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Location | |
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Flag | |
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Quick Facts | |
Capital | Copenhagen |
Government | Constitutional monarchy |
Currency | Danish krone (DKK) |
Area | 43,094 sq km; note: excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland |
Population | 5,475,791 (January 2008 est.) |
Language | Danish |
Religion | Evangelical Lutheran 82%, Non-religious 13%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, Muslim 2% |
Electricity | 230V/50Hz (European plug) |
Calling Code | +45 |
Internet TLD | .dk |
Time Zone | UTC+1 |
Denmark is a country in Scandinavia. The main part of it is Jutland, a peninsula north of Germany, but also with a number of islands, including the two major ones, Zealand and Funen, in Østersøen Sea between Jutland and Sweden.
Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. However, the country has opted out of European Union's Maastricht Treaty, the European monetary system (EMU), and issues concerning certain internal affairs.
Denmark is also the birthplace of one of the world's most popular toys, Lego. There is no other better place in the world where one can buy Lego bricks than at the Legoland theme park in Billund.
These days the Danish Vikings have parked their ships in the garage, and put the helmets on the shelves, and along with the other Scandinavian nations, have forged a society that is often seen as a benchmark of civilization; with progressive social policies, a commitment to free speech so strong it put the country at odds with much of the world during the 2006 cartoon crisis, a liberal social-welfare system and, according to The Economist, one the most commercially competitive. Top it off with a rich, well-preserved cultural heritage, and the Danes legendary sense of design and architecture, and you have one intriguing holiday destination.