Geography
Denmark is located in northern Europe, between the North Sea and the Baltic and between Continental Europe and the Scandinavian Peninsula. The total area of the country is about 44,000 square kilometres.
An island Kingdom
Aside from the Jutland peninsula, Denmark consists of 406 islands connected by numerous bridges and ferries, with a total coastline length of 7,031 km, or one-sixth of the circumference of the earth. No one in Denmark lives more than 52 km from the sea. The Kingdom of Denmark also includes the world's largest island, Greenland, and the Faeroe Islands. Both areas are located in the North Atlantic and both have home rule.
Landscape
The Danish countryside is rather flat. The highest point is 180 metres above sea level, and bedrock is found only on the island of Bornholm. Much of the countryside is agricultural land with numerous cultivated areas, woods, forests and streams. About 65 per cent of the country is farmland, 12 per cent is woodland and the remaining 23 per cent consist of towns, roads and lakes.
Climate
February is the coldest month of the year with an average temperature of minus 0.4 degrees Celsius. July is the warmest with an average of 16.6 degrees Celsius. This is a typical island climate. However there may be short periods of cold weather with the temperature going down to minus 5 degrees Celsius and of hot weather with temperatures up to about 30 degrees Celsius. There is usually a brisk breeze blowing in Denmark; the average wind speed is 7.6 m/sec. The autumn and especially October/November often bring storms with violent winds. The old saying `if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes’ certainly applies in Denmark. A sunny day can quickly change to rain and back to sun again—especially in the autumn. It is wise to bring a raincoat and warm winter clothes.
Population
The total population is about 5.4 million, of which 4.8 percent are non-Danish citizens. Life expectancy for women is 79 and for men 74.
Currency
The Danish currency is the krone; the plural is kroner, and the ISO currency designation is DKK.
1 krone = 100 øre.
1 Euro = about 7,4 kroner
1 US dollar = about 7 kroner
Religion
In terms of race and religion, Denmark is one of the most homogenous populations in the world. 86% of Danes are members of the established Lutheran Evangelical Church (Protestant). There are also various other religions with their own places of worship. Only one per cent of the Danish population is Catholic.
Capital
The Danish capital is Copenhagen (in Danish København), a city known to tourists for its Tivoli Gardens and the statue of the little Mermaid. Copenhagen has 1.7 million inhabitants.
Political System.
Denmark is a constitutional monarchy and has a single-chamber parliamentary system, supplemented by referendums. The Folketing (parliament) has 179 members, including two from the Faeroe Islands and two from Greenland. The Christiansborg Palace in the city of Copenhagen is the seat of Parliament. The voting age is 18 and elections are decided by proportional representation with a threshold of two percent of the vote. There are currently seven political parties. Up to 90% of the population votes in elections.
|
