ABOUT DENMARK

The proximity of Germany has traditionally orientated the country south in an economic and political sense, but close co-operation with Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland, with which Denmark enjoys a passport union, also ties Denmark to the North.Denmark lies between 54° and 58° of latitude north and 8° and 15° of longitude east. In addition to Denmark itself, the kingdom also includes the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

Denmark consists of the peninsula of Jutland and c. 406 islands, of which c. 78 are inhabited (2003). Of these, the largest and most densely populated are Zealand on which the capital of Copenhagen is situated, Funen and the north Jutland island.

The North Sea defines Denmark to the west, while the islands divide the Baltic from the Kattegat. The Danish islands are thus on the sea lane from the Baltic to the main oceans of the world and at the same time on the trade route from the Nordic countries to central Europe.

Throughout the entire history of the country, this position has been influential on the circumstances governing developments in trade and on political and military strategy.

Administratively, the country is divided into 13 counties (amter) and 271 local authorities (kommuner), two of which (Copenhagen and Frederiksberg) are not included in the counties.

Towards the end of the 10th century, Denmark was united into a single kingdom. It has been an independent country ever since, and is thus one of the oldest states in Europe.


Denmark is a member of the European Union. The population stands at c. 5.398 million, and the population density is c. 125 per square kilometre. Foreign immigrants and their descendants amount to c. 442,000, 230,000 of whom come from Europe; in addition there is a small German minority in southern Jutland. The language is everywhere Danish, and the vast majority of the population has been baptised into the established protestant church. Denmark is therefore nationally and culturally very homogeneous.

85% of the population lives in towns. Greater Copenhagen accounts for c. 1.09 million inhabitants. The second city is Århus (222,559 inhabitants). In addition the entire country is otherwise covered by a network of medium-sized towns.



For further information regarding employment in Denmark please view the link to the right.