Facts on Denmark

Facts on Denmark

Denmark is a rather small country with just below 6 million inhabitors (2018), consisting on 443 named islands giving 16,573 sq mi area. Due to the many islands, Denmark got about 4,500 miles costal line. You will never be more than 19 miles from the costal line.

Denmark consists of the country Denmark, and the Monarchy of Denmark. The Monarchy of Denmark also contains Greenland and Faroe Island.

National flag

Danish National Flag: "Dannebrog"

The danish national flag, Dannebrog, is the oldest unchanged national flag in the world, and goes back to 1200-century.
Danes really love their national flag. We use it in every possible situation. On birthday cakes, decorating the house, in the garden, even on the Christmas tree. You won't be able to stay long in Denmark, not to see the national flag somewhere.

Economy

Danish money is called: "Krone" (Crown) and "Øre" (ears). 1 krone (kr/dkr) is equavilent to 100 ører.   100 kroner is about 15 US dollars (Feb 21 2019). The average wage in Denmark is about 5,900 US dollars a month (source: dst.dk). Denmark had a GDP on 324,9 billion USD in 2017, which gave $56, 307.57 pr. inhabitors. Compared to USA who had 19,39 trillions USD, giving $59,332.66 pr. inhabitors.

The happiest Country

Denmark is also said to be the happiest Country in the world for years. Well, to be a little cynical Denmark is in the same periode the largest consumer of so-called 'Happy Pills" or antidepressanties.

Agri-cultures

Denmark have about 6 million inhabitors, but danish agriculture produces food to feed about 15 million people. About three times the size of the Country. 

Monarchy

The Royal Family of Denmark

Denmark is the oldest monarchy in the world, and is currently ruled by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. She will be succeded by her oldest son, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, married to Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary Elisabeth, born Donaldson. On this picture the queen and her late husband, who passed away in January 2018, is sitting in front, with the Crown prince and Crown princess standing behind the queen, and their second son, Prince Joachim, with his wife, Princess Marie, standing next to. Both of the queens sons have four children each. The Crown prince couple first had a son, Christian - who one day will succeed his father on the throne, then a daughter (Isabella), and finally twins. Prince Joachim has four children from two marriages.

Language

Denmark has its own language called: danish. Danish is a very difficult language to learn, if you are not raised with it, and is ranked just a bit easier than the chineese languages.
Danish has three extra letters: Æ, Ø, Å. These letters can also be spelled like: AE, O and Aa.

A lot of letters are silent letters and the pronunciation varies very different from the spelling. Danish tends to cut of the endings of the words while spoken, and forreigners use to describe it as people are speaking with a potatoe in the mouth. This comes from danish is spoken from the back of the mouth, instead of front of the mouth.

Danish also has words which can be used in a various ways, meaning different things according to the context. One of these is the word: "Nå", which also can be spelled: "Nåh", or with an indiffenetly number of the letter Å, like: "Nåååååååååååååå". This is not an official way of spelling, but more like a pronounciation way of spelling.

Welfare

Many will characterize Denmark as an expensive country to live in. Specially caused by the high taxes on about 35-70% of the income, depending on a lot of things. This might seem very high looking at it without knowing why. Denmark has a high social welfare system. Due to high taxes the inhabitors don't need to pay for medical treatment at hospitals, local doctors etc. The state also provides free schools for children, free  college education and free higher education. Young and adults who attends college and higher education can receive an amount of wage from the state. Not much, but enough to live on a minimum basic level, so I you choose, you don't need to work on the side of the education. If employers loose their job, they will always be garantied by the social security web, so they don't have to loose their home and everything they own. When said it is all free, nothing is never really free. Having free education and a social security etc. is all due to the high taxes. I don't want to paint it all to romantic, there are of course backsides to the welfare too.

"Hygge"

The danish phenomenon "Hygge" has become very popular in Great Britain and United States. Uncounted numbers of bloggers and authors has tried to describe what this is. Often it is described to have something to do with candle light dinners, bonfires, cake etc. but it is almost always described in context to do with food. "Hygge" can also be sitting on a bench in a park or whereever, talking with someone else. "Hygge" has more to do with being present and enjoying the company of someone else  in a relaxed atmosphere not focusing on rushing on to the next thing to do.

Typical danish livingroom decoration in a modern home.
(boligcious.dk)

While talking about a home decorated with "hygge" we talk about a home giving the cozines where you want to sit and talk with someone. This doesn't mean putting in a lot of accesories in the home. Quite infact the opposite it is more like how little is needed to make a comfortable place. Fx. a couch decorated with one or two pillows, not ten pillows. The walls will be decorated with simple pictures or paintings, that the wall don't seem empty. All in all: Less is more, we use to say. Danish architecture and design is therefore also very simple in its expression, and simple is elegant in danish perspective.

The summer is short in Denmark, so most of the year it is rather dark. This might be why we often prefers white or bright colors in our homes.

Culture

Danish culture goes way back in time, but since 1950 Denmark have become more and more influenced by American culture, but not as much as Sweden - the neighbour country.

Danish humor is very sarcastic and ironic. We really don't have any social limits of what's allowed to make fun of. Danish humor therefore often collides with vawes like the #MeToo-movements and political correctness in all. We don't feel the urge to apologise of things happened in the past. We cannot change it anyway now. As a history-student like me, I also prefers to look at the history in the historys own time. This means we cannot look at the slave embargment with modern values, but have to look at it with those days values to understand and judge.

Denmark has officially been a Christian country since the early 10th century. Official holydays follows the Christian traditions, like Passover, Pentacost, Christmas and so on.

My wife lighting the Christmas tree 2018.

Christmas is celebrated in the evening on December 24th. Many families starts by going to church in the afternoon. Around 6 p.m. the dinner begins. Traditionally we eat pork- or duck roast with white and sugar browned potatoes and pickled red cabbage. In West Denmark traditionally also salty potato chips. For desert most danes have "Ris a la mande". This sounds french, but is infact a danish invention. It is rice pudding mixed with whipped full cream and some vanilla and pieces of chopped almonds. In the desert there is one whole almond. The person who gets this gains a price. Often a box of chocolate, marzipan or small things like this.

After finished the dinner and cleaning up, we walk around the christmas tree singing psalms and christmas songs. Some to it a lot, some not at all. When finished the singing, we unwrap the presents. Traditions on doing this varies from family to family. In our family the youngest chose a gift from underneath the tree and gives it to the receiver. Everybody follows the unwrapping of the gift, and enjoy the moment together with the receiver. After a little time, the next present will be handed over. This makes the moment of unwrapping presents last longer. Sometimes for hours. The following day is a day of rest to most, or perhaps visiting family.



I will end this entry with a video presenting my part of Denmark: Northern Jutland:

Questions?

If you got questions about Denmark and danish culture and history please ask. (Note to my friends: Nope, this is not for you! 😜 )