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Interesting facts about Denmark

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Interesting facts about Denmark

Country & Geography

  • There are 443 named islands in Denmark, 76 of which are inhabited.
  • The flag of Denmark, Dannebrog, is the oldest state flag in the world still in use by an independent nation. It was adopted in 1219.
  • The country's average height above sea level is only 31 metres and the highest natural point is Møllehøj, at 170.86 metres.

Society & Culture

  • Danish men marry the oldest of all Europeans - at 32 years old in average.
  • Separate studies have ranked Danish people as the happiest in the EU (2007 Cambridge University study), and happiest people in the world (2006 Leicester University study) or 2nd happiest in the world (World Database of Happiness 2000-2009).
  • Although 80% of Danes officially belong to the Folkekirken (Church of Denmark), a 2013 survey by Statistics Denmark found that only 3% of Danish people attend church regularly. A Eurobarometer Poll in 2010 found that only 28% of Danes believe in god, one of the lowest percentages in Europe, although higher than in Norway and Sweden.
  • Danish people have had for many years the lowest income inequality in the world, with a Gini coefficient comprised between 24 and 28 from the 1990's until the early 2020's.
  • A 2007 UNICEF report on child well-being in rich countries ranked Denmark as the 3rd best country overall after the Netherlands and Sweden.
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  • The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has consistently ranked Denmark as the world's least corrupted country from 2012 to 2021. As of 2022 it is also ranks second for freedom of press and sixth for democracy.
  • The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) ranked Denmark first in its World Competitiveness Ranking in 2022.
  • Denmark has had no less than 14 Nobel laureates, including 4 in Literature, 5 in Physiology or Medicine, and one Peace prize. With its population of about 5 million, it is one of the highest per capita ratio of any country in the world.
  • The OECD Better Life Index found that Danish people have the best work-life balance and the highest life satisfaction (as of 2016).
  • The Danes have the lowest incidence of obesity in the EU (as of 2016).
  • On 1 October 1989, Denmark became the first country in the world to legally recognise same-sex unions (although same-sex marriage was not granted until 2012).
  • According to a 2013 YouGov survey on sexual behaviour in Europe, Danish respondents watch the most pornography (63%), have the most one-night stands (51%), have the most sex in public places (41%), have the highest percentage of people who have been unfaithful to their partner (32%), as well as the highest percentage of people who have had a sexually transmitted disease (16%). They come second in Europe, after the Finns, for the use of sex toys and for sending explicit text messages.
  • Denmark has are a number of customary rules concerning their national flag. This includes never flying the flag before 8 am or after sunset (unless properly lit), facing the flag when it is being raised, never letting it touch ground. It is also prohibited to fly other country's flags in Denmark, except for embassies and for the flags of other Nordic countries.
  • Danish people love clubs. There are over 80,000 clubs, associations and hobby societies in the country and 90% of Danes are members of at least one of them.

History

  • Denmark is the homeland of the Germanic ethnicity and culture. The Franks, Burgundians, Jutes, and the Norses (Vikings) all trace their origin back to Denmark (as well as Norway and Sweden for the latter).
  • In the 9th and 10th centuries, Danish Vikings invaded and settled in parts of Western Europe as far as North Africa. They founded the Danelaw in Northern England, and were granted to Duchy of Normandy (named after the Norse men) by the King of France.
  • As a result of the "Danish exodus" in ancient and medieval times, most people in Germany, the Benelux, Northern and Eastern France, and Britain can claim Danish ancestry.
  • The Danish royal family is probably the oldest uninterrupted European monarchy. It traces back its roots to legendary kings in the Antiquity. Gorm the Old, the first king of the "official line", ruled from 934 C.E.
  • Between 1397 and 1524, the whole of Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland) as well as southern Finland was unified under Danish rule, with Copenhagen as capital. The Denmark-Norway Union (including Iceland and Greenland) lasted until 1814.
  • Dyrehavsbakken, 10 km north of Copenhagen, is the world's oldest operating amusement park. Its origins can be traced back to the late 16th century, when entertainers and artists working in this spring park attracted crowds from all over Europe. Cabarets made their appearance in 1866, and the first wooden roller coaster opened in 1932. Other modern attractions followed, and the park now features six high-speed roller coasters and over 30 other rides.
  • The Danish prince Hamlet, the fictional character of William Shakespeare's famous play, was inspired by an old Danish myth of the Viking Prince Amled of Jutland.
  • The Danish fairy tales writer Hans Christian Andersen, is well known around the Western world, notably for such tales as "The Emperor's New Clothes", "The Little Mermaid" (adapted by Disney), and "The Ugly Duckling".
  • The architect of the iconic Sydney Opera House was the Dane Jørn Utzon (1918-2008). In 2007, he became only the second person to have his work recognised as a World Heritage Site while he was still alive.

Business & Economy

  • As of 2022 Denmark enjoyed the 3rd highest GDP per capita (both nominal and PPP) in the European Union (after Luxembourg and Ireland).
  • In 2022 the WHO has ranked Denmark as the easiest place to do business in Europe and the 4th easiest worldwide after New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong.
  • According to Speedtest.net by Ookla, Denmark had the highest Internet connection speed of any European country in April 2021, with an average download speed of 210 Mbps.
  • Denmark has, along with other Scandinavian countries, the second highest standard V.A.T. rate in the world (25%) after Hungary.
  • The world famous building toys Lego are from Denmark.
  • The A.P. Møller-Mærsk Group (commonly known simply as Mærsk), headquartered in Copenhagen, is the largest container ship operator and supply vessel operator in the world, employing over 100,000 people in 125 countries.
  • Carlsberg and Tuborg are two of the most famous Danish beer brands.
  • The Danish company Bang & Olufsen (B&O) manufacture some of the most upscale audio products, television sets, and telephones in the world.
  • The Great Belt Fixed Link, a suspension bridge between the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen, is the longest free span bridge (1624 m) in Europe and was the second longest in the world (after the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Japan) at the time of its construction in 1998.
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