Russians basically can very roughly answer the question of where Denmark is located. And the details about life, culture, and the state system are generally familiar to units. Meanwhile, Denmark is a state with a very interesting history, developed economy and a special way.
Geographical position
So where is Denmark located? In the very north of Europe, in Scandinavia. The borders of the country are washed by the waters of the North and Baltic Seas. By land, it is adjacent to Germany, and by water, it is adjacent to Norway and Sweden. The area of the country along with water expanses is 700 thousand square meters. km Land takes only 42 thousand square meters. km The coastline of the country is 7300 km. Numerous islands of Denmark are counted here. Greenland is formally part of the country, but it has its own government, which makes it independent. A feature of the state is that it owns a large number of islands (about 400), of which 80 are inhabited. The largest island is Zealand. Many island parts are so close to each other that they are interconnected by bridges.
Denmark as a whole extends to the flat territories, only in the center of the Jutland peninsula there are small ridges of hills. The highest point in the country is 170 meters above sea level (Mollehoy Hill), and the average height of the territories is about 30 meters. The shores of Denmark are distinguished by an intricate, rugged fjords, shape.
The country is very rich in water resources, about a dozen rivers flow here, the longest of which is Gudeno. 60% of Danish land is suitable for agriculture. During the period of rapid settlement of the country, natural forests were almost destroyed, and today the state spends a lot of resources to restore them. About 3 thousand hectares are planted with oaks and beech trees here annually. The country is actively developing the oil, limestone, natural gas, salt, chalk, sand, and gravel deposits available on its territory.
Country history
In those places where Denmark is today, the first people appeared about 10 thousand years ago. They came from more southern territories following the retreating glacier. A sustainable culture of sufficiently high development was formed here in the 2nd millennium BC. At the beginning of a new era, tribes of the Danes lived in northern Europe, who actively conquered lands south of Jutland and in England. The genes of the tribes living in the territory of modern Denmark have become one of the significant components in the formation of the English ethnos. In the Middle Ages, the Danish Viking tribes became famous for their militancy. They successfully seized land in the Seine River and created the Duchy of Normandy there. Success accompanied them in the conquest of the English territories. In the 10-11 century, England was almost completely subordinate to the Danish king Knud the Second and paid tribute to him. In the 11th century, the territory of Denmark was very large, including parts of modern Norway, Germany, Sweden. But later, serious internal disagreements began between the ruling forces and the clergy. The 13th century was a time of protracted civil wars, but the kings of Waldemar the Fourth, Eric Copenhagen, Christian the First and Queen Margrethe actively suppressed internal resistance and led the conquest of new lands. Until the 15th century, Denmark strengthened its position in Europe, in the 16th century Protestantism penetrated the country and became the state religion. In the 16th century there was a rapid development of Danish culture.
Moreover, the country throughout its history almost unceasingly participated in various wars, in the North of Europe there was an active struggle for territories, various peoples that are part of the state periodically raised uprisings, and conflicts between the people and the aristocracy also systematically arose. In the 18-19th century, serious social and political transformations took place in the country, the monarchs tried to reduce the influence of the church and enable the people to live better. Strong external pressure does not stop, especially a lot of friction was with Sweden. At the beginning of the 19th century, Denmark became a constitutional monarchy, after which the “golden” century came, many outstanding scientists, artists, philosophers work here. However, in the second half of the 19th century, new times come, after the war with Prussia, Denmark loses a large amount of land. The beginning of the 20th century was marked by internal political struggle, a multi-party system was being established in the country, and socialist sentiments were growing. In 1936, Denmark concluded a non-aggression pact with Germany, but nevertheless in 1940 the Germans occupied the country. The liberation came with the British army in 1945. For several decades, the country has been negotiating accession to the European Union and in 1996 became a full member of the Schengen Agreement.
Climate
The climate zone where Denmark is located is dominated by the influence of the warm Gulf Stream. The country has a temperate marine climate with very high rainfall. The average annual rainfall in Denmark is between 600 and 800 mm. The rainiest time of the year is autumn. The country has cool, short summers and wet, mild winters. On average, the thermometer rises in the summer to 18 degrees Celsius, and in winter it is kept near zero. Snow cover in Denmark lasts no more than 3 weeks a year. The best time to visit Denmark is from May to September, but then you need to be prepared for the fact that at any time it will rain.
Administrative division
Since 2007, Denmark, on the map of which there are five territorial units, has refused to divide its territory into communes, as it was before. Now the country is divided into five districts, in which, in turn, cities and communes stand out. Traditionally, the Danes themselves divide their country into 4 large parts: Southern, Central and Northern Denmark and Zealand, the capital region is kept apart. Each district and cities have their own elected bodies - representative councils. Greenland and the Faroe Islands have a special status and are autonomous units, with their own laws and regulations.
The capital of Denmark
The largest city in the country and its capital - Copenhagen - is located on the islands of Zealand, Amager, Slotsholmen. The settlement dates back to the 12th century. At that time, Denmark was a rather significant state on the map of Europe, and over time it only gained strength, as did its capital. Today Copenhagen is the safest metropolis in Europe. 569 thousand people live in the city, and if you count the entire agglomeration, then more than 1.1 million. The population density in the capital is very high - about 6.2 thousand people per square meter. km But this does not adversely affect the quality of life. The city is very comfortable for living, in its 10 districts and four suburban areas very favorable conditions for living are created. Copenhagen is rich in sights and museums, but most of all visitors are impressed by the absolutely soothing atmosphere of the city. It is nice to walk here, looking at architectural monuments and breathing in fresh air from the sea.
Government structure
Denmark is a constitutional monarchy. Officially, the head of Denmark is the king, today is Queen Margaret, she runs the country along with parliament, government and the prime minister. The queen mainly has representative functions, she heads the armed forces, hosts parades, meets foreign guests. All the main tasks of executive power lie with the prime minister, and the heads of the country's districts are subordinate to him. In Denmark, a multi-party system has been established; trade unions represent a significant political force.
National currency
Despite the fact that Denmark is a member of the European Union, the country has its own monetary unit - Danish krone. In one crown - 100 era. Modern banknotes of 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 crowns began to be issued in 1997. Since 2009, a new series of banknotes have been put into circulation. The financial center of Denmark is Copenhagen, in which the country's mint issues all notes and coins into circulation. Here is the largest stock exchange in northern Europe.
Population
Today, 5.7 million people live in Denmark, the number of men and women is almost equal, the difference is 1 percent in favor of women. Denmark has a population density of 133 people per square meter. m. A favorable economic situation and stability in the country contributes to the fact that every year the population increases by about 20 thousand people, mortality is slightly behind the birth rate. About 65% of the country's inhabitants are of working age, this contributes to the economic well-being of the state. The average life expectancy in Denmark is 78.6 years, which is 7 years higher than the global average. The migration crisis that has swept Europe today has hardly affected Denmark, although the number of visitors is about 20 thousand people a year. But the government imposes serious demands on migrants, so for the time being the flow has been controlled.
Language and religion
The officially recognized official language of Denmark is Danish. It is spoken by about 96% of the population. The Danish language came from the Scandinavian language, but acquired unique features during the autonomous development, so understanding between residents of different countries of northern Europe would be difficult if they did not communicate in English. Some of the inhabitants also have German, Greenlandic, and Faroese languages in circulation. In addition, 86% of the population speak English, 58% - German, 12% - French.
The official religion of the country is the Lutheran Church of the Danish people, according to the constitution, the monarch must profess this religion. And although the Danes are not very religious, 81% of the population say that they profess the state religion, that is, they are parishioners of the church. According to the constitution, freedom of religion is guaranteed in Denmark and there are Muslim, Buddhist and Jewish communities in the country.
Economy
Denmark is a country with a well-developed economy, inflation is only 2.4%, the budget surplus is estimated at the figure of more than 400 billion dollars. The country's economy is one of the most stable in Europe. The presence of its own oil and gas fields allowed the country to avoid dependence on world energy prices. Denmark is characterized by highly efficient and high-tech agriculture. The leading industry is meat and dairy production. But also developed the cultivation of potatoes, wheat, vegetables, daily demand, sugar beets. The cooperative form of management creates about 80% of all agricultural products of the country. Therefore, consumer prices in Denmark are low with a fairly high average wage. The country has a high level of development of modern technologies, at one time the state made a breakthrough in industrialization and today it is bearing fruit. Modern enterprises of the metallurgical, light, chemical industries, as well as engineering create high-quality and competitive products. About 40% of the national income is provided by industry. The service market is also actively growing and developing.
Culture
Denmark is a country with a rich cultural heritage, which is carefully preserved and promoted here. At one time, the state language of Denmark became the unifying principle of the country and literature played an important role in this. The most famous Danish writer is G.-H. Andersen, although there are many other significant authors, for example, Peter Heg and his novel “Snowy Smell of Smilla”. Denmark is a country of castles and architectural monuments of different historical eras, only world-class monuments there are about 600. Denmark has contributed to the development of world cinema, director Lars von Trier has forever made her name in the history of cinema.
Quality and features of life
The Danes are a hardworking and calm people. Due to the fact that they always had to fight for existence with nature and external forces, as well as partly Protestantism, the nation formed a special type of character. The Danes work hard and hard, they are used to stable prosperity, but excess consumption is not typical for them. These are very practical people. Therefore, life in Denmark is quite comfortable. There is no strong social unrest, because the government pays much attention to the social protection of the population. Denmark ranks fifth in the world in terms of the quality of life index. And that says a lot.