terrain and the burial mound of an early chief in the centre]] | |||
| ]]] | |||
| The earliest ] date back to 130,000 –110,000 ] in the ].<ref>Michaelsen (2002), p. 19.</ref> People have inhabited Denmark since about 12,500 BC and ] has been in evidence since 3,900 BC.<ref name="foreign ministry">{{cite web| last =Nielsen| first =Poul Otto|month=May | year=2003| url = http://www.um.dk/Publikationer/UM/English/Denmark/kap6/6-1.asp| title =Denmark: History, Prehistory| publisher =Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs| accessdate =2006-05-01 }}</ref> The ] (1,800–600 BC) in Denmark was marked by ]s, which left an abundance of findings including ]s and the ]. During the ] (500 BC – ] 1), native groups began migrating south, although<ref name="foreign ministry" /> the first Danish people came to the country between the Pre-Roman and the ],<ref>Busck and Poulsen (ed.) (2002), p. 20.</ref> 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 were later invited to ] as mercenaries by ] king ], and were granted the south-eastern territories of ], the ], among other areas, where they settled. They were later absorbed or ethnically cleansed by the invading ] and ], who formed the ].<ref>See ], ]</ref> The remaining population in ] assimilated in with the ], due ] from the south and the east, and the Jutes being initially weakened after their emigrations. | |||
| The exact origins of the Danish nation have been lost in the mists of time. However, a short note<ref>{{cite web| last =| first =| author = Jordanes| coauthors = translated by Charles C. Mierow|date=1997-04-22| url = http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~vandersp/Courses/texts/jordgeti.html#III | title =The Origin and Deeds of the Goths, chapter III| publisher =| accessdate = 2006-05-01}}</ref> about the ''Dani'' in "]" from 551 by historian ] is believed by some to be an early mention of the '']'',<ref>Busck and Poulsen (ed.) (2002), p. 19.</ref> one of the ethnic groups from whom the modern ] are descended. The ] defense structures were built in phases from the 3rd century forward,<ref name= "danevirke">Michaelsen (2002), pp. 122–23.</ref> and the sheer size of the construction efforts in 737 are attributed to the emergence of a Danish king.<ref name= "danevirke"/> The ] was first used at the same time and ], the oldest town of Denmark, was founded about 700 AD. | |||
| ===Iron age=== | |||
| {{main|Viking age}} | |||
| ], the largest ship burial found in Denmark]] | |||
| During the 8th-11th centuries, the ] were known as ], together with ], ] and ]s. Viking explorers first discovered and settled ] in the 9th century, on their way toward the ]. From there, ] and ] (]) were also settled. Utilizing their great skills in shipbuilding they raided and conquered parts of France and the British Isles. But they also excelled in trading along the coasts and rivers of ], running trade routes from Greenland in the north to ] in the south via Russian rivers. The Danish Vikings were most active in the ] and Western Europe, and they raided, conquered and settled parts of ] (their earliest settlements included sites in the ], ], and ]). | |||
| In the early 8th century, ]'s Christian empire had expanded to the southern border of the Danes, and Frankish sources (F.ex. ]) provide the earliest historical evidence of the Danes. These report a King ], who appeared in present day ] with a navy in 804 AD where diplomacy took place with the Franks; In 808, the same King ] attacked the ], a ] people and conquered the city of ] whose population was displaced or abducted, to ]; In 809, King Godfred and emissaries of Charlemagne failed to negotiate peace and the next year, 810, King Godfred attacked the ] with 200 ships. The oldest parts of the defensive works of ] near ] at least date from the summer of 755 and were expanded with large works in the 10th century. The size and amount of troops needed to man it indicates a quite powerful ruler in the area, which might be consistent with the kings the Frankish sources. In 815 AD, Emperor ] attacked ] apparently in support of a contender to the throne, perhaps ], but was turned back by the sons of Godfred, who likely were the sons of the above mentioned Godfred. At the same time ] traveled to ] and started the Catholic ]. | |||
| ] and ]]] | |||
| The Danes were united and officially Christianized in 965 AD by ], the story of which is recorded on the ]. 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 ]. Furthermore, the Jelling stones attest that Harald had also "won" Norway. The son of Harald, ] mounted a series of wars of conquest against England, which was completed by Svend's son ] by the middle of the 11th century. The reign of ] (Danish:Knud) represented the peak of the Danish Viking age. King Knud's ''North Sea Empire'' included Denmark (1018), Norway (1028), England (1035) and held strong influence over the north-eastern coast of Germany. {{Fact|date=May 2008}} | |||
| Following the death of Canute the Great Denmark and England was divided. Sweyn Estridsen's son, Canute II and IV, depending on whose royal line is being figured, raided England for the last time in 1075. He planned another invasion to take the throne of England from an aging William I. He called up a fleet of 1000 Danish ships, 60 Norwegian long boats, with plans to meet with another 600 ships under Duke Robert of Flanders in the summer of 1086. Canute, however, was beginning to realize that the imposition of the tithe on Danish peasants and nobles to fund the expansion of monasteries and churches and a new head tax (Danish:nefgjald) had brought his people to the verge of rebellion. Canute took weeks to arrive at Struer where the fleet had aseembled, but he found only the Norwegians still there. The Danes had waited so long for the king that they began to starve and sailed home in disgust. {{Fact|date=May 2008}} | |||
| Canute thanked the Norwegians for their patience and then went from assembly to assembly (Danish:landsting) outlawing any sailor, captain, or soldier who refused to pay a fine which amounted to more than a years harvest for most farmers. When the king refused to back down, the peasants in Vendsyssel went on a rampage burning royal properties and murdering the hated tax collectors. {{Fact|date=May 2008}} Canute and his housecarls fled south with a growing army of rebels on his heels. Canute fled to the royal property outside the town of Odense on Funen with his two brothers. The peasants on Funen were not any happier with Canute than anyone else and charged after the king. Canute and his brother, Prince Benedict, fled to St Albans Priory for sanctuary. Canute took communion realizing his days were numbered. {{Fact|date=May 2008}} After several attempts to break in and then bloody hand to hand fighting in the church, Benedict was cut down and Canute struck in the head by a large stone and then speared from the front. He died at the base of the main altar 10 July 1086, where he was buried by the Benedictines. {{Fact|date=May 2008}} | |||
| When Queen Edele came to take Canute's body to Flanders, a wonderful light allegedly shone around the church and it was taken as a sign that Canute should remain where he was. People flocked to his grave when it was reported that the blind had received their sight, the lame walked, and deaf heard.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} His brother Olaf, who succeeded Canute, had a short reign and Denmark was plagued with famine so often that Olaf will forever be known as Olaf Hunger. Canute was canonized in 1101, and St Canute's Cathedral became one of Scandinavia's most popular pilgrimage sites in the Middle Ages.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} | |||
| The death of St Canute marks the end of the great Viking Age. Never again would massive flotillas of Scandinavians meet each year to ravage the rest of Christian Europe. Denmark was thoroughly Christian, though for generations Danes quietly held onto old customs that are vague reminders of pre-Christian times.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} | |||
| ===Medieval Denmark=== | |||
| From the Viking age towards the end of the 13th century, the kingdom of Denmark consisted of ], north from the ] and the islands of ], ], ], ], ] and ]. From the end of the 13th century the lands between the ] and the river ] were separated from the kingdom as two vassal ] of ] and ]. In 1658 ], ] and ] were ceded to Sweden. | |||
| Following the end of the 11th century, Denmark underwent a transition from a patchwork of regional chiefs (Danish:jarls) with a weak and semi-elected royal institution, into a realm which more reflected European ], with a powerful king ruling through an influential nobility. The period is marked by internal strife and the generally weak geopolitical position of the realm, which for long stretches fell under German influence. The period also featured the first of large stone buildings (mostly churches), a deep penetration by the Christian faith, the appearance of monastic orders in Denmark and the first written historical works such as the '']'' ("Deeds of the Danes"). German political as well as religious influence firmly ended in the last decades of the 12th century under the rule of King ] and his foster brother ] Hvide, Archbishop of ]; through successful wars against ] peoples of northeast Germany and the ]. | |||
| ]]] | |||
| A high point was reached during the reign of ], who led the formation of a Danish "Baltic Sea Empire", which by 1221 extended control from ] in the east to ] in the north. In this period several of the "regional" law codes were given; notably the ] from 1241, which asserted several modern concepts like ]; "that the king cannot rule without and beyond the law"; "and that all men are equal to the law". Following the death of ] in 1241 and to the ascension of ] in 1340, the kingdom was in general decline due to internal strife and the rise of the ]. The competition between the sons of ], had the longterm result that the southern parts of Jutland were separated from the kingdom of Denmark and became semi-independent vassal duchies/counties. | |||
| During the reign of ] and his daughter ], the realm was re-invigorated and following the ], Margrethe I 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 Scandinavian history revolves around this union, with Sweden breaking off and being re-conquered repeatedly. The issue was for practical purposes resolved on the 17 June 1523 as Swedish King ] conquered the city of Stockholm. Denmark and Norway remained in a personal union until the ], 1814. | |||
| The ] came to Scandinavia in 1520s. On Easter Sunday 1525 Hans Tausen, a monk in the Order of St John's Hospitalers, proclaimed aloud the need for Luther's reforms in the Catholic Church. His sermon was the beginning of a ten year struggle which would change Denmark forever. Tausen was hustled off to a monastery in Viborg in northern Jutland where he would be isolated and away from Copenhagen and the court. Tausen simply preached through the window of his locked chamber. At first curious Danes came to hear the strange new ideas that Tausen was preaching. Within weeks Tausen was freed by his loyal followers and then a Franciscan abbey church was broken open so Viborgers could hear God's word under a roof. Luther's ideas were accepted so rapidly that the local bishop and other churchmen in Viborg were unable to cope. In many churches the mass was celebrated alongside Lutheran sermons and then Tausen's version of Luther's teachings began to spread to other parts of Jutland. Within a year Tausen was the personal chaplain of King ]. Frederik tried to balance the old and new ideas insisting that they coexist; it lasted only as long as Frederik did. | |||
| A mob stormed Our Lady Church in Copenhagen in 1531 tearing down statues, destroying side altars, artwork, and relics that had accumulated through its long history. Similar events happened through the country, although for the most part the change was peaceful. The majority of common people saw the reduced influence and wealth of the church as a liberating thing, but their new found influence did not last long. | |||
| At the death of Frederick I two claimants to the throne, one backed by Protestant Lũbeck and the other by Catholic nobles caused a civil war known as the ] (Danish: Grevens Fejde). The massacre of ]'s peasant army at Aalborg brought an end of the war with the pro-Lutheran party firmly in charge. ]. Denmark's Catholic bishops were arrested and imprisoned. Abbeys, nunneries, monasteries and other church properties were confiscated by local nobility and the crown. Monks, nuns, and clergy lost their livelihood. The bishops who agreed to marry and not stir up trouble were given former church lands as personal estates. | |||
| Catholic influence remained longest in ] and the nearby area, northern Jutland, where change permeated slowly, although the reformation originally began there.<ref>], 1913, Wikisource {{cquote|Though the Danish Reformation began at Viborg, certain Catholic usages were kept up in its cathedral longer than anywhere else in Denmark. The shrines of St. Kjeld and St. Willehad were removed to the choir of the cathedral in 1538, but Lutheran ministers continued to recite daily the Office of the Dead for the soul of King Eric Glipping (d. 1286) from 1560 to 1630. The Protestant Bishop Hans Wandal shortened and Protestantized the service and entrusted its performance to the senior curate of the cathedral and twelve of the school boys. These all benefited by the endowment, and continued the service until 1684. Of the twelfth-century cathedral nothing remains but the crypt. The upper church built in 1876 contains splendid frescoes by Joachim Skovgaard begun in 1895 and a seven-branched candlestick from 1494. The abbey church of Grinderslev, the Church of St. Botolph, at Aalborg, and numerous village churches are memorials of the Catholic past. At Karup there was a pilgrimage to Our Lady's Well. The chapter of the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Kjeld was secularized in 1440, after which it consisted of a dean, an archdeacon, a precentor, and twelve secular canons. There were also at Viborg the Benedictine nunnery of St. Botolph, a Franciscan friary from 1235, and a Dominican friary from 1246, as well as the hospitals of St. Michael and of the Holy Ghost. At Aalborg there were a Benedictine nunnery and a Franciscan friary. The Cistercian Abbey of Vidskild (Vitae Scola) founded in 1158, the Augustinian abbey at Grinderslev founded before 1176, and the Augustinian nunnery of Asmild were all situated in the diocese, as were also the Benedictine (?) nunnery of Sibber, and the hospitals at Tesdrup and Karup. In 1523 there were 236 churches in the Diocese of Viborg. Now (1912) the Camillians have a church and hospital at Aalborg, while Viborg is one of their out-stations.}}</ref> | |||
| ===Modern history=== | |||
| ] | |||
| 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 ] ] to Denmark, an amount known as the '']''.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.smb.nu/svenskakrig/1611.asp |title=Kalmarkriget 1611-1613 |accessdate=2007-05-04 |publisher=]}}{{Dead link|date=August 2008}}{{sv icon}}</ref> <!--"Älvsborgs lösen" (Swedish), "Elvsborgs løsen" (Danish)--> 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 ].<!--less important were e.g. Christianspris (near Kiel) and Christianopel (near Brømsebro in Blekinge) --> Inspired by the ], he founded a similar ] and 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. ]), 1860–1864 painting by ]]] | |||
| 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''<!--Danish: den "florissante periode". If anybody has a better translation, I'm all ears. Valentinian--> 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 5 June 1849. 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 ]. | |||
| ===20th and 21st centuries=== | |||
| 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 10 February and 14 March, respectively. On 5 July 1920 after the plebiscite and the King's signature (6 July) 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 15 June on Valdemarsdag. | |||
| ]'s ] of Denmark on 9 April 1940 – 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 its navy sank most of its ships 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. ] 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. Neither ], nor the ] are members of the ], the Faroers declining membership in EEC from 1973 and Greenland from 1986, in both cases because of fisheries policies. | |||
| Despite its small size Denmark has been participating in major military and humanitary operations, most notably the UN and NATO led operations on Cyprus and in Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo, Ethiopia, Iraq and Afghanistan. | |||
| ==Geography== | |||
| {{main|Geography of Denmark}} | |||
| ] and ] ()]] | |||
| 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 {{convert|452|km|mi|0}}, from north to south {{convert|368|km|mi|0}}. | |||
| ].]] | |||
| Denmark consists of the ] of ] ''(Jylland)'' and 443 named ]s (1419 islands above 100 m² in total (2005)).<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www2.kms.dk/C1256AED004EA666/(AllDocsByDocId)/1D7EE8822587E667C1256AEF0030ABF6?open&page=strste&omr=KORT_DK_I_TAL |title=Landet i tal — Største øer |accessdate=2007-07-14 |date=2003-09-23 |publisher=] }}</ref> Of these, 72 are inhabited (2008),<ref>Statistikbanken.dk/bef4</ref> 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 ] (in Jutland) and ] (on Funen). | |||
| ], one of Denmark's highest points.]] | |||
| The country is flat with little elevation; having an average height above sea level of only {{convert|31|m|ft|0}} and the highest natural point is ], at {{convert|170.86|m|ft|2}}. Other hills in the same area southwest of Århus are ] at {{convert|170.77|m|ft|2}} and ] at {{convert|170.35|m|ft|2}}.<ref> {{cite journal|title=Danmarks nye top|journal=Aktuel Naturvidenskab | date= | first=Jørgen | last=Dahlgaard | coauthors=|volume=2005|issue=1|pages=2|id= |url = http://www.aktuelnat.au.dk/pdf05_1/an1top.pdf|format=PDF|accessdate=2007-02-03}}</ref>{{Dead link|date=August 2008}} 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).<ref name='Nature&Environment'> {{cite web|url=http://denmark.dk/portal/page?_pageid=374,520337&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070403235436/http://denmark.dk/portal/page?_pageid=374,520337&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL|archivedate=2007-04-03 |title=Nature & Environment |accessdate=2007-02-03 |work=Denmark.dk }}</ref> 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 further 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.<ref> Nationalencyklopedin, (1990)</ref> | |||
| ] | |||
| ], Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands) belongs to the ] and is shared between the Arctic, Atlantic European and Central European provinces of the ]. According to the ], the territory of Denmark can be subdivided into two ]s: the ] and ]. The Faroe Islands are covered by the ], while Greenland hosts the ecoregions of ] and ]. | |||
| ], Denmark's northmost point]] | |||
| 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.<ref> {{citeweb | url=http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/index/danmark/oversigter/klimanormaler.htm | title=Klimanormaler for Danmark | accessdate=2007-02-08 | work=]}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Denmark climate">{{cite web| last=Lerbech Jensen| first =Mogens| authorlink = | coauthors =| year = 2006| url =http://www.denmark.dk/portal/page?_pageid=374,520408&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL| title =Climate| format =| work =Denmark| pages =| publisher =Gyldendal Leksikon| accessmonthday =May 1 | accessyear =2006}}</ref>{{Dead link|date=August 2008}} | |||
| 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.<ref name="sunrise sunset">{{cite web| last=| first =| authorlink =|coauthors =| year =| url =http://www.gaisma.com/en/location/kobenhavn.html| title =Copenhagen, Denmark — Sunrise, sunset, dawn and dusk times for the whole year| format =| work =Gaisma| pages =| publisher =| accessmonthday =May 2 | accessyear =2006}}</ref> The shortest and longest days of the year have traditionally been celebrated. The celebration for the ] corresponds roughly with ] (Danish: ''jul'') and modern celebrations concentrate on Christmas Eve, 24 December. The Norse word ''jól'' is a plural, indicating that pre-Christian society celebrated a season with multiple feasts.<Ref>Store Danske Encyklopædi (2004), CD-ROM edition, entry ''Jul''.</ref> 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'')<!--Don't change the link. Sankt Hans = Johannes Døberen = Saint John the Baptist. The name "Hans" is due to a former Danish practice of shortening foreign names-->.<ref>Store Danske Encyklopædi (2004), CD-ROM edition, entry ''Sankthansaften''</ref> Celebrations of Midsummer have taken place since pre-Christian times.<Ref>Store Danske Encyklopædi (2004), CD-ROM edition, entry ''Majskikke''.</ref> | |||
| ==Government and politics== | |||
| <!--Please add new information into relevant articles of the series--> | |||
| {{main|Politics of Denmark}} | |||
| The Kingdom of Denmark is a ]. As stipulated in the ], the monarch is not answerable for his or her actions, and his or her person is sacrosanct. The monarch formally appoints and dismisses the Prime Minister and other ministers. The prime minister is customarily chosen through negotiation between the parliament party leaders. | |||
| Before being validated through royal assent, all bills and important government measures must be discussed in ''Statsrådet'', a privy council headed by the monarch. The Danish privy council's protocols are secret. Although the monarch is ''formally'' given executive power this power is strictly ]. The monarch is expected to be entirely apolitical and refrain from influencing the government in any way or form. For example, members of the royal family do not cast their votes in elections and referendums even though they have the right. | |||
| Any interference in the government by the monarch is almost unheard of and would almost certainly create a constitutional crisis (q.v. ].) | |||
| ]]] | |||
| ]]] | |||
| While executive authority formally belongs to the monarch (as ]), legislative authority is vested in the executive (Prime Minister) 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 175 members elected by proportional majority, plus 2 times 2 members elected from ] and ]. Parliamentary elections are held at least every four years, but it is within the powers of the Prime Minister to call one at his discretion before this period has elapsed. On a ] the parliament may force a single minister or the entire government to resign. | |||
| The Danish political system has traditionally generated coalitions. Most Danish post-war governments have been minority coalitions ruling with the support of non-government parties.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berlingske.dk/kronikker:aid=908766|title=Radikale ved historisk skillevej|publisher=]|date=]|accessdate=2007-08-17}}</ref> | |||
| 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 majority in the ] and maintained it virtually unchanged in the ]. On 24 October 2007 an early ] was called by the Prime Minister for 13 November. Following the election the Danish People's party was strengthened while Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen's Venstre lost 6 seats and the Conservative Party retained the same number of seats in Parliament as prior to the election. The result ensured that Anders Fogh Rasmussen could continue as Prime Minister for a third term. | |||
| ==Regions and municipalities== | |||
| {{main|Regions of Denmark|Municipalities of Denmark}} | |||
| :''For the administrative divisions used until 2006, see ].'' | |||
| ] | |||
| Denmark is divided into five ] ({{lang-da|regioner}}, singular: ''region'') and a total of 98 ]. The regions were created on 1 January 2007 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 at least 20,000 people, although a few exceptions were made to this rule. | |||
| The ] ] (96 inhabitants (2008)) is neither part of a municipality, nor a region but belongs to the ].<ref>{{cite news | first=Jonas | last=Michael Kjær | title=Christiansø betaler ikke sundhedsbidrag | date=] | url =http://www.dr.dk/Regioner/Bornholm/Nyheder/Christiansoe/2006/11/15160130.htm | work =dr.dk | accessdate = 2007-08-12}}{{da icon}}</ref> | |||
| ] 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. | |||
| {| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
| |- bgcolor="#ececec" | |||
| |'''Country/Region''' || '''Population''' || '''Area''' (km²) || '''Density''' (Pop per km²) | |||
| |- | |||
| |{{flagicon|Denmark}} ] || 5,484,723 || 43,094 || 127 | |||
| |- | |||
| |{{flagicon|Faroe Islands}} ''] (Denmark)'' || 47,017 || 1,399 || 34 | |||
| |- | |||
| |{{flagicon|Greenland}} ''] (Denmark)'' || 56,916 || 2,175,600 || 0.026 | |||
| |- | |||
| |{{flagicon|Denmark}} ''] (The Kingdom of Denmark)'' || 5,588,656 || 2,220,093 || 2.5 | |||
| |} | |||
| ==Economy== | |||
| {{main|Economy of Denmark}} | |||
| Denmark's ] features efficient markets, above average European living standards,<ref>Human Development Report 2007/2008</ref><ref>List of countries by Human Development Index</ref> and high amount of free trade. | |||
| Denmark has a ] ] higher than that of most European countries, and 15-20% above that of the United States.<ref> List of countries by GPD per capita from Misplaced Pages</ref> Denmark is one of the most competitive economies in the world according to World Economic Forum 2008 report, IMD, and The Economist.<ref></ref> According to ], Denmark has the most flexible ] in Europe; the policy is called ]. It is easy to hire, fire, and find a job. According to rankings by OECD, Denmark has the most free ]s in EU-15 and also one of the most free ]s, owning to liberalization in the 1990s. | |||
| Around 2.9 million residents are in the labor market. The proportion of tertiary degree holders is one of the highest. ] was the 10th highest in 2006 and unemployment very low. Denmark has an advanced telecommunications infrastructure. Denmark has a company tax rate of 25% and a special tax regime for expatriates.<ref>, Invest in Denmark</ref> | |||
| Denmark's national currency, the '']'' (plural: kroner), is de facto linked to the ] through ].<ref name=denmarkandtheeuro> {{cite web|url=http://www.nationalbanken.dk/DNUK/Euro.nsf/side/Denmark_and_the_euro!OpenDocument |title=Denmark and the euro |accessdate=2007-02-03 |date=2006-11-17 |publisher=] }}</ref> 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 ] 0.21 per krone (about 4.7 kroner per dollar). (Exchange rates updated April 2008) 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.<ref>{{cite news | title= Denmark to have second referendum on euro | date=] | url=http://euobserver.com/9/25202| accessdate = 2007-11-22}}</ref> | |||
| Denmark is home to many multi-national companies, among them: ] (Maersk — international shipping), ] (children's toys), ] (hi-fi equipment), ] (beer), ] (]), ] (enzymes and biotech) and the ] companies ] and ]. International companies such as ], ], ] and ] have placed large global business centres in ].<br /> Danmark is known from the ] concerning farming, food industry (now ]), dairies (now ]), shops ], which are part of ] now, ]s, and co-housing associations. | |||
| Support for ] is high - in a recent poll 76% responded that globalization is a good thing.<ref>, Time Magazine</ref> 70% of trade flows are inside the European Union. Main exports include: Animal Foodstuffs, Chemicals, Dairy Products, Electronic Equipment, Fish, Furniture, Leather, Machinery, Meat, Oil and Gas, and Sugar.<ref></ref> Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and has for a number of years had a balance of payments surplus while battling an equivalent of approximately 39% of GNP ] or more than 300 billion DKK .<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dst.dk/aarbogstabel/407|title=Statens Gæld og Låntagning |publisher=Statistics Denmark}}</ref> Also of importance is the sea territory of more than 105,000 km² (40,000+ sq mi). | |||
| ===Education=== | |||
| {{main|Education in Denmark}} | |||
| ], Denmark's oldest and largest university]] | |||
| The Danish ] system provides access to ], ], and most kinds of ]. Attendance at "]" is compulsory for a minimum of 9 years, and a maximum of 10. About 99% of students attend compulsory elementary school, 86% attend secondary school, and 41% pursue further education. All college education in Denmark is free. | |||
| Primary school in Denmark is called "]" ("Danish Public School"). It runs from 1st to 10th grade, though 10th grade is optional, as is the introductory "kindergarten class" ("børnehaveklasse"). Students can alternatively attend "free schools" ("Friskole"), or ]s ("Privatskole"), i.e. schools that are not under the administration of the ], such as ]s or ]. The ], coordinated by the ], ranked Denmark's education as the 24th best in the world in 2006, being neither significantly higher nor lower than the OECD average. | |||
| 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 ] 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 ] (founded 1479) and ](founded 1928). | |||
| ], ("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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scandinavica.com/culture/education/hojskole.htm|title=www.scandinavica.com/culture/education/hojskole.htm | title=The Danish Folkehøjskole |accessdate=2007-01-28 |work=www.scandinavica.com}}</ref> | |||
| ===Energy=== | |||
| ]]] | |||
| {{see also|Nordic energy market|Wind power in Denmark}} | |||
| Most electricity is produced from coal, but Denmark also has a record high share of windpower in the electricity mix. | |||
| To encourage investment in wind power, families were offered a tax exemption for generating their own electricity within their own or an adjoining commune. While this could involve purchasing a turbine outright, more often families purchased shares in wind turbine cooperatives which in turn invested in community wind turbines. By 2004 over 150,000 danes were either members of cooperatives or owned turbines, and about 5,500 turbines had been installed, although with greater private sector involvement the proportion owned by cooperatives had fallen to 75%. Wind turbines produce 16-19% of electricity demand (2004-2006 statistics) <ref>from www.ens.dk</ref>. Denmark is connected by transmission lines to other European countries. | |||
| Because of energy taxes, Denmark has the highest household electricity prices in the world.<ref> Energy information administration</ref>, while industries pay just below EU average <ref>from www.ens.dk</ref> | |||
| ===Transport=== | |||
| {{main|Transport in Denmark}} | |||
| ] island, and on the left ]. Picture is taken from the air.]] | |||
| Significant investment has been made in recent decades in building road and rail links between ] and ], ] (the ]), and between ] and ] (the ]). The ] was also formed between the two cities as the common port for the cities of both nations. | |||
| 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). | |||
| Private vehicles are increasingly used as a means of transportation, having gone from 1,389,547 registered cars in 1980 to 2,020,013 in 2007.{{fact|date=August 2008}} However due to the high registration tax (approx. 180%) and VAT (25%), and the world's highest income tax rate, new cars are very expensive. This has the effect of giving Denmark one of Europe's oldest private vehicle fleets with an average age of 9.1 year in 2007. As another result Denmark has one of Europe's most environmentally harmful vehicle fleets, contrasting to Denmark's general efforts to be perceived internationally as an environmentally friendly and modern nation with a focus on conservation. | |||
| In 2007 an attempt was made by the government to favor environmentally friendly cars by slightly reducing taxes on high mileage vehicles. However this has had little effect and Denmark has in 2008 experienced an increase in the import of fuel inefficient old cars (mostly older than 10 years), primarily from Germany as their costs including taxes keeps these cars within the budget of many Danes. | |||
| ===Public policy=== | |||
| {{seealso|Nordic model|Flexicurity}} | |||
| After deregulating the labor market in the 1990es, Denmark has one of the most free labor markets in European countries. According World Bank labor market rankings, the labor market flexibility is at the same levels as the United States. Around 80% of employees belong to unions and the unemployment funds that are attached to them, but the number is falling. Labor market policies is mainly determined in negotiations between the worker unions and employer unions, and the government only interferes if labor strikes extends for too long. | |||
| Despite the success of the labor unions in Denmark a growing share of people make contracts individually rather than collectively, and many (four out of ten employees) are contemplating dropping especially unemployment fund but occasionally even union membership altogether. This is due to the fact that the maximum amount (''dagpengesats'') of unemployment benefit (''arbejdsløshedsdagpenge'') per month/day/week is capped at only 15,232 DKK(703 DKK/day;3,515DKK/week) (August 2008)(182,780 DKK per year), and the average employee therefore only receives a benefit at 47% of their wage level if they have to claim benefits when unemployed. With unemployment extremely low (under 50,000 persons August 2008), very few expect to be claiming benefits at all.The only reason then to pay the earmarked money to the unemployment fund would be to retire early and receive early retirement pay (''efterløn''), which is possible from the age of 60 provided an additional earmarked contribution is paid to the unemployment fund.<ref></ref> | |||
| The ] for December 2007 was 2.7%, for a total of 74,900 persons, a reduction by 112,800 persons —2,400 per month — or 60% since December 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dst.dk/pukora/epub/Nyt/2008/NR031.pdf|title=Ledigheden faldt til 2,7 pct. |publisher=Statistics Denmark|format=PDF}}</ref> The ] unemployment number for July 2008 is 2.3%, the lowest in the ]. It should however be noted that this has been achieved by employing more than 38% (800,000 people) <ref>Beskæftigelsesindikator på grundlag af ATP-indbetalinger. In June 2008 unemployment hit a new low of only 1.6%. This rate has been dropping continuously since December 2003, when 170,700 were unemployed.</ref> of the total workforce <!--(calculated on a fulltime basis;total hours actually worked in public sector much lower(paid lunch alone is 130 hours yearly(=3.5 weeks full-time work in the private sector)))--> in public sector jobs. Another measure of the situation on the labour market is the ], that is the percentage of people aged 15 to 64 (i.e. the ]) in employment out of the total number of people aged 15 to 64. The employment rate for Denmark in 2007 was 77.1% according to Eurostat. Of all countries in the world, only ] with 78.% and ] with 85.1% had a higher employment rate. <ref></ref>{{Dead link|date=August 2008}} | |||
| 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.<ref>{{cite book |last=Madsen |first=Bjarne |authorlink= |coauthors=Svend Lundtorp |title=Arbejdsmarkedet på Sjælland og øerne i 2015 |pages = 10|year=2006 |publisher=Akf forlaget | url = http://www.akf.dk/udgivelser/2006/pdf/arbejdsmarkedet_sjaelland_oeer.pdf/ |accessdate= 2007-02-03|isbn=87-7509-801-6}}</ref> Parttime jobs included.<ref>Statistikbanken.dk, tables AB513+ BESK11+12+13.</ref> Because of the present high demand and short supply of skilled labour, for instance for factory and service jobs, including hospital nurses and physicians, the annual average working hours have risen, especially compared with the economic downturn 1987 –1993.<ref name='"BusinessDK"'>{{cite news | first=Jens | last=Nüchel | coauthors= Lars Erik Skovgaard | title=Danskere arbejder mere og mere | date=] | publisher=] | url =http://www.business.dk/karriere/artikel:aid=2014652 | work =Business.dk | pages = | accessdate = 2007-02-03 | language = }}</ref>{{Dead link|date=August 2008}} Increasingly, service workers of all kinds are in demand, i.e. in the postal services and as bus drivers, and academics.<ref name='"BusinessDK"'>{{cite news | first=Annette | last=Bonde | title= Virksomheder foretrækker tysk arbejdskraft | date=] | publisher=] | url =http://www.business.dk/article/20070923/karriere/109231065/ | work=Business.dk | pages = | accessdate = 2007-09-23 | language = }}</ref> In the fall of 2007, more than 250,000 foreigners are working in the country, of which 23,000 still residing in Germany or Sweden.<ref></ref> According to a sampling survey of over 14,000 enterprises from December 2007 to April 2008 39,000 jobs were not filled, a number much lower than earlier surveys, confirming a downturn in the economic cycle.<ref></ref> | |||
| The level of unemployment benefits is dependent on former employment(the maximum benefit is at 90% of the wage) 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 by general taxation, and only to a minor degree from earmarked contributions. There is no taxation, however, on proceeds gained from selling one´s home (provided there ''was'' any ] (da:''friværdi'')), as the marginal tax rate on capital income from housing savings is around 0 percent.<ref></ref> | |||
| The Danish welfare model is accompanied by a taxation system that is both broad based (25% VAT, not including excise, duty and tax) and with a progressive income tax model, meaning the more money that is earned, the higher income tax percentage that gets paid (minimum tax rate for adults is 42% scaling to over 60%, except for the residents of ] that escape the otherwise ubiquitous 8% healthcare tax fraction of the income taxes). Other taxes include the registration tax on private vehicles, at a rate of 180%, on top of VAT. Lately (July, 2007) this has been changed slightly in an attempt to favor more fuel efficient cars but maintaining the average taxation level more or less unchanged.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.skm.dk/foreign/english/taxindenmark2007/5344/#104 |title=Registration tax for cars |date=2008-03-24 |publisher=Skatteministeriet}}</ref>{{Dead link|date=August 2008}} | |||
| ==Demographics== | |||
| {{main|Demographics of Denmark|Languages of Denmark}} | |||
| According to figures from Statistics Denmark, on January 1 2007 91.1% of Denmark’s population of over 5.4 million was of Danish descent.<ref>{{da icon}}</ref> Many of the remaining 8.9% were immigrants, or descendents of recent immigrants, from ], neighbouring countries, ] and the ], many having arrived since an "Alien law" (''Udlændingeloven'') was enacted in 1983 allowing the immigration of family members. There are also small groups of ] from ] and ]. During recent years, anti-immigration sentiment has resulted in some of the toughest immigration laws in the European Union.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6505809|title=Danes' Anti-Immigrant Backlash Marks Radical Shift|pages=|publisher=|accessmonthday=May 1 |accessdate=2007-01-28}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1679235.stm|title=Denmark gets tough on immigrants}}.</ref> 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 allowed into Denmark for family reunification decreased 70% between 2001 and 2006 to 4,198. During the same period the number of asylum permits granted has decreased by 82.5% to 1,095, reflecting a 84% decrease in asylum seekers to 1,960.<ref></ref> | |||
| Denmark’s population (as at 1 January 2008) was 5,475,791, giving Denmark a population density of 129.16 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup> (334.53 inh/sq mi).<ref> {{da icon}}</ref> 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 1 January 2008 it has 45% (2,465,348) of the population. The average population density of this area is 256.2 inhabitants per km² (663.6 per sq mi). The average density in the west of the country (32,772 km²/12,653 sq mi) is 91.86/km² (237.91 per sq mi) (3,010,443 people) (2008). | |||
| The ] age is 39.8 years with 0.98 males per female. 98.2% of the population is literate (age 15 and up). The birth rate is 1.74 children born per woman (2006 est.), which will be reflected in a drop in the ratio of workers to pensioners. Despite the low birth rate, the population is still growing at an average annual rate of 0.33%.<ref name="factbook">{{cite web| last =| first =| authorlink = | coauthors =| year =2008-01-23| url =https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/da.html|title=Denmark| format =| work =The World Factbook| pages =| publisher =CIA| accessdate=2007-02-03}}</ref> | |||
| ] is the official language and is spoken throughout the country. ] and ] are the most widely spoken foreign languages. | |||
| ==Religion== | |||
| {{main|Religion in Denmark}} | |||
| ] churchyard]] | |||
| According to official statistics from April 2008, 82.0%<ref>{{da icon}} </ref> of the population of Denmark are members of the ] state church, the ] (''Den Danske Folkekirke''), also known as the Church of Denmark. If immigrants and descendants of immigrants are excluded from the statistics, the member rate is even higher, approximately 90,3%. According to article 6 of the ], the ] family must belong to this Church. 3% of the Danish population adhere to ], and other ] include non-Lutheran ] denominations. The oldest state recognised religious societies and churches are the following: | |||
| * recognised by the state since 1682 | |||
| * recognised by the state since 1682. | |||
| * , the main Jewish organisation in Denmark, recognised by the state since 1682. | |||
| ] (English: The Old Way), based on the much older, native religion, is one of the most recently recognized by the state, gaining official status in November 2003.<ref></ref> | |||
| 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. | |||
| According to the most recent ] 2005,<ref name=EUROBAROMETER>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf|title=Eurobarometer on Social Values, Science and technology 2005 - page 11|accessdate=2007-05-05|format=PDF}}</ref> 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". According to a 2005 study by Zuckerman, Denmark has the third highest proportion of atheists and agnostics in the world, estimated to be between 43% and 80%.<ref>{{cite web | |||
| |url = http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_atheist.html | |||
| |title = The Largest Atheist / Agnostic Populations | |||
| |last = Zuckerman | first = Phil | |||
| }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | |||
| |chapter = Atheism: Contemporary Rates and Patterns | |||
| |title = The Cambridge Companion to Atheism | |||
| |first = Michael | last = Martin (ed.) | |||
| |publisher = Cambridge University Press | location = Cambridge | |||
| |year = 2005 | |||
| }}</ref> | |||
| ==Culture== | |||
| {{main|Culture of Denmark}} | |||
| {{see also|List of Danes}} | |||
| ], a traditional Danish village.]] | |||
| ] 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 ] sculpture.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.copenhagen-walkingtours.dk/ |title=Copenhagen Walking Tours |date=] |accessdate=2007-05-25}}</ref> | |||
| The second largest city in Denmark is ]. Aarhus is an old ] city and one of the oldest cities in the country. The largest ] in Denmark and the second largest cathedral in ] is ]. | |||
| 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.um.dk/publikationer/um/english/factsheetdenmark/denmarkanoverview/html/chapter05.htm |title=Denmark — An Overview |date] |accessdate=2007-09-22}}</ref> 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 marriage.<ref></ref> | |||
| ===Cinema=== | |||
| {{main|Cinema of Denmark}} | |||
| The three big internationally important waves of Danish cinema have been: | |||
| * The ] of the silent era. | |||
| * The increasingly explicit sex films of the 1960s and 1970s. | |||
| * The ]-movement of the late 1990s. | |||
| Danish filmmakers of note include: | |||
| * ] (1889-1968), one of the most acclaimed directors in the history of cinema. | |||
| * ], ]-nominated creator of '']'' (1968). | |||
| * ], ]-winner for '']'' (1987). | |||
| * ], ]-winner for '']'' (1987). | |||
| * ], celebrated for '']'' (1998), co-creator of ]. | |||
| * ], ]-nominated for '']'' (2000), co-creator of ] and of ]. | |||
| A locally popular film genre is the charmingly simplistic "folkekomedie" (folk comedy), which originated in the 1930s and gained widespread dominance from the 1950s until the 1970s, usually scorned by critics and loved by the audience. Notable folkekomedie-films include '']'' (1934), '']'' (1950), '']'' (1953) and '']'' (1968). | |||
| Since the 1980s, Danish filmmaking has been almost completely controlled by the state through ], which was founded in 1972. This has resulted in a much criticized lack of innovation{{Fact|date=June 2008}} (] happened in spite of strong resistance from the Film Institute) and frequent accusations of ] and ], but also a high level of professionalism even if more or less reserved for a few selected genres and production companies (mainly ], ] and ]). | |||
| Danish cinema remains highly respected internationally, and Danish films (today almost exclusively consisting of social realist dramas, social realist comedies, children's films and documentaries) receive many awards at major international film festivals. | |||
| ===Sports=== | |||
| {{main|Sports in Denmark}} | |||
| The most popular sport in Denmark is ]. ] 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 ] race ever, with eight 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 ] and Camilla Martin, ]-player ], ] Hall of Fame 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, ]. | |||
| ====1992 football champions==== | |||
| In 1992, the ] were crowned ]. Remarkably, the team had finished second in their qualifying group behind ] and as a result had failed to qualify for the final tournament. They gained their place in the tournament at the last moment when the ] were expelled from the competition. Once in the finals the Danes reached the final where they defeated reigning ] ]. | |||
| ===Music=== | |||
| {{main|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. ], with his six imposing symphonies, was the first Danish composer to gain international recognition, while an extensive recording industry has produced pop stars and a host of performers from a multitude of genres. The famous drummer ] from ] is from Denmark. Among other names, Whigfield and the '90's pop band ] also come from Denmark, as well as current (March 2008) US hitlist top name ] and group ]. | |||
| ===Food=== | |||
| {{main|Cuisine of Denmark}} | |||
| ]) on dark rye bread.]] | |||
| 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, consists mainly of meat and fish. This stems from the country's agricultural past, as well as its geography and climate of long, cold winters. | |||
| ], Danish pancakes.]] | |||
| Traditional Danish food includes ] (fried meatballs, often served with potatoes and various sorts of gravy), karbonader/krebinetter (breaded and fried minced meat), steaks and so on, usually eaten with potatoes. 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 ] 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 '']'', literally 'sun over ], 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== | |||
| {{main|Military of Denmark|Military history of Denmark}} | |||
| ].]] | |||
| Denmark's ] are known as the Danish Defence ({{lang-da|Forsvaret}}). During peacetime, the ] employs around 33,000 in total. The main military branches employ almost 27,000: 15,460 in the ], 5,300 in the ] and 6,050 in the ] (all including conscripts). The ] ({{lang-da|Beredskabsstyrelsen}}) employs 2,000 (including conscripts), and about 4,000 are in non-branch-specific services like the ], the ], and the ]. Furthermore around 55,000 serve as volunteers in the ] ({{lang-da|Hjemmeværnet}}). | |||
| The Danish Defence currently (as of 9 April 2008) has around 1,400<ref></ref> staff in international missions, not including standing contributions to ]. The three largest contributions are in ] (], 696 persons), ] (], 312 persons), and ] (], 50 persons). Between 2003 and 2007, there were approximately 450 Danish soldiers in ].<ref></ref> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| {{Denmark topics|state=expanded}} | |||
| ==Footnotes== | |||
| {{reflist|2}} | |||
| ==References== | |||
| * {{da icon}} Busck, Steen and Poulsen, Henning (ed.), "Danmarks historie — i grundtræk", Aarhus Universitetsforlag, 2002, ISBN 87-7288-941-1 | |||
| * {{da icon}} Michaelsen, Karsten Kjer, "Politikens bog om Danmarks oldtid", Politikens Forlag (1. bogklubudgave), 2002, ISBN 87-00-69328-6 | |||
| * {{swe icon}} Nationalencyklopedin, vol. 4, Bokförlaget Bra Böcker, 2000, ISBN 91-7024-619-X | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{portal|Denmark|Flag of Denmark.svg}} | |||
| {{sisterlinks|Denmark}} | |||
| * | |||
| * {{Wikitravel}} | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
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| * (outline of municipality visible but does not print out!){{da icon}} | |||
| * (Danish, English) | |||
| * | |||
| * at the ] | |||
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| * (Danish, English) | |||
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