Denmark Documents Progress Report - Denmark - May 2003 Presentation of the Danish organisation Romano Romano - Danmarks ældste sigøjnerforening Links in Denmark Borup Skole Homepage Information for Ethnic Minorities in Denmark Links to Romani sites all over the world Danish site about Roma/gypsies in Denmark Facts & figures of Denmark Full country name: The Kingdom of Denmark Area: 42,930 sq km Population: 5,356,000 Capital city: Copenhagen (pop 1.08 million) People: 95% Danish; 5% foreign nationals Language: Danish; English & German are widely spoken Religion: Lutheran Government: Constitutional monarchy Prime Minister: Anders Fogh Rasmussen Environment Denmark is a small country, most of it occupying the Jutland peninsula. The southern border of Jutland adjoins Germany, Denmark's only land connection to the European mainland. Denmark is bordered on the west by the North Sea and on the east by the Baltic Sea. To the north, separating Denmark from Norway and Sweden, are the Skagerrak and Kattegat straits. In addition there are some 400 islands, only 90 of which are inhabited. Copenhagen is on Zealand, the largest island, sitting east of the main land mass. Most of Denmark is lowland of fertile farms, rolling hills, beech woods and heather-covered moors. The country hasn't a single mountain; the highest elevation, at Yding Skovhøj in Jutland's Lake District, is a mere 173m. Enduring centuries of deforestation and overgrazing, the Danish environment has been heavily exploited. In all, about 20% of farmland is at or near sea level, with much of it on environmentally sensitive wetlands made arable by draining the water with pumps. The landscape has been so altered that hardly any of Denmark's naturally winding streams remain intact, the rest having been artificially straightened. About 12% of Denmark has tree cover but primary forest is rare. The woodlands are largely deciduous with a prevalence of beech and oak trees. Also found are elm, hazel, maple, pine, birch, aspen, lime (linden) and chestnut. The largest wild species found in Denmark is the red deer, which can weigh over 200 kilos. Denmark also has roe deer, fallow deer, wild hare, foxes, squirrels, hedgehogs and badgers. There are nearly 400 bird species in Denmark, of which magpies, urban pigeons, coots, geese and ducks are the most common. Denmark's largest contiguous area of woodland is Rold Skov, a 77-square-kilometre public forest that contains Denmark's only national park, Rebild Bakker. Considering its northerly location the climate is relatively mild, moderated by the effects of the warm Gulf Stream, which sweeps northward along the west coast. Nonetheless it's safest to expect rain and grey skies in Denmark, thus guaranteeing a pleasant surprise when the sunshine does break through. The most pleasant months in which to visit are from May to August, when temperatures can hover around 25 degrees and daylight lasts almost 18 hours. In the coldest winter months of January and February, the average daily temperature lingers around freezing point - and while that may be cold, it's nearly 10 degrees Celsius above average for this latitude. Language The Danish language belongs to the northern branch of the Germanic language group, and bears a strong resemblance to other Scandinavian tongues Denmark’s history Nomadic hunters followed the lichen and moss-eating reindeer into post-glacial Denmark. The reindeer heard 'go north' voices, but Stone Age Danes stayed put, sowing seeds in the ash of slash-and-burn fields, fencing in stock animals and burying their dead vertically. Skill and artistry flowered in the Bronze Age from 1800 BC; trade routes paddled all the way south and the most beautiful made-by-Danes products were buried in bogs for sacrificial safekeeping. Iron clanged in from 500 BC and was domestically available, leading to the development of large agricultural communities. Present-day Denmark can trace its linguistic and cultural roots back to when the region was settled by the Danes, a tribe that is thought to have migrated south from Sweden around 500 AD. In the late 9th century, warriors led by the Norwegian Viking chieftain Hardegon conquered the Jutland peninsula. The Danish monarchy, which claims to be the world's oldest, dates back to Hardegon's son, Gorm the Old, (Danish mums had a few problems naming their children), who established his reign early in the 10th century. Gorm's son, Harald Bluetooth, completed the conquest of the Danes, speeding their conversion to Christianity. Bluetooth's gob-stopping successors, Forkbeard and sons got the wood on England, setting up shop and throne and living the sweet life of Anglo-Dane monarchs. They kept it together for half a century or so, but as Viking power waned, the borders of the Danish kingdom shrank back to Denmark. Blackadderish strife, plots, counter plots and assassinations marked the medieval period. By the late 14th century, upstart dynasties intermarried, eventually forming the Kalmar Union under fair Queen Magrethe; Denmark, Norway and Sweden, now all bunked in together, started to exasperate each other. Sweden was particularly peeved by profligate Danish spending on wars, and the union dissolved in 1523 when Sweden elected Gustav Vasa as its king. Norway, however, was to remain under Danish rule for another three centuries. In the 16th century the Reformation swept through the country, leaving burnt churches and civil warfare in its wake. The fighting ended in 1536 with the ousting of the powerful Catholic church and the establishment of a Danish Lutheran church headed by the monarchy. King Christian IV ruled for the first half of the 17th century, undermining fabulous trade and wealth creation by leading his subjects into the disastrous Thirty Years War with Sweden. Denmark lost land and money and the king an eye. Even more disastrous were the losses to Sweden incurred some decades later by Christian's successor, King Frederick III. Denmark emerged slowly from these wars, focusing on civil development and reform. During the Napoleonic Wars Britain attacked Copenhagen twice, inflicting heavy damage on the Danish fleet in 1801 and leaving much of Copenhagen ablaze in 1807. The Swedes then took advantage of a weakened Denmark, successfully demanding that Denmark cede Norway to them. The 19th century might have started off lean, dismal and dominated by a small Frenchman with a big ego, but by the 1830s Denmark had awakened to a cultural revolution in the arts, philosophy and literature. A democratic movement in Denmark led to the adoption of a constitution on 5 June 1849, which in turn led to the formation of a Danish constitutional monarchy. Germany took control of Schleswig in southern Jutland, after its inhabitants, people of both Danish and German heritage, revolted against the new constitution. Neutral in WWI, Denmark reaffirmed its neutrality at the outbreak of WWII; but, on 9 April 1940, with German warplanes flying over Copenhagen, Denmark surrendered to Germany. The Danes were able to cling to a degree of autonomy, but after three years the Germans ended the pretence and took outright control. Although the island of Bornholm was heavily bombarded by Soviet forces, the rest of Denmark emerged from WWII relatively unscathed. Under the leadership of the Social Democrats a comprehensive social welfare state was established. Denmark is still providing its citizens with extensive cradle-to-grave security. An election in November 2001 brought a centre-right, conservative coalition to power with a campaign that focussed on immigration. Fears generated in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the USA were an important factor. Although Denmark voted to join the European Community (now the European Union) in 1973, the Danes have been hesitant to support expansion of the European Union (EU). Indeed, when the Maastricht Treaty, which established the terms of a European economic and political union, came up for ratification in Denmark in June 1992, Danish voters rejected it by a margin of 51% to 49%. After being granted exemptions from the Maastricht Treaty's common defence and single currency provisions, the Danes, by a narrow majority, voted to accept the treaty in a second referendum held in May 1993. In September 2000 the Danes signalled a deeper discontent with European integration when they rejected adoption of the euro, despite strong support for the pan-European currency by the government and business leaders. When Norway broke its political ties with Denmark in the early 19th century, the former Norwegian colonies of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands stayed under Danish administration. Iceland, under Danish rule since 1380, declared itself an independent state in 1918, although foreign policy was still controlled from Copenhagen. Iceland became completely independent in 1944. The Kingdom of Denmark still includes Greenland and the Faroe Islands, but both are essentially self-governing. The Faroe Islands has had home rule since 1948, Greenland since 1979. In part because Denmark retains responsibility for their banking, defence and foreign relations, Greenland and the Faroe Islands each have two parliamentary representatives in the Danish Folketing. Unlike Denmark, however, neither Greenland nor the Faroe Islands is part of the EU. Capital of Denmark Copenhagen With a population of nearly 1.8 million, Copenhagen is Scandinavia's largest and liveliest city. It's an appealing and largely low-rise city comprised of block after block of period six-storey buildings. Church steeples punctuate the skyline, with only a couple of modern hotels shooting up to mar the view. The city's foremost historical and cultural sites remain concentrated in a relatively small area, while parks, gardens, water fountains and squares are scattered all over the city. A cosmopolitan city, Copenhagen abounds with sightseeing and entertainment possibilities. For music lovers and other revellers there's an active night scene, which rolls into the early hours of the morning. The central railway station is flanked on the west by the main hotel zone and on the east by Tivoli amusement park. Opposite the northern corner of Tivoli is Rådhuspladsen, the city's central square and main bus transit point. Buses connect the airport, 9km south of the centre, with Central Station and Rådhuspladsen. Strøget, the world's longest pedestrian mall runs through the city centre between Rådhuspladsen and Kongens Nytorv, the square at the head of the colourful Nyhavn canal area. Just north of the canal at Amalienborg Palace- home of the royal family since 1794 - you can watch the colourful changing of the guard when the queen is in residence. The palace's four nearly identical rococo mansions surround a central cobbled square and an immense statue of King Frederik V on horseback. One wing has been opened as a museum, exhibiting the royal apartments through three generations from 1863 to 1947. Classic churches to check out are Vor Frue Kirke, the city cathedral with its famed statues of Christ and the disciples by Bertel Thorvaldsen, and Christianshavn's Vor Frelsers Kirke, which has an elaborate Baroque altar and an equally elaborate carved pipe organ. For a magnificent city view, make the dizzying 400-step ascent up the church's 95-metre spiral tower - the last 160 steps run along the outside rim of the tower, narrowing to the point where they literally disappear at the top. Copenhagen's museums include Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, which has an excellent collection of art and sculpture from the Greek, Egyptian, Etruscan and Roman periods. The Nationalmuseet (National Museum) houses an extensive collection of Danish historical artefacts, ranging from the Upper Palaeolithic period to the 1840s. However, if you like your sightseeing a little lighter, then Tivoli, a century-old amusement park is located in the city centre. This tantalising entertainment park, which dates from 1843, is delightfully varied, if horrendously expensive. Visitors can ride the roller coaster, take aim at the shooting gallery, enjoy pantomimes and concerts or simply sit and watch the crowds wander by. Of course, a visit to Copenhagen is not complete without a taking a stroll or ferry ride to see the city's most famous icon, the Little Mermaid statue, which sits on the waterfront 10 minutes north of the city centre. Most of the budget hotels are located along the western side of Central Station. Nyhavn, long a haunt for sailors and writers (including Hans Christian Andersen), is now more gentrified than seedy, with a line of trendy pavement cafes and restored gabled townhouses. Nyhavn is an invitingly atmospheric place to break for lunch or an afternoon beer. Nearby, Strøget has an abundance of cheap eateries, but we're talking burgers and dogs for the most part. North of Strøget, there are some good restaurants in the Latin Quarter. If you want to kick on, see street performers and hear live music, then cruise along Strøget. North of the city centre the Nørrebro neighbourhood has a number of clubs that attract a college-age crowd and have good bands. There are also some good'n'smoky jazz joints in Christianshavn. Source:www.lonelyplanet.com