By Silvia

1. DENMARK
Denmarkis a country in Northern Europe. The southernmost of the Nordic
countries, it is southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to
the south by Germany. Denmark is part of Scandinavia, together with
Sweden and Norway. The Kingdom of Denmarkis a sovereign state that
comprisesDenmark and two autonomous constituent countries in the North
Atlantic Ocean: the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Denmark properhas an
area of 43,094 square kilometres (16,639 sq mi),and a population of
5,699,220(October2015).The country consists of a peninsula, Jutland, and
an archipelago of 443 named islands,of which around 70 are inhabited. The
islands are characterised by flat, arable land and sandy coasts,low elevation
and a temperate climate.

2. History
The unified kingdom of Denmark emerged in the 8th century as a proficient
seafaring nation in the struggle for control of the Baltic Sea. Danish monarchs
ruled the personal Kalmar Union, established in 1397 (of Denmark, Norway
and Sweden), which ended with Swedish secessionin 1523.Denmark and
Norway remained under the same king until the union was dissolved by
outside forces in 1814.Caused by the Black Death, the deterioration of the
Kingdom of Norway made it possibleforDenmark to inherit an expansive
colonial empire from this union, of which the Faroe Islands and Greenland
are remnants. Beginning in the 17th century, there were several cessions of
territory; these culminated in the 1830s with a surge of nationalist
movements,which were defeatedin the 1864 Second Schleswig War.
Denmark remained neutral during World War I. In April 1940,a German
invasion saw brief military skirmishes while the Danish resistance movement
was active from 1943 until the German surrender in May 1945.An
industrialized exporter of agricultural produce in the second half of the 19th
century, Denmark introduced social and labour-market reforms in the early
20th century, making the basis for the present welfare state model with a
highly developedmixed economy.
The Constitution of Denmark was signed on 5 June 1849,ending the
absolute monarchy which had begun in 1660.It establishes a constitutional
monarchy—the current monarch is Queen Margrethe II—organisedas a
parliamentary democracy. The government and national parliament are
seated in Copenhagen,the nation's capital, largest city and main commercial
centre. Denmark exercises hegemonic influence in the Danish Realm,
devolving powers to handle internal affairs. Denmark became a memberof
the European Economic Community in 1973,maintaining certain opt-outs; it
retains its own currency, the krone. It is among the founding members of
NATO, the Nordic Council, the OECD, OSCE,and the United Nations; it is
also part of the SchengenArea.
Danes enjoy a high standard of living and the country ranks highly in
numerous comparisons of national performance,including education, health
care, protectionof civil liberties, democratic governance,prosperityand
human development.Denmark is frequently ranked as one of the happiest
countries in the world in cross-national studies of happiness.The country
ranks as having the world's highest social mobility, a high level of income
equality, has one of the world's highest per capita incomes,and has one of
the world's highest personal income tax rates. A large majority of Danes are
members of the National Church, though the Constitution guarantees
freedom of religion.

3. Geography
Located in Northern Europe, Denmark consists of the peninsula of Jutland
and 443 named islands (1,419 islands above 100 square metres (1,100 sq ft)
in total). Of these, 74 are inhabited (January 2015),with the largest being
Zealand, the North Jutlandic Island, and Funen. The island of Bornholm is
located east of the rest of the country, in the Baltic Sea. Many of the larger
islands are connected by bridges;the Øresund Bridge connects Zealand with
Sweden; the Great Belt Bridge connects Funen with Zealand; and the Little
Belt Bridge connects Jutland with Funen. Ferries or small aircraft connectto
the smaller islands. The largest cities with populations over 100,000 are the
capital Copenhagenon Zealand; Aarhus and Aalborg in Jutland; and Odense
on Funen.
The country occupies a total area of 43,094 square kilometres (16,639 sq mi).
The area of inland water is 700 km2 (270 sq mi), variously stated as from 500
– 700 km2 (193-270 sq m). The size of the land area 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). Post-glacial
rebound raises the land by a bit less than 1 cm per year in the north and east,
extending the coast. A circle enclosing the same area as Denmark would be
234 kilometres (more than 145 miles) in diameter with a circumferenceof
742 km (461 mi). It shares a borderof 68 kilometres (42 mi) with Germany to
the south and is otherwise surrounded by 8,750 km (5,437 mi) of tidal
shoreline (including small bays and inlets).No location in Denmark is further
from the coast than 52 km (32 mi). On the south-west coast of Jutland, the
tide is between 1 and 2 m (3.28 and 6.56 ft), and the tideline moves outward
and inward on a 10 km (6.2 mi) stretch. Denmark's territorial waters total
105,000 square kilometres (40,541 square miles).
Denmark's northernmost point is Skagen's point (the north beach of the

4. Skaw) at 57° 45' 7" northern latitude; the southernmostis Gedserpoint (the
southern tip of Falster) at 54° 33' 35" northern latitude; the westernmostpoint
is Blåvandshuk at 8° 4' 22" eastern longitude; and the easternmostpoint is
Østerskærat 15° 11' 55" eastern longitude. This is in the archipelago
Ertholmene 18 kilometres (11 mi) north-east of Bornholm. The distance from
east to west is 452 kilometres (281 mi), from north to south 368 kilometres
(229 mi).
The country is flat with little elevation; having an average height above sea
level of 31 metres (102 ft). The highest natural point is Møllehøj, at 170.86
metres (560.56 ft). A sizeable portion of Denmark's terrain consists of rolling
plains whilst the coastline is sandy, with large dunes in northern Jutland.
Although once extensively forested,today Denmark largely consists of arable
land. It is drained by a dozen or so rivers, and the most significant include the
Gudenå, Odense,Skjern, Suså and Vidå—a river that flows along its
southern borderwith Germany.
The Kingdom of Denmark includes two overseas territories, both well to the
west of Denmark: Greenland, the world's largest island, and the Faroe
Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. These territories are self-governing and
form part of the Danish Realm.
Copenhagen
Copenhagenis the capital and mostpopulated city of Denmark, with a
population of 583,348 in the city proper,an urban population of 1,263,698 (as
of 1 January 2015)and a metropolitan population of 2,013,009(as of 1
October2015).It is situated on the eastern coast of Zealand, 164 km
(102 mi) east of Odense and 28 km (17 mi) northwest of Malmö, Sweden.
The city stretches across parts of the island of Amager and contains the
enclave of Frederiksberg,a municipality in its own right.

5. Aarhus
Aarhus or Århus is the second-largestcity in Denmark and the seat of
Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the east coastof the Jutland peninsula, in
the geographicalcentre of Denmark, 187 kilometres (116 mi) northwest of
Copenhagenand 289 kilometres (180 mi) north of Hamburg, Germany.
Aarhus' inner urban area has 261,570 inhabitants (1 January 2015),the
municipal population is 326,676 and Eurostat calculates 845,971 inhabitants
for the larger urban zone.
Odense
Odense is the third largest city in Denmark. It has a population of 173,814 as
of January 2015,and is the main city of the island of Funen. By road, Odense
is located 45 kilometres (28 mi) north of Svendborg,144 kilometres (89 mi) to
the south of Aarhus and 167 kilometres (104 mi) to the southwest of
Copenhagen.The city is the seat of Odense Municipality, with a population of
173,814 (as of 1 January 2015),and was the seat of Odense County until
1970,and Funen County from 1970 until 1 January 2007,when Funen
County became part of the Region of Southern Denmark. Odense has close
associations with Hans Christian Andersen who is rememberedabove all for
his fairy tales. He was born in the city in 1805 and spent his childhood years
there.

6. Climate
Denmark has a temperate climate, characterised by mild winters, with mean
temperatures in January of 1.5 °C (34.7 °F), and cool summers,with a mean
temperature in August of 17.2 °C (63.0 °F). Denmark has an average of 179
days per year with precipitation, on average receiving a total of 765
millimetres (30 in) per year; autumn is the wettest season and spring the
driest. The position between a continent and an ocean means that weather
often changes.
Transport
Significant investment has beenmade in building road and rail links between
regions in Denmark, most notably the Great Belt Fixed Link, which connects
Zealand and Funen. It is now possible to drive from Frederikshavn in northern
Jutland to Copenhagenon eastern Zealand without leaving the motorway.
The main railway operator is DSB for passengerservices and DB Schenker
Rail for freight trains. The railway tracks are maintained by Banedanmark.
The North Sea and the Baltic Sea are intertwined by various, international
ferry links. Construction of the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link, connecting Denmark
and Germany with a second link, will start in 2015.
Copenhagenhas a rapid transit system,the Copenhagen Metro, and the
Greater Copenhagenarea has an extensive electrified suburban railway
network, the S-train. In the four biggestcities - Copenhagen,Aarhus,
Odense,Aalborg - light rail systems are planned to be in operation around
2020.The light rail in Greater Copenhagenwill traverse 11 municipalities,
providing a much needed corridorfrom Lyngby in the north to Ishøj in the
south.
With Norway and Sweden, Denmark is part of the Scandinavian Airlines.
CopenhagenAirport is Scandinavia's busiestpassengerairport, handling
over 25 million passengersin 2014.Other notable airports are Billund Airport,
Aalborg Airport, and Aarhus Airport.
Cycling in Denmark is a commonform of transport, particularly for the young
and for city dwellers.With a network of bicycle routes extending more than
12,000 kmand an estimated 7,000 kmof segregated dedicated bicycle paths
and lanes, Denmark has a solid bicycle infrastructure.

7. Private vehicles are increasingly used as a means of transport. Because of
the high registration tax (180%), VAT (25%), and one of the world's highest
income tax rates, new cars are very expensive.The purpose of the tax is to
discourage car ownership. In 2007,an attempt was made by the government
to favour environmentally friendly cars by slightly reducing taxes on high
mileage vehicles.However, this has had little effect,and in 2008 Denmark
experienced an increase in the import of fuel inefficientold cars, as the cost
for older cars—including taxes—keeps them within the budgetof many
Danes. As of 2011,the average car age is 9.2 years.
Cuisine
The traditional cuisine of Denmark, like that of the other Nordic countries and
of Northern Germany, consists mainly of meat and fish. This stems from the
country's agricultural past, its geography, and its climate of long, cold winters.
The open sandwiches, known as smørrebrød,which in their basic form are
the usual fare for lunch, can be considereda national speciality when
prepared and decorated with a variety of fine ingredients. Hot meals
traditionally consistof ground meats, such as frikadeller (meat balls), or of
more substantial meat and fish dishes such as flæskesteg (roast pork with
crackling) or kogttorsk (poached cod) with mustard sauce and trimmings. In
2014,stegt flæskwas voted the national dish of Denmark. Denmark is known
for its Carlsberg and Tuborg beers and for its akvavit and bitters, but imported
wine has also been increasingly popular since the 1960s.
Danish chefs,inspired by continental practices,have in recent years
developedan innovative series of gourmet dishes based on high-quality local
produce.As a result, Copenhagen and the provinces now have a

8. considerable number of highly acclaimed restaurants, such as Geranium and
Noma, of which several have been awarded Michelin stars.
The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid (Danish: Den lille Havfrue)is a bronze statue by Edvard
Eriksen, depicting a mermaid. The sculpture is displayed on a rock by the
waterside at the Langelinie promenade in Copenhagen,Denmark. It is 1.25
metres (4.1 ft) tall and weighs 175 kilograms (385 lb).
Based on the fairy tale of the same name by Danish author Hans Christian
Andersen,the small and unimposing statue is a Copenhagenicon and has
been a major tourist attraction since 1913.In recent decades ithas become a
popular target for defacementby vandals and political activists.
The statue was commissionedin 1909 by Carl Jacobsen,son of the founder
of Carlsberg,who had been fascinated by a ballet about the fairytale in
Copenhagen's Royal Theatre and asked the ballerina, Ellen Price, to model
for the statue. The sculptor Edvard Eriksen created the bronze statue, which
was unveiled on August 23, 1913.The statue's head was modelled after
Price, but as the ballerina did not agree to modelin the nude, the sculptor's
wife, Eline Eriksen, was used for the body.
The Copenhagen City Council arranged to move the statue to Shanghai at
the Danish Pavilion for the duration of the Expo 2010 (May to October),the
first time it had beenmoved officiallyfrom its perch since it was installed
almost a century earlier. While the statue was away in Shanghai an
authorised copy was displayed on a rock in the lake in Copenhagen's nearby
Tivoli Gardens.Copenhagenofficials have consideredmoving the statue
several meters out into the harbour to discourage vandalism and to prevent
tourists from climbing onto it, but as of May 2014 the statue remains on dry
land at the water side.
This statue has been damaged and defaced manytimes since the mid-1960s
for various reasons, but has beenrestored each time.
On April 24, 1964,the statue's head was sawn off and stolen by politically
oriented artists of the Situationist movement, amongst them Jørgen Nash.
The head was never recovered and a new head was produced and placed on
the statue. On July 22, 1984,the right arm was sawn off and returned two

9. days later by two young men. In 1990,an attempt to sever the statue's head
left a 18 centimeters (7 in) deep cut in the neck.
On January 6, 1998,the statue was decapitated again; the culprits were
never found, but the head was returned anonymously to a nearby TV station,
and reattached on February 4. On the night of September10, 2003,the
statue was knocked off its base with explosives and later found in the
harbour's waters. Holes had been blasted in the mermaid's wrist and knee.
In 2004,the statue was draped in a burqa in a protestagainst Turkey's
application to join the European Union. In May 2007,it was again found
draped in Muslim dress and a head scarf.
Paint has been poured on the statue several times, including one episode in
1963 and two in March and May 2007.On March 8, 2006,a dildo was
attached to the statue's hand, green paint was dumped over it, and the date
March 8 were written on it. It is suspected that this vandalism was connected
with International Women's Day, which is on March 8.
Legoland Billund Resort
LegolandBillund,the original Legoland park, opened on June 7, 1968 in
Billund, Denmark. The park is located next to the original Lego factory and
Denmark's second busiestairport Billund Airport. Over 1.9 million guests
visited the park in 2011 and since the opening more than 50 million guests
have visited the park. This makes Legoland the largest tourist attraction in
Denmark outside of Copenhagen.The Legoland parks that have since been
built are modelled uponLegoland Billund, mostnoticeably the Miniland area
which is made up of millions of Lego bricks.
The first Legoland was built next door to the Lego factorythat was founded

10. by Ole Kirk Christiansen in 1949. His son, Godtfred,took over the family
business in 1958 when his father died and just two years later he bought out
his three brothers. In 1968 Godfredtdecided to opena 14-acre Legoland
Park to promote his toy business.The park became an instant success and
has over the years added many original rides and been divided into specific
themed worlds. The now 45-acre park is divided into 9 themed areas: 1.
Duplo Land 2. Imagination Zone 3. LEGOREDO Town4.Adventure Land 5.
Lego City 6. Knight´s Kingdom 7.Mini Land 8. Pirate Land 9. Polar Land.
Legoland Billund is today the most visited tourist attraction in Jylland. Five
other Legolands have been built in other parts of the world: Legoland
Windsorin 1996;Legoland California in 1999; Legoland Germany in 2002;
Legoland Florida in 2011;and Legoland Malaysia in 2012.In 2005 the
investment firm Blackstone bought a 70% controlling stake in Legoland,with
the remaining 30% still owned by Lego.The parks are operated under the
Merlin banner.
Danish Christmas traditions
Adventwreath

11. The Danes’ Christmas begins with the Advent wreath. The wreath has
four candles, each of which is lit every one of the four Sundays leading
up to Christmas Eve the 24th of December. Traditionally the Advent
wreath is made out of fine spruce twigs and cuttings, often decorated
with red berries and spruce cones, white candles and red ribbons for
attaching the wreath to the ceiling.
The calendarcandle
Another December tradition is the calendar candle. This candle is, just
like a tape measure, provided with 24 markings, normally decorated with
motives of fir and little pixies with red cheeks, wearing red hats and
dancing merrily in yellow clogs. In most families the candles are lit every
day from December 1st as a soothing factor in a hectic period, quite

12. often at the breakfast table. Frequently it is the childrens’ duty to blow
out the candle before it burns down too far into the next date.
Presentcalendars
All Danish kids get one or more Advent calendars - or Christmas
calendars as they are called in Denmark. The two big television
channels each year produce a special new Christmas series divided into
24 episodes to keep the children's excitement in a high gear. The more
fortunate children also get a gift calendar consisting of 24 small
presents, one for each day before Christmas, individually bought and
wrapped by their parents.
Christmas seals
The world famous Danish Christmas Seals celebrate their 104
anniversary this year. That makes them the worlds oldest of their kind
and it is probably only to be expected that the country which originally
invented the postal system also created the Christmas seal.

13. Since its debut in 1904 the seals have been copied in many countries
around the world. They are designed each year by specially invited
artists and produced by the Julemærkefonden charity. Among the most
famous designers is the Danish Queen Margrethe II, who at many
occasions has proved to posses extraordinary artistic skills.
The Christmas seals are used on letters and postcards, just like stamps,
but they are not obligatory. They are sold only around Christmas time
and the revenue is distributed to needy children.
It is not unusual for Danes to write a lot of Christmas cards to friends
and family and most of them are provided with the Christmas seals. The
cards are never printed in advance in the Hallmark fashion but
handwritten like in the good old days.
Lucia night
According to the Catholic Church Lucia is the saint of light. She is
celebrated on the night between the 12th and the 13th of December,
especially in schools, retirement homes, hospitals and other institutions
all over Denmark, with small girl processions and traditional singing.
Legend has it that Lucia, in order to keep her hands free, wore a wreath
with candles on her head so that she could (illegally) feed the poor
Christians on the hide in the catacombs of ancient Rome.