Factsheet Denmark

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Maps of the world can be drawn in sever-al ways. Generally, area measurement isused and, represented in this way, thekingdom of Denmark - excluding theFaroe Islands and Greenland - with its43,098 square kilometres is smaller thanmany of the individual states of theUnited States.

However, if measured by the share ofthe annual product spent on developmentassistance, Denmark is placed very highinternationally. The same applies if theyardstick is the number of Danish policeand military forces sent out on peacemak-ing and peacekeeping missions or the re-sults in a sport such as men’s and women’shandball. Considered from these – albeitunusual – angles, the miniature statemomentarily assumes superpower status.

The Danish model

Denmark is often called the Welfare StateDenmark. Another expression often usedis the Danish Model. What do they mean?

In a way, it all started in the world ofpoetry. The clergyman, author and politi-cian N.F.S. Grundtvig (1783-1872) wrotein a song about Denmark that a countryhas progressed far when ”few have toomuch and fewer too little”. This is pre-cisely the formula for the Danish welfarestate. With the taxes as a tool, an equalisa-tion of income is achieved so that every-one has the necessary material frameworkfor living a reasonable life.

As a result, Denmark has less econom-ic inequality than any other OECD coun-try. Moreover, there is a fair amount toshare, for Denmark has found a fine bal-

APRIL 2009

DENMARK - AN OVERVIEW

The Viking Age depicted on a tapestry by the artist Bjørn Nørgaard. Today, a millennium later, theDanes still retain their Viking spirit. They have conquered many of the world’s export markets andtheir country has become one of the ten richest in the world.

ance between, on the one hand, privatecapitalism, which allows people with ideasand ambition to flourish freely and, onthe other, a social safety net, which catch-es those who cannot keep up in the raceof free enterprise.

The model means that a third of thetaxes is paid back to the citizens as trans-fer income and that the public sector is solarge that it accounts for 35.4% (2007) ofall employees, 68.9% of whom are women.Nonetheless, there is no spirit of revoltagainst the tax burden in Denmark, al-though it was 48.9% in 2007 and thus oneof the highest in the world.

The people notice that they are get-ting something for their money – inaddition to the transfer income, also vir-tually free education and free medicaland hospital services. Moreover, the ideo-logical debate about whether the publicsector should become smaller or larger inrelation to the private sector has almostdisappeared.

Nonetheless, the political parties fearthat the tax burden may tempt the bestpeople to seek jobs abroad. A lower taxpressure is also expected to produce more

labour at a time with shortage of manpow-er. As a result, a comprehensive tax reformwas initiated in 2009.

Flexicurity – a magic formula

When foreigners speak about the DanishModel, they are often thinking mainly ofthe Danish labour market, which manysee as having a magic formula. In itself,the situation is indeed curious. Workersand other employees in Denmark enjoygood wages and social benefits. Nonethe-less, Danish companies in many industriesare among the most competitive on theworld market. How is that possible?

The answer contains several elements:● Danish workers are among the mosthighly organised in the world – 75%belong to a union. As the employers areequally highly organised, the labour mar-ket enters into agreements without stateinvolvement. It also disciplines itselfthrough a specially developed labour lawsystem. This ensures robust agreements,which moreover cover several years, andfew working days are lost due to conflicts. ● A unique and crucial point is thatDanish employers can dismiss employeesat very short notice. This allows the com-panies to adjust to changing market trendswithout suffering losses. Moreover, entre-

preneurs are encouraged to try their luck,as they can easily get rid of employees ifthe project fails. If an idea is to be tested,Denmark is therefore the ideal place to doso, as the population also has purchasingpower. The great mobility of labour is alsodemonstrated by the average length ofservice in a job in Denmark, which is just4.8 years – the lowest in OECD. Thoselosing their jobs do not suffer either, as thestate suddenly appear – now with unem-ployment benefit, which is not as much aswages, but enough to live on.● Moreover, the unemployed have a goodchance of finding another job quickly, asDenmark invests heavily in further educa-tion and retraining. The good retrainingopportunities – probably the best in theworld – also mean that industries whichare short of labour or new industries donot have to wait a long time for the neces-sary workers.● The unions are aware of Denmark’sposition as an export nation. Their wagedemands on behalf of the members arereasonable, so as not to jeopardise theexceptional competitiveness of Danishgoods.● The employment rate for women isexceptionally high, perhaps the highest inthe world: 73.7% in 2007 as against79.8% for men. In other words, as a ruleboth husband and wife have full-time jobsin Denmark. This enriches the labourmarket with a lot of talent and initiative,which would otherwise have remained inthe kitchen and nursery. The massive fe-male employment has become possiblethrough the equality of the sexes and thepublic childcare system which allows bothparents to work a full working week of 37hours without worrying about who willlook after their children.● Foreigners who find work in Denmarksay that with this system it is possible to“be a complete person” and “make one’sfamily life cohere”. Denmark is regardedas a good employer. Concepts such asflextime are common. The great adapt-ability of the companies, without affect-

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Kongeriget Danmark - The Kingdom of Denmark

Form of government: Constitutional monarchy

Area: 43,098 sq. km

Population: 5.5m inhabitants

Population density: Approx. 128 inhabitants per sq. km

Average life expectancy: Men 76.0 years, women 80.5 years

Capital: København (Copenhagen), 1,175,411 inhabitants

in the metropolitan area

Major cities: Århus (302,618), Odense (187,929), Aalborg

(196,292)

Language: Danish

Religion: 82.1% belong to the National Lutheran Church

GDP per capita: $57,260 (2007)

Currency: Danish krone (DKK)

The Queen The Royal couple Prince Henrik The Queen private

The borders on pages 2-19 show the Royalmonograms, four Ministry logos and the coats-of-arms of Denmark’s 98 municipalities.

ing the employees’ social security, hasbeen nicknamed flexicurity. Foreign dele-gations often visit the country to studythe model.

Denmark’s geography

Denmark is located in Northern Europebetween the North Sea and the Baltic.Denmark also includes the Faroe Islandsand Greenland in the North Atlantic.

The bulk of Denmark is the peninsulaJutland, which juts up from the Europeancontinent and has a border with Germanyof just under 68 km. The rest of the coun-try consists of 406 islands, 78 of whichare habited. This gives Denmark a totalcoast line of 7,314 km, corresponding to asixth of the globe’s circumference.

The highest point is 170.68 m above

sea level. No one in Denmark is morethan 50 km from the sea. The climate istemperate coastal climate, January andFebruary are the coldest months with anaverage temperature of 0.0°C and Augustthe warmest with an average temperatureof 15.7°C.

The average wind force across the yearis 7.6 m per second, which helps explainwhy Denmark is the world’s largest ex-porter of wind turbines. 62% of the totalarea is cultivated, the highest percentagein Europe. 56% of the land is used forgrowing corn, 20% for grass, 4% for rootsand 4% for seed.

From superpower to miniature state

The country has probably been periodi-cally inhabited for more than 120,000

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Denmark’s monarchy is one of the oldest in theworld – dating back to before the year 1000 –and at the same time has a secure future. How?That is demonstrated by the photo, which showsCrown Prince Frederik, b.1968, Crown PrincessMary, b.1972, and their children, Prince Christian,b.2005, and Princess Isabella, b. 2007. In otherwords, two generations of rulers are ready totake over. The monarchy is popular in Denmark.The reigning Queen, Margrethe II, b.1940, haswon the hearts of the population with her artis-tic skills and open, yet dignified style. The CrownPrince, with an impressive academic and militarybackground, is equally popular. During a fourmonth sledge expedition round the north ofGreenland, he achieved feats which few can emu-late. Photo: Scanpix/Keld Navntoft.

The Crown Prince The Crown Prince couple The Crown Princess Prince Christian

years. The first certain proofs of humanhabitation date from around 12,500 BC.The Stone Age people among other thingslived on oysters and the shells are stillfound in the so-called “køkkenmøddinger”(kitchen middens) – a Danish expressionwhich has passed into other languages.

The Danes attracted international at-tention in the Viking Age from the late8th to the mid 11th century, but not onlypositively. They were skilful shipwrightswith a love of adventure. They travelled far,for instance to the Mediterranean. TheVikings acted as merchants, but equallyoften as marauders and invaders. For ashort time in the 11th century, Denmarksubjugated England.

From the 14th century, Denmark alsoruled over Norway and parts of Sweden.At that time, Denmark stretched fromNordkapp to the Elbe. As a result of ill for-tunes of war, arrogance and poor choice ofallies, Denmark’s territory and populationwere heavily reduced over the period until1658.

Many wars have been fought with Swe-den in particular, but in the 19th century,it was the relationship with the southernneighbour Germany that led to wars.

After the last major war, the SecondSchleswig War in 1864, the Danish terri-tory was reduced by a third when Schles-wig and Holstein were ceded to Germany.This led to a movement in Denmark withthe motto “What is lost externally shall beregained internally”, which resulted in thecultivation of moorlands and the drainingof bays and inlets for farming purposes.North-Schleswig returned to Denmarkfollowing a plebiscite in 1920.

The Occupation 1940-1945

During the Second World War, Denmarkwas occupied by Germany in 1940-1945.Forced by circumstances during the Ger-man “peaceful occupation”, King Christi-an X and the Danish government led bythe Social Democrat Thorvald Stauningchose to collaborate with the occupyingpower. In this way, they hoped to create

the easiest conditions for the population. In 1943, Germany intensified its de-

mands on the collaboration. This formallycollapsed, but in connivance with the po-liticians, Danish civil servants continuedthe collaboration during the Heads ofDepartments Government.

From 1943, the increasing popular re-sistance to the Germans created the basisfor an underground movement. Denmarkwas the German-occupied country wherethe smallest number of Jews died: helpedby, among others, the resistance move-ment, most of Denmark’s Jewish popula-tion managed to escape to the neutralSweden.

The Danish Constitution

Originating in the chieftain rule of theViking Age, the Danish Constitution wasAbsolute Monarchy, followed by Enlight-ened Absolutism 1660-1848. In 1848, thenew King Frederik VII abolished Absolu-tism and the following year a free Consti-tution was codified.

However, democracy did not fully un-fold until 1901, when the provision that agovernment must not have a majority inparliament against it was introduced.

The Royal House

Since then, the Royal family has, with greatloyalty and subtlety, fulfilled the role of neu-tral mediating link between changing gov-ernments and as a dignified and popular, butentirely apolitical, uppermost superstructureon the Danish machinery of power.

The current monarch, Queen MargretheII, b.1940, is the daughter of King Frede-rik IX (1899-1972) and Queen Ingrid(1910-2000). She is married to the Frenchcount Henri de Laborde de Monpezat,now Prince Henrik, b.1934. They have thesons Frederik, b.1968, who is the CrownPrince, and Joachim, b.1969.

In 2004, Crown Prince Frederik mar-ried Australian-born Mary Elizabeth Do-naldson, b.1972. In 2005, they had a son,Prince Christian, who in accordance withthe Constitution will succeed his father

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In Roskilde – Denmark’s tenth largest city with42,000 inhabitants, located 30 km west ofCopenhagen – past and present intersect. Ros-kilde Cathedral from the 1170s (photo), which isthe burial church of the Danish Royal House, wasincluded in UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage listin 1995. The city also placed itself on the worldmap with the 1971 launch of the RoskildeFestival, inspired by the Woodstock music festi-val in the USA. Since then, it has been held forfour days every summer and attracted over100,000 visitors in its best years. Furthermore,Roskilde inspired the authors Gustav Wied(1858-1914) and Lise Nørgaard, b. 1917. In hissatirical novels, Gustav Wied revealed themisanthropy and depraved lifestyle of his con-temporaries. The setting is the city of Gammel-købing – a pseudonym for Roskilde. In the morerecent TV series ”Matador” (“Monopoly”), themain author Lise Nørgaard and the director ErikBalling (1924-2005) set an epic family sagaabout narrow bigotry and female emancipationin Roskilde – now under the alias Korsbæk. The24 episodes of the series have been broadcastin several countries. Roskilde has also attractedinternational attention for a topical reason whichthe city could probably have done without –Roskilde Bank was the first Danish financialinstitution to fall victim to the international eco-nomic crisis due to over-optimistic loans and toogenerous bonus systems for its management.Photo: Roskilde Lejre T0urist Office.

Prince Joachim Prince Joachim and Princess Marie Princess Marie Princess Benedikte

on the throne. In 2007, the couple had adaughter, Princess Isabella.

In 1995, Prince Joachim married Alexan-dra Manley, born in Hong Kong in 1964.They have the sons Prince Nikolai, b.1999,and Prince Felix, b.2002. The coupledivorced in 2005. In 2007, Alexandramarried a commoner and she now has thetitle Countess of Frederiksborg. In 2008,Prince Joachim married Marie Cavallier,born in France in 1976. In spring 2009,the couple had a son, whose name will berevealed at his christening.

The Queen was born a week after Den-mark’s occupation during the SecondWorld War and already through the timeof her birth became a bright spot for thepopulation, just as the family, with the twosisters Princess Benedikte, b.1944, andPrincess Anne Marie, b.1946, came to beseen as the model family par excellence. Asqueen since 1972, Margrethe has adopted

an open style and further increased thepopularity of the monarchy with her infor-mality, charm and artistic gifts.

As a creative artist, she has, amongother things, created several chasubles anddesigned the ballet “Et folkesagn” (“A FolkTale”) at The Royal Theatre in Copenha-gen and the ballets “Tommelise” (“Thum-belina”), “Fyrtøjet” (“The Tinderbox”) and“Snedronningen” (“The Snow Queen”) forthe so-called peacock stage in the amuse-ment park Tivoli.

The two princes have received demand-ing academic educations and militarytraining. Images treasured by the Danesinclude the two Princes freefalling duringtheir time in the air force and the CrownPrince on a four month sledge journey inthe polar frost on Greenland.

The Danish population

Denmark has a population of 5,511,451

(1 January 2009), distributed on 2.5mhouseholds and the number is almost con-stant these days. Immigrants and theirdescendants now constitute 9.1% of a pop-ulation which is otherwise very homoge-neous and therefore highly coherent. Thepopulation density is high – 128 per sq. km.

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“Estelle Mærsk” (photo) from the shipping com-pany A.P. Møller-Mærsk – launched in 2006 –ploughs through one of the oceans. With itslength of 397 metres, it and seven similar sistersconstitute a fleet of the world’s largest containerships. The ship is shown here as a symbol of theentrepreneurial spirit and good investment cli-mate in Denmark. Like many other well-knownDanish companies, such as Danfoss, Lego andGrundfos, A.P. Møller-Mærsk started on a tinyscale, but has long since reached world formatand now the second generation has taken overwith great skill. The Danish Government wantsto develop Denmark into a leading entrepreneur-ial nation. Newcomers do not have to lookabroad for role models.

The Prime Minister’s Office The Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Ministry of Defence The Ministry of Culture

The language spoken is Danish. It hasmany vowels – including the special let-ters æ, ø and å – and many significantglottal stops, which make it difficult forforeigners to learn Danish. Although thedistance from the west coast of Jutland tothe capital in the east is less than 300 km,there is a distinct division into dialectswith associated alleged character differ-ences – from the taciturn Jutlanders in thewest through the garrulous natives ofFunen in the middle to the Zealanders inthe east, whose broad and drawling dialectcalls to mind the fat lands owned by theirancestors. The metropolitan populationspeaks a flat and rapid language, suggest-ing that here the pace is fast and peopledo not put up with anything.

For every three marriages, there is adivorce. Thus, in 2007, there were 36.0marriages per 1,000 unmarried men over18 years of age and 12.0 divorces per1,000 married men. Registered partner-ships between same-sex persons have beenallowed since 1987. In many respects, thearrangement has the same legal and finan-cial implications as traditional marriages.In 2008, there were 601 registered part-nerships. The free and respected positionof women was among other things de-monstrated by their getting the vote in1915 and already in 1908 for local elec-tions. The latest constitutional amend-ment in 1953 introduced female succes-sion to the throne, although a prince willalways precede his sister even if he is youn-ger than her. Efforts are being made toremove this differential treatment by a ref-erendum in 2009 and subsequent amend-ment of the Act of Succession.

Gender Equality, Association Life andthe Media

Denmark has still to experience a fe-male Prime Minister. 38% of the mem-bers of the parliament, the Folketing, arewomen. Equal pay has to a considerableextent been achieved. Gender discrimina-tion in job advertisements is prohibited.The public childcare system enhanceswomen’s opportunities to pursue a career

outside the home. Around 96.1% of allchildren aged 3-5 are looked after in day-care institutions.

82.1% of the Danes belong to theLutheran National Church. Moreover,church and state – politics and religion –are strictly separated in Denmark. Thesecond-largest religious group is the Mus-lims, who constitute about 5% of thepopulation. There is no differential treat-ment in the education system. Muslimfree schools receive public support in linewith Danish schools.

Danes form associations whenever theyspot a sensible or enjoyable reason fordoing so. Every third Dane has attendedat least one association meeting within thelast month. Association life is also trainingin democracy.

The Danes are newspaper readers. Inthe past, every major provincial town hada newspaper for each of the four mainparties. The introduction of television ledto many newspaper closures, but there arestill 36 daily newspapers and many dis-trict weeklies and trade papers.

A fresh threat to the traditional news-papers is the internet, where news is nowreported almost as it is happening. Thishas made the newspapers themselvesestablish contact with their readers throughthe internet and at the same time restruc-ture the printed editions to provide moreopinion and background material. Toachieve higher overall advertising revenue,the large newspaper groups also publishhousehold or street distributed free papers.

There are several public and privateradio and television stations, including a24 hour news channel. On average, Da-nes watch television for 2 hours 33 min-utes a day.

The personality of the Danes

Common to all Danes is their tendency totake the ups and downs of life with a touchof irony, often self-irony. Foreign spousesin mixed marriages often complain thatthey find it difficult to understand whattheir partners really mean because theytend to say the opposite of what they think,in keeping with the nature of irony.

The Danes’ inalienable rights includefreedom of worship and freedom of speechand writing. These rights are not onlydeeply rooted in the Danish minds, butalso laid down in the Constitution. Free-dom of speech and Danish humour in itscrudest form collided with the Muslimworld, when a cartoonist in September2005 depicted the prophet Mohammedwith a bomb in his turban in a Danishpaper, thereby offending many Muslimsall over the world. The result was riotsand demonstrations in several countries.In retrospect, Minister for Foreign AffairsPer Stig Møller says: “We believe in respectbetween religions. Denmark respects Islamand of course does not wish to contributeto condemning or insulting either peopleor their religion. As we have said manytimes: It is the differences between cul-tures and religions that enrich the world”.However, he did not add that Denmarkwill introduce restrictions to the freedomof speech.

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Family types (January 2005)

Single persons without children

Married couples without children

Other couples without children

Single parents with children

Married couples with children

Other couples with children

Children aged under 18 not living at home

Source: Statistics Denmark.

49.4%

20.9%

6.1%

4.7%

14.4%

4.0% 0.6%

Albertslund Allerød Assens Ballerup Bornholm BrøndbyBillund

Since the Mohammed crisis, Denmarkhas added a new dimension to its foreignpolicy, called Public Diplomacy. The inten-tion is to make Danish attitudes and in-tentions known beyond narrow govern-ment circles. At the same time, Denmarkis strengthening its links with G8, ASEAN,ASEM, The Arab League, The AfricanUnion and the Organization of AmericanStates.

The tone among Danes themselves isrelaxed. Almost everyone is addressed bythe informal “du”. The formal “De” israrely used and only when speaking to anolder, distinguished person. In the schools,the pupils are on first-name terms withthe teachers. With an open economy andgreat dependence on what is happening in the surrounding world, the Danes havebenefited from their open and interna-tional attitude. Thus they consistentlysupport maximum free trade in theworld.

Over the years, there have also beentraces of local insularity, snobbery andconformity. It was best not to be different.“The Ugly Duckling” of the fairytale wri-ter Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875)is given a hard time because it is unusual.

The Danish-Norwegian author AkselSandemose (1899-1965) invented theconcept “Janteloven” (“The Jante Law”)

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Denmark is looking forward to hosting the UNClimate Summit in 2009. The country itselfworks hard to be a model within environmentalcare and transition to sustainable energy. Danishtrade and industry are already extremely activeon the world market with equipment for waterpurification, air filtration, etc. The Danish windturbine industry is the largest in the world.38,000 wind turbines from the company Vestasare installed in more than 62 countries. Theinstallation of a wind turbine is completed everythree hours 24 hours a day. In 2005, 5,000 lor-ries and around 40 container ships were requiredto transport wind turbine parts from Vestas toNorth America. The offshore wind farm at HornsRev by Jutland’s west coast (photo), owned andoperated by the Swedish company Vattenfallwith the Danish DONG Energy as co-owner, sup-plies 2% of Denmark’s energy consumption.

Brønderslev Dragør Egedal Esbjerg Fanø Favrskov Faxe

with the bigoted rules he felt dominatedhis birthplace, a provincial town in Jut-land. The (fictitious) rules include: “Donot imagine you are anything special” and“Do not imagine you can teach us any-thing”.

The “free town” of Christiania

Occasionally, there are clashes involvingmotorcycle clubs, autonomous groups andsecond generation immigrants. A conflictbetween young people in Copenhagenand the local authorities concerning theright of ownership of a youth centre alsoresulted in clashes. In such situations, thepolice avoid using water canon. Knivesabove a certain length and hoods havebeen prohibited

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Several Danish architects are world famous. JørnUtzon’s opera house in Sydney is included innew lists of the Seven Wonders of the World.Arne Jacobsen’s college buildings in Oxford,England, are sensitively adapted to the historicalenvironment. Henning Larsen – master of thenew opera house in Copenhagen – has designedlandmarks in many parts of the world. In addi-tion to the Saudi-Arabian Ministry of ForeignAffairs, which was built in Riyadh in 1984 (smallphoto), the company recently designed theMassar Children’s Discovery Centre in Damascus,Syria (large photo), which is in the course ofconstruction. Local culture is brilliantly reflectedin the subtle shape of a Syrian rose – an artisticand highly sustainable design, which adds afairytale element to the forthcoming adventure ofdiscovery.

Fredericia Frederiksberg Frederikshavn Frederikssund Furesø Faaborg

Midtfyn

Fredensborg

An area of Copenhagen, Christiania,has declared itself a “free town” and to alarge extent observes its own laws andrules of conduct. The authorities havenow turned a blind eye to the experimentfor more than 25 years, although the policeoccasionally carry out raids in the area.The Council of Christiania has been innegotiations with Copenhagen Municipa-lity for several years concerning normalisa-tion of the conditions for the approx. 800residents.

Denmark in words and figures

The gross domestic product per capita was$57,260 in 2008, which places Denmarkin the top fifth of the EU countries. Inaddition to the state-funded welfare andsecurity, Danes are materially well-off –also in terms of their own means.

Out of 100 Danish households in 2008,60 owned a house or flat, 80 a washingmachine, 65 a dishwasher, 75 a micro-wave oven, 44 a flat screen television, 29 avideo camera, 92 a CD-player, 84 a DVD-player, 88 a home computer, 95 a mobiletelephone, 83 had internet access and 32GPS navigation. There is also free internetaccess in all libraries.

Traditionally, Denmark has been placedhigh on international barometers of quali-ty of life. The welfare system pushes it up.However, it is pulled down by the averagelife expectancy of 76.0 years for men and80.5 for women, which is lower than inDenmark’s neighbouring countries. Theexperts attribute this to rich food, too little exercise (although many jog) and toomuch smoking. However, the health au-thorities act with campaigns on everyfront and in the past five years or so, thelife expectancy has improved considerably.

Life in Denmark cannot be entirelyunhealthy when the average height of theconscripts rose from 168.4 centimetres in1896 to 180.6 centimetres in 2006.

Cancer is the main cause of death(29.1% of the men, 26.8% of the women).Heart diseases account for 19.9% and18.2% respectively, accidents 3.7% and

2.6%. 1.7% of the men and 0.6% of thewomen commit suicide. The old myth ofDenmark as a country with many suicidesis greatly exaggerated.

In 2007, 20 persons died of aids-relat-ed illnesses. Some 250 drug-related deathsare registered annually. Abortion was lega-lised in 1973. In 2006, there were 15,053legal abortions, corresponding to 12.2 per1,000 women aged 15-45.

In 1967, the ban on written pornogra-phy was lifted and in 1969, Denmark wasthe first country in the world to legalisepicture pornography.

The Danish Realm

Denmark has never been a major colonialpower, but it had small tropical coloniesin Africa, Asia and the West Indies. Den-mark was the first country in Europe toprohibit slave trading in 1793 (with effectfrom 1803), but that cannot explain awayDenmark’s active participation in the hu-man transport until then or the existenceof slavery in the Danish West Indies until1848.

In the North Atlantic, Denmark hasruled over Iceland, which withdrew fromthe union with Denmark in 1944.

The Faroe Islands and Greenland, theworld’s largest island, are still part of theDanish Realm. There has been home rule

on the Faroe Islands since 1948 and inGreenland since 1979. Neither territory isa member of the EU.

Both have two seats in the Folketing.The Faroe Islands are considering fullindependence from Denmark, to whichthe Danish Government has respondedthat Denmark would then phase out its economic support of the Islands over a shorter term than the Faroese wish.

An agreement in 2009 expands Green-land`s home rule and guarantees it thefirst DKK 75 million earned from rawmaterials in the subsoil. Any further in-come from this source will be sharedequally with the Danish Exchequer.

The political system

Until 1953, Denmark had a bicameralsystem. After the abolition of the Lands-ting, the Folketing remains. The votingage is 18. The election period is fouryears, but the Prime Minister may call anelection at any time. If the Folketing pass-es a vote of no confidence in the govern-ment, it must resign or call an election.

Elections are by proportional represen-tation. 135 seats are allocated on a con-stituency basis, which ensures an evendistribution across the country, with asmall advantage to sparsely populatedareas. 40 supplementary seats ensure thatparties with perhaps more dispersed sup-port also have a chance of being elected.If a party cannot obtain 2% of the votes,it will not be represented in the Folke-ting. This minimum percentage is low inan international context. For the last 20years, the turn-out has varied between82% and 88%.

Since 1909, no party has had an abso-lute majority. That is why the legislationis compromise-led and centre-seeking,which has given Danish politics the name“collaborative democracy”. Since 1955,the Folketing has after every electionnominated an Ombudsman, who maycriticise the administration by the centraland since 1998 also the local authorities.

Around 200 new acts are passed every

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2004 20052003200220012000

Families’ access to computer and internet at home (2000-2005)

Computer (%)

Internet (%)

Source: Statistics Denmark.

Gentofte Gladsaxe Glostrup Greve Gribskov Guldborgsund Haderslev

year. The developments within for instanceIT, traffic and hospital techniques necessi-tate larger administrative units in localpolitics and in 2007, Denmark’s 271 mu-nicipalities were consolidated into 98 larg-er municipalities, while the 13 countieshave been replaced with 5 regions. In ad-dition, the 54 police districts have beenmerged into 12 and the 82 city court dis-tricts into 24.

There have been both single-party andcoalition governments.

Centre-right governments

At the general election in November2001, the parliamentary majority shiftedtowards centre-right, as a new coalitiongovernment consisting of Venstre (Den-mark’s Liberal Party) and Det KonservativeFolkeparti (The Conservative People’sParty) gained a majority with the supportof the anti-immigration party Dansk Fol-keparti (The Danish People’s Party). Atthe general elections in February 2005and November 2007, this constellationwas given a clear mandate to continue.

These centre-right governments wereled by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, b.1953(Liberal), until he was appointed GeneralSecretary of NATO at the beginning of

April 2009 and was succeeded by his partycolleague Lars Løkke Rasmussen, b.1964.The new leader of the government has notannounced any immediate changes to thepolicy led. A change might consist ingreater citizens’ choice between related pub-lic services. The Government also includes:Lene Espersen, b.1965 (Conservative), asDeputy Prime Minister and Minister forEconomic and Business Affairs, Per StigMøller, b.1942 (Conservative), as Ministerfor Foreign Affairs, Søren Gade, b.1963(Liberal), as Minister for Defence, ClausHjort Frederiksen, b. 1947 (Liberal), asMinister for Finance and Ulla Tørnæs,b.1962 (Liberal), as Minister for Develop-ment Cooperation. The Government has19 Ministers.

The present political situation

The Government and Folketing are notleaning back comfortably to admire therobust welfare state they have created.They are aware that action is needed toprotect the welfare at a time when the de-mographic development will result in moreand more elderly people with fewer andfewer working age people to support them.

In addition, Denmark has fully accept-ed globalisation as the new condition oflife and working principle for the nationsof the world. The reforms to protect thewelfare state are therefore in quick succes-sion followed by initiatives to turn Den-mark into a leading growth, knowledgeand enterprise society, which also aims tobe a world leader in relation to greengrowth.

On this background, it seems naturalthat Denmark was chosen by the UN asthe venue of the 2009 Climate Summit,which is intended to extend the ground-breaking Kyoto Agreement of 1997.

The reforms described below supporteach other, for instance the labour supplyto finance the welfare state is increasedthrough tax reforms that reduce the taxon labour in favour of green taxes aimedat reducing exhaust gas emissions. Thegreen taxes also promote the development

of new energy technologies, which mayprove to be profitable exports.

Let us take an overview of the manyongoing reforms:● Global green leadership: Since 1980,the Danish economy has grown by approx-imately 80%, while energy consumptionhas remained almost constant and CO2

emissions have been reduced. Many coun-tries have achieved increases in their energyand CO2 efficiencies, but the Danishincrease is one of the highest in the OECDarea and Denmark is today among the topten industrialised countries in the world interms of producing wealth with minimumemission of greenhouse gases. The Danishgovernment continues this policy withnew building regulations further emphasis-ing the importance of energy-efficientbuildings, a long-term energy deal thatpaves the way for new investments in largeoffshore wind turbine facilities and anambitious plan for making farming inDenmark even more sustainable.● Denmark already produces far morewind energy per capita than any othercountry in the world and wind energyaccounts for almost 20% of Danish elec-tricity. Danish industry is the world leaderin terms of wind energy, which also consti-tutes a major source of income and jobs.The Danish government remains commit-ted to green growth, using cleaner tech-nologies as a way of fighting climatechange as well as of creating sustainableand long-term growth.● Tax reform: When it came to power in2001, the Anders Fogh Rasmussen Govern-ment introduced a tax stop, which has beenin force ever since. A comprehensive redistri-bution between tax types has now been initi-ated. Heavier taxation of energy consump-tion and the removal of various tax allowan-ces make it possible to reduce income tax,which until now could take DKK 0.63 ofthe last earned krone. From now on, 70%of all Danish income-earners will only betaxed at 42%. The reform is expected toincrease the labour supply by the equivalent

10

The Folketing after the general

election in 2007

% of the votes SeatsThe Social Democrats 25.5 45The Social-Liberal Party 5.1 9The Conservative People’s Party 13.5 18The Socialist People’s Party 6.0 11The Danish People’s Party 10.5 23The Christian Democratic Party 0.9 0Denmark’s Liberal Party 26.3 46New Alliance 2.8 5The Unity List 2.2 4

In addition, two members are elected onGreenland and two on the Faroe Islands. The turn-out was 86.6%.

Since the election, there has been sometransfers between parties and New Alliance has changed its name to Liberal Alliance.

Hedensted Helsingør Herlev Herning Hillerød HjørringHalsnæs

of almost 20,000 full-time jobs. It will beaccompanied by several initiatives to kick-start the economy to get Denmark out ofthe stagnation of the recession. The initia-tives include early release of pension capitaland state grants to private individualswanting to refurbish their houses.● Welfare reform: Efforts are also beingmade to increase the labour supply bychanging certain elements of the welfarepolicy. From 2019, the early retirementage will be raised from 60 to 62. Over theyears 2020-2024, retirement age willincrease from 65 to 67 and then continueto increase concurrently with the averageage. Efforts are being made to strengthenthe integration of immigrants and theirdescendants in the workforce. A greencard system is aimed at attracting usefullabour from abroad and all kinds of experts,from business people through researchers tofootball players, are offered tax relief. Theyhave to be capable of earning a monthlysalary of at least DKK 70,000 and can thenchoose between paying 25% income tax forthree years or 33% for five years. Studentsare encouraged to finish their studies morequickly.● Infrastructure reform: Considerablepublic investments will remove bottle-necks in both road and train transport.Increasing queue formation on the roadscosts working hours and road tolls arebeing considered.

● Labour market reform: Although theflexicurity model has great advantages –and is often studied by other countries –it is not beyond criticism. Among otherthings, a reduction of the current fouryear unemployment benefit period is beingconsidered

The reform programme is implement-ed on the basis of a national economywhich is one of the strongest in Europe.Denmark for instance fully complies withthe EU requirements in relation to eco-nomic health in the countries that wishto be part of the economic union, i.e.conditions applying to inflation rate,

interest rate, public debt and currencystability. As a striking example, Denmarkhad foreign debts every year from WorldWar II until 2006, but has been debt-freesince then.

Due to this robust background, Den-mark has found it easier than some othercountries to withstand the impact of theinternational financial crisis. An attemptby international speculators to provoke aDanish devaluation was thus very quicklyrebuffed by the Danish National Bank.

Of course Denmark, with its extensiveexports, will also be hit by the recession.The gross domestic product growth of

11

What other capital has a popular oasis at thefoot of its town hall tower, where people of allages and families with children can enjoy a la-vish display of flowers, catering at all prices, freegraceful pantomime performances, concertswith the biggest names in the world, gentle fair-ground attractions for children and terrifyingrides in the world’s highest rollercoaster for thebrave? This is Tivoli – the Copenhagen fairytalegarden (photo). At the moment, Copenhagen ismaking its mark as a developing regionalEuropean business centre and as a charming,well-functioning landing stage for not only cruises,but also many kinds of events. In 2009, Copen-hagen will host World Outgames, the Internatio-nal Olympic Committee and the UN ClimateSummit.

Holbæk Holstebro Horsens Hvidovre Høje-Taastrup Hørsholm Ikast-Brande

0.5% in 2008 is expected to change to adecline of 1.4% in 2009 and an increaseof 0.6% in 2010. Increased unemploy-ment is also on its way, but Denmark’sstarting point was an unemployment rateof just 2.8% - the lowest in Europe.Another European minimum record isinflation at just 2% a year.

An environmentally aware country

Here are some details of the country cho-sen by the UN to host the Climate Sum-mit in December 2009:

Already before the decision to makeDenmark a green pioneer, the Danesdemonstrated their environmental aware-ness. The water consumption has beenreduced by almost 10% over 30 years.Cars run on unleaded petrol. An agree-ment concerning Denmark as a pilotcountry for electric cars is ready. An elec-tric car can run 160 km on a battery anda network of battery exchange stations

will be established from 2011. More than6% of the arable land is farmed biody-namically. 66% of all waste is recycled.Environmental awareness is on theincrease and is now also used for publicrelations purposes. The amusement parkTivoli in Copenhagen has thus announcedthat all its energy supply – for rollercoast-ers, merry-go-rounds, concert hall, etc. –will come from one of the marine windturbines being erected in Copenhagen aslandmarks for the UN Climate Summit.The Ministry of Food, Agriculture andFisheries monitors all food shops andrestaurants. The customer is informed ofthe result by smileys – with five levelsfrom elite to unacceptable. Denmark isalso a clean country in other respects. Incorruptibility lists, Denmark almostalways appears as snowy white. Animalwelfare is also given a high priority. Unittrusts increasingly avoid investing in com-panies with a questionable working envi-

ronment, child labour, etc. A state institu-tion has sold its shares in a tobacco pro-ducing company.

Denmark and the world

During the history of Denmark, the imageof the Danes has changed completely. Thebarbaric Viking has been replaced by theDanish UN soldier with a child on hisarm in Kosovo or Eritrea.

The war against terrorism, peacekeep-ing, dissemination of democracy and sup-port of developing countries are amongthe objectives given top priority in Danishforeign policy.

Among other things, this is achievedthrough membership of the UN (Den-mark was a co-founder in 1945), NATO(since 1949), the Nordic Council (since1952) and the EEC/EU (since 1973). Inthe European Commission, the Danishmember, Mariann Fischer Boel, is Com-missioner for Agriculture.

Danish participation in

international actions

Measured by population, Denmark hassent out more soldiers and policemen thanany other country in the world – over 87,000between 1948 and 2007 – to undertakepeacemaking, peacekeeping and humanitar-ian tasks for the UN, NATO and OSCEand as EU monitors.

So far, Denmark has reserved its posi-

12

Århus in Jutland is the second-largest city inDenmark. Of course there is some rivalry withthe capital, Copenhagen. However, the citizensof Århus can temper their jealousy with theknowledge that many of the highest positions inthe capital and in Danish politics are held bypeople from Jutland. Århus itself is bubblingwith initiative as a city of business and culture.An annual festival week, launched in 1965, hasdeveloped into a European cultural event withdance, theatre, exhibitions, concerts, etc. Everyyear, it focuses on a special theme, in 2007movement in time and space. The photo showsthe Town Hall designed by the architects ArneJacobsen and Erik Møller, which will be illuminat-ed in red when a red route trails through the cityduring the festival week.

Jammerbugt Kalundborg Kerteminde Kolding København KøgeIshøj

tion with regard to participation in theEU’s military task force. Naturally, this isnot a result of cowardice, but the generaldeliberations about the extent of Denmark’sparticipation in EU.

By contrast, Danish troops are veryactive when Denmark itself is involved orgoes into action as a member of NATO.Already in 1999, Danish fighter planestook part in NATO’s Kosovo action. Afterthe terrorist attack in the US on 11 Sep-tember 2001, Denmark spontaneouslyand unconditionally supported the inter-national reaction. From day one, Danishtroops took part in the initially US-ledand now NATO-led action in Afghanistanagainst the Taleban and Al Qaeda, and thepresence was stepped up in 2007.

In Iraq, Danish troops participated inthe action against Saddam Hussain’s ruleand the subsequent effort to prevent a civilwar. In Afghanistan, the Danish troops arestationed in the particularly war-torn Hel-mand province, which has claimed so many

victims that Denmark is the country withthe greatest loss of life measured by popula-tion.

The development is reminiscent ofShakespeare’s play “Hamlet”, which is ofcourse set in the Danish castle at Elsinore.Initially the Danish prince Hamlet hesi-tates for a long time, but when it comesto the crunch, he acts decisively.

The Danish development assistance

Denmark contributes large amounts todeveloping countries and has for manyyears complied with the UN request that adeveloped country should give at least 0.7%of its gross domestic product as develop-ment assistance. Moreover, Denmarkabstains from demanding full export oppor-tunities for the assistance. Thus almost halfthe money is handed over to the UN andsimilar organisations for administration.

Through its own direct developmentassistance, which goes for instance to 16selected programme cooperation countries

(ten in Africa, four in Asia and two inLatin America), Denmark seeks to benefitthe poor, the women and the environ-ment of the recipient country.

The former random aid projects havebeen superseded by a sector policy, so that

13

The 750 Danish soldiers currently stationed atthe front in the war-torn Helmand province inAfghanistan are very exposed (photo) and havesuffered considerable losses. The Danish peaceeffort extends to the whole world, with partici-pation of all the armed forces. The army hasthus had units in the Balkans, Iraq and nowAfghanistan. The air force is targeting Al Qaedaand the Taleban in Afghanistan and patrolsexposed NATO borders. The navy was alreadyinvolved in the first Gulf War with the corvetteOlfert Fischer. Danish navy personnel havechased pirates in Somali waters and others areleading the UN minesweeper unit. Denmark alsosent a fully equipped military hospital to Afgha-nistan in 2009 and both the armed forces andthe police are very active as instructors of localpersonnel in countries fighting internal terror-ism. Photo: Forsvarets Mediecenter.

Langeland Lejre Lemvig Lyngby-

Taarbæk

Læsø MariagerfjordLolland

support is given not to a single school,but the country’s entire education systemor agriculture or fishing, etc. Recognisingthat any well-intentioned assistance effortcan be overthrown by wars, corruption,etc., Denmark now imposes certain politi-cal conditions on its assistance. At thesame time, the Government has initiateda close scrutiny of ongoing developmentand environmental projects in the thirdworld to establish whether money is beingwasted through corruption or the Danishassistance used against its purpose by dic-tatorships. Here too, the small country hasthus abandoned its customary reticence.

In addition, help is offered towards con-verting authoritarian regimes to democracy,for instance with the drafting of a new con-stitution and training in election technique.Development aid is increasingly focused onAfrica and an Africa Commission withinternational top people, chaired by thePrime Minister, has been established. Themain aim is to strengthen Africa’s privatesector so that the continent’s countries canincrease their opportunities and wealth bytheir own efforts.

Denmark has also established a rehabil-itation centre for victims of torture, whichhas been given advisory status in the UNEconomic and Social Council.

Denmark and the EU

Since joining the EEC/EU in 1973 after areferendum where 63.3% voted in favourof membership, Denmark has worked fortransparency in the EU decision-making,the inclusion of environmental concernsin all decisions, the creation of more jobs

in Europe and the opening up of the EUto, among others, Central and EasternEurope so that it does not become “a clubfor the rich”.

Above all, Denmark from the begin-ning advocated that the Baltic countriesshould be allowed to join the EU as soonas possible. In the EU, Denmark has like-wise championed that the 20% of theUnion’s energy consumption must comefrom renewable sources by 2020 – a targetadopted in March 2007. Denmark hassigned the Schengen Agreement, whichcame into force in 2001 and allows com-pletely free passage between a number ofEuropean countries.

The Danish reservations in

relation to the EU

The Danish population has always regard-ed the EU as an excellent forum for econo-mic cooperation, but has only reluctantlyaccepted political integration.

As a result, the Maastricht Treaty of1992 with its chapters on increased inte-gration was only accepted at a Danish ref-erendum in 1993, after the so-calledEdinburgh Agreement had allowed Den-mark to take a step back from the coopera-tion in four areas.

This manifested itself in reservationson the final phase of the European Eco-nomic and Monetary Union (EMU) andthe euro, the defence political cooperation,an extension of the legal cooperation andunion citizenship.

In 2000, a referendum was held to testif the population was prepared to aban-don one of the reservations – the change

from krone to euro. The answer was noby 53.2% of the votes.

On the other hand, many Danes nowregard the defence reservation as absurd.They find it inconsistent that their coun-try participates in the war against terror-ism or peacekeeping actions when UN-ledor NATO-led, but not if the uniform hap-pens to say EU.

The present Government will worktowards the removal of the four Danishreservations, but will not call a referen-dum on the issue until it is almost certainthat the Danes will say yes.

In 2008, Denmark was the tenth EUcountry to ratify the Lisbon Treaty. TheTreaty includes elements of the Danishflexicurity model, which among otherthings makes it easy for employers to firepeople, who are then maintained by a socialsafety net while waiting for another job.

A political majority is opposed to un-controlled immigration and experience aconflict between this attitude and the EUrules concerning free mobility of labour.

Denmark and the euro

Despite the rejection of the euro, manyDanish companies are prepared to tradein euros if their trade partner so wishes.Many shops also accept euros and pricesare often displayed both in kroner andeuros. The voters did not reject the euroin 2000 because they feared that Denmarkcould not meet the standards of economichealth required of a Euroland member.On the contrary, Denmark has for manyyears been better qualified than many ofthe current members.

The stable economy is primarilyattributed to Denmark’s change in 1982from frequent devaluations to a fixedexchange rate policy. This tied the kronerate to the German mark. Now it is tiedto the euro with a central rate of 7.46038and an allowable fluctuation of 2.25% oneither side. As one of its first actions, theAnders Fogh Rasmussen Government I inNovember 2001 confirmed its determina-tion to plan economic policy, etc. so that

14

Referenda about the EU

Yes, % No, %

1972 Denmark’s EC membership 63.3 36.7

1986 The Single European Act (consultative referendum) 56.2 43.8

1992 The Maastricht Treaty 49.3 50.7

1993 The Edinburgh Agreement 56.7 43.3

1998 The Amsterdam Treaty 55.1 44.9

2000 Denmark’s participation in the Single European Currency, the euro 46.8 53.2

Norddjurs Nordfyn Nyborg Næstved OdderMorsøMiddelfart

the fixed exchange rate policy can continue.Given its position outside the EMU and

the euro, Denmark can no longer expectthe same support as before from EU-part-ners in cases of assaults on the krone ex-change rate by international speculators.That is why Denmark has to lead an eco-nomic policy which is even healthier andmore stable than if it had joined Euroland.

Trade, industry and exports

From the mid 1960s, industrial exportsexceeded agricultural exports. A thousand-year old farming and fishing country wasthus rapidly changing into a fully devel-oped industrial nation, where airplanes,cars and heavy weapons are among thevery few items not produced. However,farming has by no means ceased. It stillfeeds 15 million people, corresponding to

for instance the total populations of Lon-don and Tokyo.

The rapid industrial development mayseem baffling, as Denmark’s only naturalresources worth mentioning are oil andnatural gas and these were only discoveredrecently, in the 1960s. However, the Daneshave managed to extend the naturalresources concept. Instead, milk, sugarbeets, eggs and meat from the farms wereused as natural resources.

They became the basis of a productionof powdered milk, sugar, cakes, tinnedmeat, etc.

Large-scale beer and aquavit productionwas likewise based on agricultural rawmaterials. For the processing, machineswere needed, so the Danes also started pro-ducing – and exporting - these.

The export goods needed transporta-

tion. This started a shipbuilding industry.The ships needed painting, so a paint andvarnish industry developed. The goodsneeded to be kept cold during transport.This created a refrigeration industry. Andso on and so forth.

Seen from outside, this colossal indus-trial growth and constant ramificationinto new types of production may appearrandom, but in fact there was – as shownabove – a strong, logical, inner coherence.

Danish export companies

International market leaders among Danishcompanies include firms producing phar-maceutical products (such as insulin andpsychopharmaca), medical equipment,enzymes for food production, detergentsand bio-ethanol to replace petrol, cement-making machines, wind turbines, pumps,thermostats, skylights and other glass ele-ments for building purposes, water purifi-cation equipment, hearing aids, toys(including toy bricks), draught beer fittingsand much more.

The transformation into a post-indus-trial information society is already faradvanced. Proofs of this include a largesoftware export and the fact that serviceprovision (public as well as private) hasbecome by far the largest occupation, em-ploying 35.4% of all workers.

An export branch that is becomingincreasingly visible in the balance of pay-

15

Although Denmark is relatively small, there aresignificant linguistic and mental differencesbetween the regions. Aalborg in North Jutland isthe fourth-largest city in the country. It has itsown special atmosphere of industrial culture,robust attitude to life and party spirits until lateat night. Industrially, the city is the home of,among others, a world famous aquavit company(large photo), which regularly launches newbrands, e.g. in 2007 “Aalborg Nordguld” (smallphoto). The city also boasts an internationallyknown production of so-called Portland cement(named after the colour of sandstone fromSouthern England), which has protected the sur-faces of buildings, bridges and ports all over theworld from even the worst weather and mostpowerful waves.

Odense Odsherred Randers Rebild Ringkøbing-

Skjern

Ringsted Roskilde

ment is culture, including films such asthe groundbreaking so-called Dogme

films, bestseller books such as PeterHøeg’s “Frøken Smillas fornemmelse forsne” (“Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow”) andmusic successes such as the percussion duoSafri Duo and the pop duo Junior Senior.

The genesis of Danish companies

Danish companies have their own genesis.They have often sprung from a good ideaor a small invention, which the inventorstarts producing using his own savings. Inthis way, industry has become dispersedall over the country.

If the inventor is in luck and has founda niche in the world market which hasnot previously been intensively cultivatedby others, the small workshop in the vil-lage or provincial town can grow into aninternational corporation. This has beenthe development so far for companiessuch as Danfoss (thermostats), Grundfos(pumps) and Lego (toys).

Denmark actively participates in glob-alisation. The flexicurity model, whichensures that dismissal and change of job isno disaster for the Danish worker, has cre-ated a positive attitude in the populationtowards globalisation and its frequent job

relocation to other countries. Many Danishfirms buy foreign companies and foreigninvestors are welcomed in Denmark, wherethe low company tax (28%) is among theattractive factors. In 2008, Danish compa-nies had 4,148 subsidiaries abroad.Conversely, foreign companies had estab-lished 3,066 subsidiaries in Denmark witha total of 228,000 employees (2003).Theindustrial development benefits from theexcellent Danish infrastructure. As anisland country, Denmark has needed tobuild bridges between the regions. Theengineers have created aesthetic master-

works such as the Farø and Great Beltbridges and Danish bridge-builders arenow in demand for instance in the Far East.

A bridge-tunnel link between Denmarkand Sweden at Copenhagen and Malmöwas opened in 2000. This is creating aregional force field, which will be particu-larly attractive to pharmaceutical compa-nies from many countries. The name Medi-con Valley is already being used.

From adscription to cooperative

movement

Nonetheless, the full explanation of how

16

While other countries may base their hot mealson rice or pasta, Denmark favours potatoes. Asthe Danes travel extensively, for instance onpackage holidays, they bring back ideas fromforeign cuisines, so Danish food is now markedlyinternational. However, open sandwiches(photo) remain a traditional staple, mostlyenjoyed at lunchtime. They consist of a slice ofbuttered rye bread with various toppings, oftenpickled herring on the first slice, followed byelaborate structures of for instance egg andshrimps and to finish usually cheese. Most peo-ple eat hot dinners. Traditional dishes are lambat Easter, rice pudding and roast goose onChristmas Eve and boiled cod on New Year’s Eve.The most traditional hot dinner consists of roastpork with red cabbage, followed by stewed fruitwith cream. Danes enjoy challenging foreign visi-tors to pronounce the name of an example ofthis dish (made with redcurrants): “rødgrød medfløde”. Most fail. The successful ones are admit-ted to a warm fellowship. Photo: J. Buusman.

Samsø Silkeborg Skanderborg Skive SlagelseRødovreRudersdal

the farming and fishing country Denmarkhas turned into a fully developed industrialnation without the help of natural resour-ces perhaps still eludes us? The last part ofthe explanation is the high quality of theDanish workforce combined with theabove-mentioned flexicurity model on thelabour market.

In the 18th century, the Danes were acowed people. The farm workers were serfsand not allowed to move from the land-owner’s property. For fear of evil powers andthe dark of night, the farms were placed in aprotected cluster, far from the fields.

Through farsighted political efforts du-ring Absolutism, adscription was abolishedand the peasants liberated in 1788. Thiscreated a type of free farmer who dared toplace his farm at the point of production.The same free-born attitude spread to theworkers in the towns when industrialisa-tion emerged.

The spiritual liberation was given addedimpetus by N.F.S. Grundtvig. He was thefather of further education for young peo-ple, especially from the country – the so-called folk high schools, the first of whichopened in 1844 – where the young learn-ed to value and use the spoken word andfreedom of thought.

Self-aware as they now were, they be-came able farmers, who also respectedtheir neighbours, so that they could jointogether in groups on a cooperative basisaround production, breeding and exportwith equal voting rights for all irrespectiveof the size of their land or herd.

The folk high school concept and thecooperative movement have both beenimitated in many countries and are amongthe offers to countries receiving Danishdevelopment assistance.

The labour market

Apart from what has been said above aboutthe flexicurity model, the following pointsare worth noting:

Danish workers are mainly organisedaccording to industry, rarely religion.

Denmark opposes abuse of children,

which sometimes occurs in connectionwith child labour in developing countries,but in fact many children in Denmarkwork, as 26% of the 7-14 year old havespare time jobs. However, this is entirelyon their own initiative, in order to earnmoney for fashionable clothes, mobilephones, CDs, etc.

Some of the latest collective bargainingdecisions have been an increase of the an-nual holiday entitlement from five to sixweeks at some workplaces, an increasedproportion of the wages set aside for pen-sions and increased access to further edu-cation. In the new agreements in 2007,many industries introduced three weeks’paternity leave on full pay. Women alrea-dy have four weeks’ pregnancy leave and20 weeks’ maternity leave.

Education

School attendance is not compulsory inDenmark, but nine years of education are.As a result, 13% of the children are taughtoutside the state school system in privateindependent schools, which may receiveup to 70% government subsidy.

The elementary and lower secondaryschool is comprehensive, i.e. the childrenare not divided on the basis of ability orsocial background.

The average percentage of bilingualchildren, especially children from immi-grant families, is 8.2%, but in some bor-oughs in large cities it can reach a third.

Formerly, pupils wanting to continuein upper secondary school had to be vouch-ed for by the school they were leaving.This changed in 2001 – now the pupilsdecide themselves.

For the cultural area, a catalogue – theso-called canon – has been created of im-portant Danish works through the ageswithin literature, painting, music, archi-tecture, etc. It is not compulsory, for in-stance for school children, to know all theworks, but the list is intended to guideand inspire both young and old. The offi-cial cultural cannon has since been sup-plemented with more or less authorised

canon publications for literature, history,democracy and design.

The 24 volumes and 160,000 articlesof the national encyclopaedia – “Encyklo-pædien” – is now available free on theinternet under the title “Den Store Dan-ske” (“The Big Danish”). Interested par-ties are welcome to contribute updates onan ongoing basis.

Almost all education is a free benefit aspart of the welfare system. From the ageof 18, young people receiving educationmay obtain public support, the so-calledState Educational Grant SU (StatensUddannelsesstøtte), of up to DKK 2,574per month for young people living athome and 5,177 for those who have lefthome , so that no one is precluded fromfurther education because of social or eco-nomic status.

As part of the efforts to increase theworkforce, the state educational grant willbe adapted to encourage quicker comple-tion of studies.

Local authorities and political educa-tional associations offer extensive eveningeducation opportunities for adults.

17

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

15-1

920

-24

25-2

930

-34

35-3

940

-44

45-4

950

-54

55-5

960

-64

65-6

9

Highest completed education (2004)

Primary and lower secondary schoolUpper secondary schoolVocational trainingHigher educationNot stated

Source: Statistics Denmark.

Solrød Sorø Stevns Struer Svendborg Syddjurs Sønderborg

The social system

The social system acts as a fine-meshedsafety net under the Dane from birth todeath. The many individual benefits in-clude maternity and parent leave, whichthe parents may choose to share. It isregarded as an advantage – both for theindividual and the exchequer – if peopleweakened by illness or age remain in theirown homes as long as possible. Here, eld-erly people can receive home help fromthe local authority. If that is not sufficient,they are offered protected housing or nur-sing home accommodation.

The welfare system does not escapecriticism. Hospital hygiene has been criti-cised and improved. Treatment guaranteeshave been issued for life-threatening ill-nesses such as cancer and heart disease,but nonetheless waiting lists do occur. Pa-tients who cannot be treated in the publichospital system in Denmark within theguaranteed time-limit of ideally onemonth are now offered treatment at a pri-vate hospital or at a hospital abroad at thepublic expense. From 2011, the arrival ofan ambulance or helicopter can be expect-ed within 15 minutes in the case of acuteillness or an accident.

Science

The Danes have made their contributionto solving the mysteries of the universe,nature and the human body.

As examples may be mentioned that

Ole Rømer (1644-1710) calculated thespeed of light, that Niels Stensen (1638-1686), among other things, founded geol-ogy as a science and made importantanatomical discoveries, that H.C. Ørsted(1777-1851) discovered electro-magnet-ism and that Niels Bohr (1885-1962) wasone of the theorists who had a decisiveinfluence on quantum mechanics andamong other things made the develop-ment of nuclear weapons and the exploi-tation of nuclear power possible.

Thomas Bartholin (1616-1680) dis-covered the human lymphatic vessels andNiels Finsen (1860-1904) proved that raysof light have a healing effect on skin dis-eases. In addition, Henrik Dam (1895-1976) discovered vitamin K and JohannesFibiger (1867-1928) demonstrated thatcancer can be caused by external factors,such as contact with tar products.

Literature

The Danish-Norwegian comedy writerand philosopher Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754) is often described as Denmark’scounterpart to France’s Molière. He intro-duced the European Enlightenment in

Denmark and his plays with their jovial-ironic exposure of prejudices and conceitare still performed today on both Danishand foreign stages.

The fairytale writer Hans ChristianAndersen (1805-1875) probably remainsthe best-known Dane in the world. It iswell-deserved that one of the characterswho sprang from his imagination, theLittle Mermaid, has also become the sym-bol of the Danish capital, Copenhagen.Cast in bronze, she gracefully receives visi-tors to the city from her wet stone in Copen-hagen harbour. In 2005, the bicentenary ofhis birth was celebrated all over the world.

The philosopher Søren Kierkegaard(1813-1855) sowed the seeds of Existen-tialism and is being read more and more.

Danish Nobel Prize winners include theauthor Johannes V. Jensen (1873-1950),whose book “Kongens fald” (“The Fall ofthe King”) in 2000 was chosen by the po-pulation as the best Danish 20th centurynovel.

Karen Blixen’s (1885-1962) memoirsof Africa became an international success,both as a novel and a major film.

Contemporary names such as Klaus

18

Is there a yardstick called international fame bysquare kilometre? If such a method of assess-ment exists, the island of Funen in the middle ofDenmark belongs to the elite. With its 2,985square kilometres and main city of Odense – thethird-largest in the country – it is the birthplaceof no less than two internationally famous fig-ures, the fairytale writer Hans Christian Ander-sen and the composer Carl Nielsen. Odense hasmuseums for both – the photo shows the HansChristian Andersen Museum opposite the out-door restaurant. However, the city is not compla-cently sunning itself in its fame. It is burstingwith culture and activity, most recently a resource-ful television station. Photo: BAM/Heine Pedersen.

Tårnby Vallensbæk Varde Vejen VejleTønderThisted

Rifbjerg, b.1931, and Peter Høeg, b.1957,also stand out.

Music, film and ballet

The composer Carl Nielsen (1865-1931)is becoming increasingly popular in con-cert halls all over the world. So is the re-cently discovered Rued Langgaard (1893-1952).

In the world of jazz, the violinist SvendAsmussen, b.1916, belongs to the worldelite and the double bass player Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (1946-2005)was in great demand internationally.

The pianist Victor Borge (1909-2000)was a much-loved entertainer all over theworld. His philosophy of life was that asmile reduces the distance between people.

Danish cinema had a golden age during

the silent film period, among others withCarl Th. Dreyer’s (1889-1968) film aboutthe passion and death of Joan of Arc.

In this new millennium, the spotlight isagain sweeping over Danish cinema, withseveral directors winning Oscars and Gol-den Palms, including Bille August,b.1948, and a new generation of directorsheaded by Lars von Trier, b.1956, chargingahead with their so-called Dogme films.

Danish actors are receiving offers fromHollywood. Iben Hjejle, b.1971, appearedin “High Fidelity” and “Dreaming of Julia”.Viggo Mortensen, b.1958, among otherthings played Aragon in “Lord of theRings”, and Mads Mikkelsen, b.1965, isthe villain in the James Bond film “CasinoRoyale”.

Another Danish strength is television

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Copenhagen’s status as a city of culture is ever-expanding. In 2008, the Danish BroadcastingCorporation inaugurated a new concert hall(photo) designed by the French architect JeanNouvel. The auditorium, with its uniqueacoustic, has attracted international stars fromday one. The concert hall is part of a new trinitywith The Royal Theatre’s Opera and new play-house, which are only a few years old. The lasttwo were designed by Danish architects and arespectacularly situated opposite each other ateither side of Copenhagen harbour. Copenhagenalso offers mass audience entertainment. Thusboth Madonna and Bruce Springsteen haveappeared at the sports and event centre Parken.Famous international stars visiting Denmark donot only go to Copenhagen. In regional citiessuch as Århus, Horsens and Herning, consider-able stage facilities have been exploited by,among others, Leonard Cohen, Elton John, JimmiHendrix, Pink Floyd – and Bill Clinton. Photo:Bjarne Bergius Hermansen.

Vordingborg Ærø Aabenraa Aalborg ÅrhusVesthimmerland Viborg

drama series. They have won DenmarkEmmy Awards for series such as “Nikolajog Julie” (“Nikolaj and Julie”), “Rejseholdet”(“The Flying Squad”), “Ørnen” (“TheEagle”) and “Unge Andersen” (“Young An-dersen”).

Danish humour flourishes in filmseries such as “Olsen Banden” (“The Ol-sen Gang”) and television series such as“Matador” (“Monopoly”), which havemany viewers also outside Denmark as domany Danish films for children.

Within ballet, August Bournonville(1805-1879) as ballet master at The RoyalTheatre raised Danish ballet to an inter-national standing that has not faded.

Visual arts

Danish painters from the first half of the19th century, the so-called Golden Age,are experiencing an international renais-sance. Over the years, painters have oftenjoined together regionally. Groups such asthe Skagen Painters and the Funen Pain-ters now have their own, well-attendedmuseums. Asger Jorn (1914-1973) co-founded the international COBRA group(named after Copenhagen, Bruxelles andAmsterdam).

Major contemporary names includeBjørn Nørgaard, b.1947, who, amongother things, has designed tapestries fea-turing the history of Denmark as a birth-day present for Queen Margrethe, and Per Kirkeby, b.1938.

The sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844) preferred to work in Rome, wherehis marble statues are seen for instance inSt Peter’s.

Design, applied art and architecture

The Danes are world famous for appliedart and design within a broad spectrum offashion, furnishing fabrics, furniture, sil-verware, porcelain and jewellery.

The silversmith Georg Jensen (1866-1935) created magnificent hollowwareand cutlery.

The architect Poul Henningsen (1894-1967) explored the effects of light and

designed lamps which are outstanding interms of lighting technique and aesthetics.

Jacob Jensen, b.1926, designs radiosand televisions, telephones, cars, etc., andsome of his works have been exhibited atthe Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The multimedia artist Olafur Eliasson,b.1967, who among other things is a mas-ter of lighting, is represented in collectionsall over the world.

The Lego toy bricks familiarise the Da-nes with appealing design already in thenursery.

Together with deeply quality-consciouscraftsmen, furniture designers such asHans J. Wegner (1914-2007) have madeDanish furniture synonymous with sophisti-cated design and comfort. Thousands ofinternational customers include the UNSecurity Council.

The sense of design also benefits lessobvious products such as industrial machi-nery, public signage and much else.

Danish architects make their mark outside their native country as well. Jørn Utzon, (1918-2008), designed SydneyOpera House, Johan Otto von Spreckelsen(1929-1987) the Grande Arche in Paris,Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971) St Catherine’sCollege in Oxford and Henning Larsen,b.1925, the Foreign Ministry in Riyadh.

Another architectural masterpiece byHenning Larsen is the new opera houseon the waterfront in Copenhagen, whichwas sponsored by the shipping magnateMærsk McKinney-Møller.

The firm of architects 3XN Arkitekterhas designed the highly acclaimed newDanish embassy in Berlin and an entirequarter in Copenhagen for UN institutions.

Sports

The Danish national sport is football andDanish players are often to be found inthe line-up of great European clubs, suchas AC Milan, Chelsea, Inter, etc.

Other strong Danish disciplines, forinstance at the Olympics, include women’shandball, yachting, rowing, swimming,cycling and badminton.

With Ulrik Wilbek as national coach,Denmark has won international handballchampionship medals, first for womenand later for men.

Victor AndersenJournalist, cand.polit.

Further informationDenmark’s official websitewww.denmark.dkUdenrigsministeriet(Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark)Asiatisk Plads 2DK-1448 Copenhagen K(+45) 3392 0000www.um.dkum@um.dk

Folketinget(Danish Parliament)ChristiansborgDK-1240 Copenhagen K(+45) 3337 5500www.folketinget.dkfolketinget@folketinget.dk

Visit Denmark(Danish Tourist Board)Islands Brygge 43DK-2300 Copenhagen S(+45) 3288 9900www.visitdenmark.comcontact@visitdenmark.com

Kunststyrelsen(Danish Arts Agency)H.C. Andersens Boulevard 2DK-1553 Copenhagen V(+45) 3374 4500www.danish-arts.dkinfo@danish-arts.dk

Danmarks Statistik(Statistics Denmark)Sejrøgade 11DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø(+45) 3917 3917www.dst.dkdst@dst.dk

Klima- og Energiministeriet (Danish Ministry of Climate and Energy) Stormgade 2-6DK-1470 Copenhagen K(+45) 3392 2800www.kemin.dk kemin@kemin.dk

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Denmark – an overview

Factsheet Denmark. Published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairsof Denmark.Address: Asiatisk Plads 2, DK-1448 Copenhagen K, Denmark.Telephone: (+45) 3392 0000. Fax: (+45) 3254 0533.E-mail: um@um.dk. Website: www.um.dk.Editor: Flemming Axmark.Picture editor: Kirstine Fryd.

Translation: Siri Fischer Hansen. Design: Ole Jensen - ojdesign.Reproduction of the text, with or without acknowledgement, is permitted.Published April 2009.

ISBN 978-87-7087-131-0