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Denmark

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Countries; European
Countries

   Kongeriget Danmark
   Kingdom of Denmark

   Flag of Denmark Coat of arms of Denmark
   Flag            Coat of arms
   Motto: none
   ( Royal Motto: Guds hjælp, Folkets kærlighed, Danmarks styrke
   "God's help, the people's love, Denmark's strength")
   Anthem: Der er et yndigt land (national);
   Kong Christian (royal)
   Location of Denmark
   Capital
   (and largest city) Copenhagen
   55°43′N 12°34′E
   Official languages Danish^1
   Government Constitutional monarchy
    - Queen Margrethe II
    - Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen
   Consolidation (Prehistoric)
   Accession to EU January 1, 1973
   Area
    - Total 43,094 km² ( 134th^2)
   16,639^2 sq mi
    - Water (%) 1.6^2
   Population
    - 2005 estimate 5,431,000 ( 109th)
    - 2006 census 5,450,661
    - Density 126/km² ( 78th^2)
   326/sq mi
   GDP ( PPP) 2005 estimate
    - Total $187.9 billion^2 ( 45th)
    - Per capita $34,740^2 ( 6th)
   GDP (nominal) 2005 estimate
    - Total $259.7 billion ( 27th)
    - Per capita $47,984 ( 6th)
   HDI  (2004) 0.943 (high) ( 15th)
   Currency Danish krone ( DKK)
   Time zone CET^2 ( UTC+1)
    - Summer ( DST) CEST^2 ( UTC+2)
   Internet TLD .dk^2
   Calling code +45^3
   ^1 Co-official with Greenlandic in Greenland, and Faroese in the Faroe
   Islands. German is recognised as a protected minority language in the
   South Jutland area of Denmark. Danish is recognised as a protected
   minority language in the Schleswig-Holstein region of Germany.
   ^2 For Denmark excluding the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The TLD .eu
   is shared with other European Union countries.
   ^3 The Faroe Islands use +298 and Greenland uses +299.

   The Kingdom of Denmark ( Danish: Kongeriget Danmark IPA: ['dɑnmɑɐ̥g̊])
   is the smallest and southernmost of the Nordic countries. Located north
   of Germany (its only land neighbour), southwest of Sweden, and south of
   Norway, it is in Scandinavia in northern Europe, but not on the
   Scandinavian Peninsula.

   Denmark borders the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, and consists of a
   peninsula named Jutland (Jylland) attached to Northern Germany, the
   islands of Funen (Fyn), Zealand (Sjælland), Bornholm (Bornholm) and
   many smaller islands, often referred to as the Danish Archipelago.

   Denmark is a constitutional monarchy, the second oldest monarchy in the
   world and oldest in Europe. Denmark is a part of the European Union.
   Greenland and the Faroe Islands are crown territories of Denmark, each
   with political home rule. Denmark is one of the elected members of the
   UN Security Council and is a leader in the " Scandinavian Model" of
   public services.

Etymology

   The etymology of Denmark ( Danish: Danmark) is uncertain because there
   are so few old sources, and the experts have two interpretations of the
   name. Both groups say -mark is a wild forest (uninhabited territory or
   lawless no-man's land). Dan-mark means: 1. An occupied hollow in a wild
   forest or: 2. A forest or border owned by the Danes.

   According to Saxo Grammaticus, Dan and Angul were the sons of the very
   first King of Denmark, King Humble.

History

   Hankehøj, by Johan Thomas Lundbye. A Danish down. Note the glacial
   character of the terrain and the kurgan, or burial mound of an early
   chief, in the centre.
   Enlarge
   Hankehøj, by Johan Thomas Lundbye. A Danish down. Note the glacial
   character of the terrain and the kurgan, or burial mound of an early
   chief, in the centre.

   The earliest Danish archaeological findings date back to
   130,000-110,000 BC in the Eem interglacial period. People have
   continually lived in Denmark since about 12,500 BC, and agriculture
   made inroads about 3,900 BC. The Nordic Bronze Age (1,800-600 BC) in
   Denmark was marked by burial mounds, which left an abundance of
   findings, including lurs and the Sun Chariot.

   During the Pre-Roman Iron Age (500 BC-AD 1), native groups began
   migrating south. The Roman provinces maintained trade routes and
   relations with native tribes in Denmark, attested by finds of Roman
   coins. 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 Gundestrup cauldron. The first
   Danish people came to Denmark between the Pre-Roman and Germanic Iron
   Age, in the Roman Iron Age (AD 1-400).

   Before the arrival of precursors to the Danes, who came from
   Scandinavia and spoke an early form of north Germanic, most of Jutland
   and part of the islands had been vacated or partly vacated by the
   earlier Jutes, who settled in Britain together with the Angles and the
   Saxons to form the Anglo-Saxons.

   The exact origin of Denmark has been lost in history, but a short note
   about the Dani in " The Origin and Deeds of the Goths" from 551 AD by
   historian Jordanes is believed by some to be an early mention of the
   Daner,, one of the ethnos from which are descended the modern Danish
   people. The Danevirke defence structures were built in several phases
   from the 3rd century forth, and the sheer size of the construction
   efforts in 737 are contributed to the emergence of a Danish king. The
   new runic alphabet was first used at the same time, and Ribe, the
   oldest town of Denmark, was founded about 700.

   The Jelling Stones, Denmark's "birth certificate", seen from the north
   with "Gorm's Mound" in the background.
   Enlarge
   The Jelling Stones, Denmark's " birth certificate", seen from the north
   with " Gorm's Mound" in the background.

   From the 8th to the 10th century, the Danes were known as Vikings.
   Together with Norwegians and Swedes, they colonised, raided and traded
   in all parts of Europe. Viking explorers first discovered Iceland by
   accident in the 9th century, on the way towards the Faroe Islands and
   eventually came across " Vinland" (Land of wine) also known today as
   Newfoundland, in Canada. The Danish Vikings were most active in England
   and France where they temporarily conquered parts of England, known as
   the Danelaw, Ireland and France, giving name to the French region of
   Normandy. In the Viking age has there been found more Anglo-Saxon coins
   in Denmark than in England. As attested by the Jelling stones, the
   Danes were united and Christianised about 965 by Harald Bluetooth, the
   second recognised king of Denmark. In the early 11th century, Canute
   the Great won and united Denmark, England and Norway for almost 30
   years.

   Up through the High and Late Middle Ages, the king of Denmark ruled
   Skåneland ( Skåne, Halland and Blekinge), Danish Estonia, as well as
   the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein in northern Germany. In 1397,
   Denmark entered the Kalmar Union with Norway and Sweden-Finland. It was
   a united Scandinavian state which kept the individual interests of the
   countries, and lasted until Sweden broke out in 1523. The Protestant
   Reformation came to Scandinavia in 1530s, and following the Count's
   Feud civil war, Denmark converted to Lutheranism in 1536. Later that
   year, Denmark entered a union with Norway and its colonies.

   Two and a half centuries of wars with Sweden followed. Skåneland was
   lost to Sweden in the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658 and the Denmark-Norway
   union was dissolved by the Treaty of Kiel in 1814, when Norway entered
   a new union with Sweden, which lasted until 1905. Denmark kept the
   colonies of Iceland, Faroe Islands and Greenland. Apart from the Nordic
   colonies, Denmark ruled over Danish India ( Tranquebar in India) from
   1620 to 1869, the Danish Gold Coast (Ghana) from 1658 to 1850, and the
   Danish West Indies (the United States Virgin Islands) from 1671 to
   1917.
   Den Grundlovsgivende Rigsforsamling (The founding fathers of the Danish
   constitution), 1860-1864 painting by Constantin Hansen.
   Enlarge
   Den Grundlovsgivende Rigsforsamling (The founding fathers of the Danish
   constitution), 1860-1864 painting by Constantin Hansen.

   The Danish liberal and national movement gained momentum in the 1830s,
   and after the European Revolutions of 1848 Denmark became a
   constitutional monarchy on June 5, 1849.

   After the Second War of Schleswig (Danish: Slesvig) in 1864, Denmark
   was forced to cede Schleswig-Holstein to Prussia, in a defeat that left
   deep marks on the Danish national identity. After this point Denmark
   adopted a policy of neutrality, as a result of which Denmark stayed
   neutral in World War I. After the defeat of Germany, the Versailles
   powers offered to return the then-German region of Schleswig-Holstein
   to Denmark. Fearing German irredentism, Denmark refused to consider the
   return of the area and insisted on a plebiscite concerning the return
   of Schleswig. The two Schleswig Plebiscites took place on February 10
   and March 14, respectively. On July 10, 1920, after the plebiscite and
   the King's signature July 9 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 June 15 on Valdemarsdag.

   Despite its continued neutrality, Denmark was invaded by Germany (
   Operation Weserübung), on April 9, 1940. Though accorded self-rule
   (which ended in 1943 because of a mounting resistance movement),
   Denmark remained militarily occupied throughout World War II. The
   Danish sympathy for the Allied cause was strong; 1,900 Danish police
   officers were arrested by the Gestapo and sent, under guard, to be
   interned in Buchenwald. During the war, Iceland claimed independence
   and in 1948 the Faroe Islands gained home rule. After the war, Denmark
   became one of the founding members of the United Nations and NATO and,
   in 1973, joined the European Economic Community (later, the European
   Union). In 1979, Greenland gained home rule.

Politics

   The Folketing in session. The speaker's podium seen from the balcony of
   the former members of parliament.
   Enlarge
   The Folketing in session. The speaker's podium seen from the balcony of
   the former members of parliament.

   The Kingdom of Denmark is a constitutional monarchy, with executive
   power with Queen Margrethe II as head of state. This executive power is
   exercised on behalf of the monarch by the prime minister and other
   cabinet ministers who head departments. The cabinet, including the
   prime minister, and other ministers collectively make up the
   government. These ministers are responsible to 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).

   While the monarch is head of state and theoretically holds all
   executive power, it is the prime minister who is head of government.
   The government is answerable chiefly to Parliament; however, ministers
   do not have to come from Parliament, though it is the modern day
   custom.

   Folketinget is the national legislature of kingdom. It has the ultimate
   legislative authority according to the doctrine of parliamentary
   sovereignty, however questions over sovereignty have been brought
   forward because of Denmark’s entry into the European Union. In theory
   however, the doctrine prevails. Parliament consists of 179 members
   elected by proportional majority. Parliamentary elections are held at
   least every four years, but it is within the powers of the prime
   minister to call one sooner. On a vote of no confidence the parliament
   may force the entire government to resign.

   Compared to most other Western European countries, the Danish political
   system has traditionally emphasized coalitions. In some cases this has
   been in the form of majority coalitions, although most Danish post-war
   governments have been minority coalitions, ruling with more or less
   stable parliamentary support.

   Since November 2001, the Danish Prime Minister has been Anders Fogh
   Rasmussen from the party Venstre, a right-wing liberal party.
   Historically, the Social Democrats have led most post-war Danish
   governments, although the Social Democratic influence has never been as
   strong as in Sweden.

Geography

   Map of Denmark
   Enlarge
   Map of Denmark

   Denmark's northernmost point is Skagens point (the north beach of the
   Skaw) at 57° 45' 7" northern latitude, the southernmost is Gedser point
   (the southern tip of Falster) at 54° 33' 35" northern latitude, the
   westernmost point is Blåvandshuk at 8° 4' 22" eastern longitude, and
   the easternmost point is Østerskær (Eastern Skerry) at 15° 11' 55"
   eastern longitude. This is in the archipelago Ertholmene 18 km
   northeast of Bornholm. The distance from east to west is 452 km, from
   north to south 360 km.

   Denmark consists of the peninsula of Jutland (Jylland) and 443 named
   islands. Of these, 76 are inhabited, with the largest being Zealand
   (Sjælland) and Funen (Fyn). The island of Bornholm is located somewhat
   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 connect to the smaller islands. Main cities are the capital
   Copenhagen (on Zealand), Aarhus, Aalborg and Esbjerg (on Jutland) and
   Odense (on Funen). Along with Equatorial Guinea it is one of two
   countries in the world with its mainland on a continent and its capital
   city on an island.

   The country is mostly flat with little elevation; the highest natural
   point is Møllehøj, at 171 metres. Other hills in the same area
   southwest of Århus are Yding Skovhøj at 171 metres and Ejer Bavnehøj at
   170 metres. The area of inland water is: (eastern Denmark) 210 km²;
   (western D.) 490 km².

   Denmark is split into many islands because the country's average height
   above sea level is only 31 metres. This results in a long coastline,
   more than 7,400 km. If Denmark was formed as a perfect circle, the
   circumference would be only 742 km. Another feature that shows the
   close connection between the land and ocean is that no location in
   Denmark is farther from the coast than 52 km. 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, and the coastline moves
   outward and inward on a 10 km stretch.
   Denmark viewed from International Space Station.
   Enlarge
   Denmark viewed from International Space Station.

   The climate is in the temperate zone. The winters are not particularly
   cold with mean temperatures of around 0.5 °C and the summers are cool
   with mean temperature of around 16 °C. 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 September,
   October and November.

   Because of Denmark's northern location, the length of the day with
   sunlight varies greatly. There are short days during the winter with
   sunrise coming around 8 a.m. and sunset 3:30 p.m., as well as long
   summer days with sunrise at 3:30 a.m. and sunset at 10 p.m. The
   shortest and longest days of the year are celebrated. The celebration
   for the shortest day is Christmas (Jul) celebrated mostly on Christmas
   Eve, the 24th of December. Originally, this was only about the shortest
   day but was later combined with Christianity, although the old norse
   name for the celebration persisted. The celebration for the longest day
   is Midsummer Day, which is known as Sankthansaften in Denmark, also an
   old Norse tradition, later adopted by Christianity (Sankthans means
   Saint John).

Administrative divisions

   Denmark is divided into 13 counties ( amter, singular: amt), and, as of
   1 January 2006, 270 municipalities ( kommuner, singular kommune). Three
   municipalities have county privileges—Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, and
   Bornholm. The coming Danish Municipal Reform will replace the counties
   with five new regions and reduce the number of municipalities to 98.
   The new municipalities will take over most of the responsibilities of
   the former counties. Most of the new municipalities will have a
   population of at least 20,000 people. This change will take effect on 1
   January 2007.
    1. Copenhagen (København) (national capital)
    2. Frederiksberg (city)
    3. Copenhagen County (Københavns Amt) (should not be confused with the
       capital)
    4. Frederiksborg
    5. Roskilde
    6. West Zealand (Vestsjælland)
    7. Storstrøm
    8. Funen (Fyn)
    9. South Jutland (Sønderjylland)
   10. Ribe
   11. Vejle
   12. Ringkjøbing
   13. Viborg
   14. North Jutland (Nordjylland)
   15. Aarhus (Århus)
   16. Bornholm (regional municipality)

   Copenhagen County comprises the municipalities of metropolitan
   Copenhagen, except Copenhagen Municipality and Frederiksberg
   Municipality. As of 1 January 2003 Bornholm Regional Municipality
   comprises the five former municipalities on the island Bornholm and the
   island's former county. The Ertholmene islets (population: 92(2006)),
   40 hectares, 18 km northeast of Bornholm do not belong to either a
   municipality or a county.

   Greenland and the Faroe Islands are also parts of the Kingdom of
   Denmark, but have autonomous status and are largely self-governing, and
   are each represented by two seats in the parliament.

Economy

   This thoroughly modern market economy features high-tech agriculture,
   up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, extensive government
   welfare measures, comfortable living standards, a stable currency, and
   high dependence on foreign trade. Denmark is a net exporter of food and
   energy and has a comfortable balance of payments surplus and zero net
   foreign debt. Also of importance is the sea territory of more than
   105,000 km² (40,000+ sq m).
   Danish kroner.
   Enlarge
   Danish kroner.

   Denmark's national currency, the krone (plural: kroner), is very stable
   and currently exchanges with American dollars at a rate of about $0.17
   USD per krone (about 6 kroner per dollar).

   The Danish economy is highly unionised; 75% of its labor force are
   members of a trade union. Most trade unions take part in the organised
   umbrella system of trade unions, the biggest umbrella organisation
   being the so-called LO, the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions.
   However, an increasingly larger part of the labor force choose not to
   become members of a trade union or to become members of one of the
   trade unions outside the organised system (often referred to as the
   yellow, in Danish gule, trade unions).

   Relationships between unions and employers are cooperative: unions have
   a day-to-day role in managing the workplace, and their representatives
   sit on most companies' board of directors. Rules on work schedules and
   pay are negotiated between unions and employers, with minimal
   government involvement. The unemployment rate September 2006 was 4.2%,
   for a total of 117,100 persons. The number of unemployed is forecast at
   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 the
   jobs by 70,000 to 2,790,000, parttime jobs included.

   The government has been very successful in meeting, and even exceeding,
   the economic convergence criteria for participating in the third phase
   (a common European currency) of the Economic and Monetary Union of the
   European Union (EMU), but Denmark, in a September 2000 referendum,
   reconfirmed its decision not to join the 12 other EU members in the
   euro. Even so, the Danish currency remains pegged to the euro.

   The welfare model is the general term for Denmark to organise and
   finance their social security systems, health services and education.
   The principle behind the welfare model is that benefits should be given
   to all citizens who fulfill the conditions, without regard to
   employment or family situation. The system covers everyone; it is
   universal. And the benefits are given to the individual, so that e.g.
   married women have rights independently of their husbands.

   In the area of sickness and unemployment, the right to benefit is,
   however, always dependent on former employment and at times also on
   membership of a trade union and the payment of contributions; however
   the largest share of the financial burden is still carried by the
   central government (staten) and financed from general taxation, not in
   the main from earmarked contributions.

   The State is involved in financing and organising the welfare benefits
   available to the citizens to a far greater extent than in other
   European countries. For that reason the welfare model is accompanied by
   a taxation system which is both broadly based (25%VAT and excise) and
   with high income tax rates.

   The benefits given are more generous than is the case in the British
   Beveridge model — and in combination with the taxation system this
   brings about a greater redistribution than is the case in the Bismarck
   model, which is aimed rather at maintaining the present status.

   For the past three years Denmark has ranked first on the Economist
   Intelligence Unit's " e-readiness" list. "A country's "e-readiness" is
   a measure of its e-business environment, a collection of factors that
   indicate how amenable a market is to Internet-based opportunities."

Transport

   Enormous investment has been made in recent decades in building road
   and rail links between Zealand and Malmö, Sweden (the Øresund Bridge),
   and between Zealand and Funen (the Great Belt Fixed Link).

   The main railway operator is Danske Statsbaner (Danish State Railways)
   for passenger services and Railion for freight trains. The railway
   tracks are maintained by Banedanmark. Copenhagen has a small Metro
   system and an extensive S-tog electrified suburban railway network.

   Denmark's national airline (togther with Norway and Sweden) is
   Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS). Copenhagen Airport is the country's
   largest airport.

   A ferry link to the Faroe Islands is maintained by Smyril Line. Other
   international ferry services are mainly operated by DFDS (to Norway and
   the UK) and Scandlines (to Germany and Sweden).

Demographics

   The majority of the population is of Scandinavian descent, with small
   groups of Inuit from Greenland, Faroese, and immigrants. According to
   official statistics in 2005, immigrants and their descendants made up
   461,614 people, or 8.5% of the total population. A large number of
   these immigrants come from South Asia, and The Middle East. Recently,
   strong anti-immigrant sentiment has surfaced in Denmark as is the case
   also in some other parts of Europe. .

   Danish is spoken throughout the country, although a small group near
   the German border also speaks German. Many Danes are fluent in English
   as well, particularly those in larger cities and the youth, who are
   taught foreign languages in school.

   Regarding religions in Denmark, according to official statistics from
   January 2005, 83.1% of Danes are members of the Lutheran state church,
   the Danish People's Church (Den Danske Folkekirke), also known as the
   Church of Denmark. The rest are primarily of other Christian
   denominations, and about 4% are Muslims. Denmark has freedom of
   religion, and there are numerous small religious societies and
   communities in addition to the official church.

   As in most countries, the population is not distributed evenly.
   Although the land area east of the Great Belt and Langelands Belt only
   makes up 9,622 km² (3,715 m²), 22.7% of Denmark's land area, it has 45%
   (2,445,168) of the population. The average population density of this
   area is 254 inhabitants per km² (658 per sq m). The average density in
   the west of the country (32,772 km²/12,653 m²) is 91/km² (236/sq m)
   (2006).

   The median age is 39.8 years with 0.98 males per female. 99% of the
   population is literate (age 15 and up). 1.74 children born/woman (2006
   est.), which reflects a coming drop in worker to retiree ratio. The
   annual average population growth is 0.33%.

   Population 1st October 2006 was 5,444,203, which equals 128.47 inh./km²
   land area or 332.75 inh./sq mi. land area (16,368 sq mi.) Censuses
   merely for population numbers are not conducted; they are only
   registerbased. A census would be prohibitively expensive and
   unnecessary in that the register is accurately updated. See Det
   Centrale Personregister.

Education

   The Danish education system is sophisticated and offers free access to
   public school, high school and most kinds of higher education
   (universities etc.). About 99% of the general population attend
   elementary school (lasting 9 to 10 years); 86% attend secondary school
   and 41% pursue further education.

   Primary school in Denmark is "den Danske Folkeskole" or "the Danish
   folk school". It goes from 0-10th grade. In Denmark one can also go to
   "Friskole"/"Privatskole" or "free school": schools that are not under
   the municipalities. An example is "[Rudolf Steiner] Skolerne" or
   "Waldof Schools". The most special kind of school in Denmark is
   "Efterskole". If translated directly from Danish it becomes
   "afterschool". The "afterschool" goes from an 8-10 class, and everybody
   lives at the school. One of the big differences between a boarding
   school and an "afterschool" is the freedom; one has more freedom at an
   afterschool.

   Perhaps the most important Danish contribution to education is the
   "folkehøjskole", introduced by N.F.S. Grundtvig in the 1800s. Literally
   translated as "folk high school," the folkehøjskole is a social
   education structure without tests or grades, putting its emphasis not
   on demonstratable achievement but rather on communal learning,
   self-discovery, and learning how to think. Many young Danes attend a
   folkehøjskole for a few months or a year after they graduate from the
   Gymnasium, which is a school comparable to college in the US, before
   going on to university. However, the folkehøjskoles, as "schools for
   the people," are also resources for lifelong learning. Some
   folkehøjskoles have particular focus areas, such as sports, music, or
   environmental protection. Most, however, offer a broad liberal arts
   education.

Culture

   Windmills, antique (pictured) and modern, accent the gently rolling
   meadowlands of Denmark.
   Enlarge
   Windmills, antique (pictured) and modern, accent the gently rolling
   meadowlands of Denmark.

   Perhaps the most famous Dane is actually Hamlet, the title character of
   William Shakespeare's famous play, which was set in the real castle of
   Kronborg in Helsingør, north of Copenhagen. The play was inspired by an
   old Danish myth of the viking Prince Amled of Jutland, and his quest
   for vengeance against his father's killer. Another widely known Dane is
   Hans Christian Andersen, in Denmark referred to as H. C. Andersen, a
   writer mostly famous for such fairy tales as The Emperor's New Clothes,
   The Little Mermaid, and The Ugly Duckling. Also Karen Blixen (pen name:
   Isak Dinesen) and the Philosopher Søren Kierkegaard are well-known
   world wide. Also Niels Bohr, the famous physicist who developed the
   first working model for the atom and the quantum theory concept of
   complementarity. Hans Kirk, although less well-known outside of
   Denmark, is the author of the bestselling Danish novel of all time, The
   Fishermen.

   The most popular sport in Denmark is football (soccer). The lengthy
   coastline also provides good opportunity for sailing and other water
   sports. The "Around Zealand Regatta" is a yacht race that begins in
   Helsingør and continues for 2–3 days. Because of the level terrain,
   another common sport is cycling, and of late Copenhagen has been
   nicknamed the "City of Cyclists" for the frequent use of bicycles for
   transportation and the designated roadtracks for cyclists. Indoor
   sports such as badminton and handball are also popular because of the
   lengthy winters.

Military

   The armed forces of Denmark are known as the Danish Defence Force (
   Danish: Det Danske Forsvar). During peacetime, the Ministry of Defence
   (FM) in Denmark employs, in four branches, 15,450 in the army, 5,300 in
   the navy, 6,050 in the air force and more than 55,000 in the Home
   Guard. Although all four are under the command of the Ministry of
   Defence, the first three are commanded by the Defence Command (FKO) and
   have their own subcommand, while the Home Guard is under the direct
   command of the Danish Ministry of Defence in peacetime. During war, the
   number of active military employees balloons to more than 45,000 in the
   army, 7,300 in the navy a 9,500 in the air force with no change to the
   Home Guard, which is put under the direct command of the Defence
   Command.

   The draft age is 18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer military
   service. Military service is only compulsory for Danish men who are fit
   enough to serve. At the committee one has to pick a number from a bowl.
   If the number is large enough then you will not be required to serve.
   Otherwise one is required to serve either in the military or become a
   conscientious objector and undertake community service. Conscripts
   serve an initial training period that varies from four to 12 months
   according to specialisation. Reservists are assigned to mobilisation
   units following completion of their conscript service. Women are
   eligible to volunteer for military service as of 2004. There are
   955,168 males and 935,643 females aged between 18 and 49 fit for
   military service. (2005 est).

International rankings

     * World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report (2006-2007):
          + Ranked 4th out of 125 countries
     * IMD International's World Competitiveness Yearbook (2006):
          + Ranked 5th out of 61 countries
     * A.T. Kearney/ Foreign Policy Magazine's Globalization Index (2005):
          + Ranked 7th out of 62 countries
     * The Economist Intelligence Unit's e-readiness rankings (2006, 2005,
       2004):
          + Ranked 1st out of 68 countries
     * The Economist Intelligence Unit's quality-of-life index (2005):
          + Ranked 9th out of 111 countries
     * List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita
          + Ranked 6th out of 180 countries
     * List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita per hour
          + Ranked 9th out of 50 countries
     * List of countries by income equality
          + Ranked 2nd out of 126 countries
     * Heritage Foundation/The Wall Street Journal's Index of Economic
       Freedom (2006):
          + Ranked 8th out of 157 countries
     * Reporters Without Borders's world-wide press freedom index (2006):
          + Ranked 19th out of 168 countries
     * Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (2006):
          + Ranked 4th out of 159 countries
     * Save the Children's State of the World's Mothers Report (2005):
          + Mothers' index: Ranked 2nd out of 110 countries
          + Women's index: Ranked 2nd out of 118 countries
          + Children's index: Ranked 1st out of 170 countries
     * Centre for Global Development's Commitment to Development Index
       (2006):
          + Ranked 2nd out of 21 developed countries

   Topics on Denmark
   Flag of Denmark
   History: Archaeology | Viking Age | Kalmar Union | Colonization of the
   Americas | Colonial empire | Scandinavian Monetary Union | Rescue of
   the Danish Jews | Postal history | List of Danish monarchs
   Geography: Towns | Islands | Trees
   Government: Constitution | Folketing | Counties | Foreign relations |
   Military | Courts of Denmark
   Politics: Political parties ( Social Democrats, Social Liberal Party,
   Conservative People's Party, Socialist People's Party, Danish People's
   Party, Venstre, Red-Green Alliance) | Elections | Council of State
   Monarchy: Danish monarchs | Family tree | Succession | Orders of
   Chivalry
   Economy: Companies | Communications | Transport | Stock Exchange
   Culture: Language | Cinema | Cuisine | Education | Literature | Modern
   Breakthrough | Music | Public holidays
   Other: List of Danes | Religion | Islam | Courts | Tourism | Scout
   Council | Jante Law

Neighbouring countries

   Flag of Faroe Islands  Faroe Islands  Image:Template
   CanadianCityGeoLocation West.png   North Sea Flag of Norway  Norway
   Image:Template CanadianCityGeoLocation North.png
   Skagerrak Kattegat  Image:Template CanadianCityGeoLocation East.png
   Flag of Sweden  Sweden
   Flag of United Kingdom  United Kingdom  Image:Template
   CanadianCityGeoLocation West.png   North Sea North Kattegat
   West    Flag of Denmark  Denmark     East
   South
   North Sea
   Image:Template CanadianCityGeoLocation South.png
   Flag of Netherlands  Netherlands Flag of Germany  Germany Baltic Sea
   Image:Template CanadianCityGeoLocation South.png
   Flag of Poland  Poland
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
