» International » Facts about Denmark
 

Size and Location
Situated in Northern Europe between the North Sea and the Baltic, Denmark is the only Scandinavian country connected to the European mainland. (The southern border of the Jutland Peninsula meets with Germany.) All in all, Denmark consists of about 405 islands, many of which are uninhabited. The capital, Copenhagen is situated on Sealand, the largest island.The entire country is 43,000 square kilometres/16,630 square miles in area, not including Greenland and the Faroe Islands. By area, it's the smallest nation in Northern Europe. Selandia College is located in Slagelse 90 km west of Copenhagen.

 

Climate
Denmark has a mild climate with no extremes of hot or cold. In the light summer months of June to August, the average daytime temperature is 19.5 degrees centigrade and in February - the coldest month - the average is 1.2 degrees centigrade. This makes Copenhagen's weather much more like London's or Amsterdam's than that of the other Scandinavian capitals.

Population
Approximately 5.3 million people live in Denmark, making it the most densely populated nation in Northern Europe. Slagelse have a population on 45,000.

Government
Denmark is a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Margrethe II as the head of state. A popularly elected parliament, Folketinget, governs the country and the prime minister, the nation's chief political officer, usually comes from the ranks of the majority party. The Faroe Islands and Greenland come under nominal rule from Denmark.

Religion
The Church of Denmark is Lutheran, but many other religions are represented throughout the country. Protestant churches in major cities usually have services in English once a week. The English church St. Andrew's in Copenhagen has English-spoken services as well.

Language
The native tongue is Danish, but English is widely spoken.

Economy
Denmark has traditionally been an agrarian country and agriculture is still a key economic sector, contributing 25 per cent of export earnings. Since the end of World War II, however, manufacturing and services have gained in importance, they employ to day 20 per cent and around 47 per cent of the labour force respectively. Employment in agriculture (including forestry and fishing) is 5.5 per cent. Manufacturing and services contribute respectively 18 per cent and almost 50 per cent of gross domestic product; agriculture 4 per cent. Danish ships, which operate in foreign waters, contribute substantially to the economy. The country is also profitably involved in oil industry, foreign investments, shipbuilding, and foreign construction.

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