Welcome to Denmark!

Photo by Cees van Roeden Click on the image for larger version

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.

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

Population. Approximately 5.3 million people live in Denmark, making it the most densely populated nation in Northern Europe.

Udby Church with frescoes, Sealand & Lolland-Falster Photo by Lennard Neilsen Click on the image for larger version

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.

Climate. Denmark has a mild climate with no extremes of heat or cold. In the light summer months of June to August, the average daytime temperature is 70 F and in February - the coldest month - the average is 34 F. This makes Copenhagen's weather much more like London's or Amsterdam's than that of the other Scandinavian capitals.

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 Angelican church St. Andrew's in Copenhagen has English-spoken services as well.