Denmark Hotels - Denmark's Best Travel Destinations Hotels Reservations
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Denmark Hotels - Denmark's Best Travel Destinations Hotels Reservations
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Denmark Travel InformationHistory | Geography
| Culture | Economy | Government
The Evangelical Lutheran Church is state supported and accounts for about 97% of Denmark's religious affiliation. Denmark has religious freedom, however, and several other Protestant denominations and other religions exist. During the Viking period (9th-11th centuries), Denmark was a great power based on the Jutland Peninsula, the Island of Zealand, and the southern part of what is now Sweden. In the early 11th century, King Canute united Denmark and England for almost 30 years. Viking raids brought Denmark into contact with Christianity, and in the 12th century, crown and church influence increased. By the late 13th century, royal power had waned, and the nobility forced the king to grant a charter, considered Denmark's first constitution. Although the struggle between crown and nobility continued into the 14th century, Queen Margrethe I succeeded in uniting Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Greenland under the Danish crown. Sweden and Finland left the union in 1520; however, Norway remained until 1814. Iceland, in a "personal union" under the king of Denmark after 1918, became independent in 1944.
The Danish liberal movement gained momentum in the 1830s, and in 1849 Denmark became a constitutional monarchy. After the war with Prussia and Austria in 1864, Denmark was forced to cede Schleswig-Holstein to Prussia and adopt a policy of neutrality. Toward the end of the 19th century, Denmark inaugurated important social and labor market reforms, laying the basis for the present welfare state. Denmark remained neutral during World War I. Despite its declaration of neutrality at the beginning of World War II, it was invaded by the Germans in 1940 and occupied until it was liberated by the Allied forces in May 1945. Denmark became a charter member of the United Nations and was one of the original signers of the North Atlantic Treaty. Location : Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany. Geographic coordinates : 56 00 N, 10 00 E Map references : Europe Area : Area—comparative : slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts Land boundaries : Coastline : 7,314 km Maritime claims : Climate : temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers Terrain : low and flat to gently rolling plains Elevation extremes : Natural resources : petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, stone, gravel and sand Land use : Irrigated land : 4,350 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards : flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by a system of dikes Environment—current issues : air pollution, principally from vehicle and power plant emissions; nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea; drinking and surface water becoming polluted from animal wastes and pesticides Environment—international agreements : party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea. Geography—note : controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in Copenhagen.
Visitors to Denmark will discover a wealth of cultural activity. The Royal Danish Ballet, an exceptional company, specializes in the work of the great Danish choreographer August Bournonville (1805-79). Danes have distinguished themselves as jazz musicians, and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival has acquired an international reputation. International collections of modern art enjoy unusually attractive settings at the Louisiana Museum north of Copenhagen and at the North Jutland Art Museum in Aalborg. The State Museum of Art and the Glyptotek, both in Copenhagen, contain treasures of Danish and international art. The Museum of Applied Art and Industrial Design in Copenhagen exhibits the best in Danish design. The Royal Danish Porcelain Factory and Bing ? Grondahl, renowned for the quality of their porcelain and ceramics, export their products worldwide. Ceramic designs by Bjorn Wiinblad also are well known and popular. Among today's Danish writers, probably the most prolific is Klaus Rifbjerg--poet, novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. Benny Andersen writes poems, short stories, and music. Poems by both writers have been translated into English by the Curbstone Press. Kirsten Thorup's Baby, winner of the 1980 Pegasus Prize, is printed in English by the University of Louisiana Press. The psychological thrillers of Anders Bodelsen also appear in English. Suzanne Brogger and Vita Andersen focus largely on the changing roles of women in society. In music, Hans Abrahamsen and Per Norgaard are the two most famous living composers. Hans Abrahamsen's works have been performed by the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC. Cultural Policy The Ministry of Cultural Affairs was created in 1961. Cultural life and meaningful leisure time were then and remain subjects of debate by politicians and parliament as well as the general public. The democratization of cultural life promoted by the government's 1960s cultural policy recently has come to terms with the older "genteel culture;" broader concepts of culture now generally accepted include amateur and professional cultural, media, sports, and leisure-time activities. Denmark's cultural policy is characterized by decentralized funding, program responsibility, and institutions. Danish cultural direction differs from other countries with a Ministry of Culture and a stated policy in that special laws govern each cultural field--e.g., the New Theater Act of 1970 and the Music Law of 1976. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs includes among its responsibilities international cultural relations; training of librarians and architects; copyright legislation; and subsidies to archives, libraries, museums, literature, music, arts and crafts, theater, and film production. During 1970-82, the ministry also recognized protest movements and street manifestations as cultural events, because social change was viewed as an important goal of Danish cultural policy. The current government exercises caution in moderating this policy and practice. In June 1988, radio and broadcasting, formerly under the Ministry of Culture, was transferred to the Ministry of Transportation and Communication. Government contributions to culture have increased steadily in recent years, but viewed against the present government's firm objective to limit public expenditures, contributions will stabilize in the future. Municipal and county governments assume a relatively large share of the costs for cultural activities in their respective districts. In 1992, government expenditures for culture totaled about 1.9% of the budget. Most support went to libraries and archives, theater, museums, arts and crafts training, and films. Denmark's industrialized market economy depends on imported raw materials and foreign trade. Within the European Union, Denmark advocates a liberal trade policy. Its standard of living is among the highest in the world, and the Danes devote 1% of GDP to foreign aid. Denmark is self-sufficient in energy. Its principal exports are machinery, instruments, and food products. The U.S. is Denmark's largest non-European trading partner, accounting for about 5% of total Danish merchandise trade. Aircraft, computers, machinery, and instruments are among the major U.S. exports to Denmark. There are some 250 U.S.-owned companies in Denmark. Among major Danish exports to the U.S. are industrial machinery, chemical products, furniture, pharmaceuticals, and canned ham and pork. From 1982, a center-right government corrected accumulated economic pressures, mainly inflation and balance-of-payments deficits, but lost power in 1993 to a Social Democratic coalition government led by Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, who remained in office following the March 1998 elections. The current government has had success in cutting official unemployment, which peaked at 12.5% and is now below 7%. Average annual growth rates are now 2-3%. Danes are proud of their highly developed welfare safety net, which ensures that all Danes receive basic health care and need not fear real poverty. Over the last 20 years, however, the number of Danes living on transfer payments has grown to about 1 million working-age persons (roughly 20% of the population), and the system is beginning to show strains. Health care and care for the elderly particularly have suffered, and the need for welfare reform is increasingly discussed. More than one-quarter of the labor force is employed in the public sector. Denmark is a constitutional monarchy. Queen Margrethe II has largely ceremonial functions; probably her most significant formal power lies in her right to appoint the prime minister and cabinet ministers, who are responsible for administration of the government. However, she must consult with parliamentary leaders to determine the public's will, since the cabinet may be dismissed by a vote of no confidence in the Folketing (parliament). Cabinet members are occasionally recruited from outside the Folketing. The 1953 constitution established a unicameral Folketing of not more than 179 members, of whom two are elected from the Faroe Islands and two from Greenland. Elections are held at least every four years, but the prime minister can dissolve the Folketing at any time and call for new elections. Folketing members are elected by a complicated system of proportional representation; any party receiving at least 2% of the total national vote receives representation. The result is a multiplicity of parties (10 currently in parliament), none of which holds a majority. Electorate participation normally is more than 85%. The judicial branch consists of about 100 local courts, two high courts, several special courts (e.g., arbitration and maritime), and a supreme court of 15 judges appointed by the crown on the government's recommendation. Denmark is divided into 14 counties (Amter) and 275 municipalities (Kommuner). The chief official of the Amt, the county mayor (Amtsborg-mester), is elected by the county council from among its members, according to the municipal reform of 1970. The cities of Copenhagen and Frederiksborg function as both counties and municipalities. The Faroe Islands and Greenland enjoy home rule, with the Danish Government represented locally by high commissioners. These home-rule governments are responsible for most domestic affairs, with foreign relations, monetary affairs, and defense falling to the Danish Government. Political Conditions Political life in Denmark is orderly and democratic. Political changes occur gradually through a process of consensus, and political methods and attitudes are generally moderate. The Social Democratic Party, historically identified with a well-organized labor movement but today appealing more broadly to the middle class, has held power either alone or in coalition for most of the postwar period except from 1982 to 1993. Since then, Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen and his Social Democratic Party have led minority coalition governments, after December 1996 with the centrist Radickales only. After the March 1998 election, the SDP-Radikales coalition controls 70 of 179 seats in the Folketing. The vulnerability implicit in a minority coalition has been evidenced in recent coalition failure to achieve consensus on issues such as extensive labor, tax, and welfare reforms. Consensus decision-making is the most prominent feature of Danish politics. It often allows the small centrist parties to play a larger role than their size suggests. Although the centrist Radikale party sometimes shows traces of its pacifist past, particularly on defense spending, most major legislation is passed by sizeable majorities. Since the 1988 elections, which led to a domestic truce on North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and security questions, Denmark's role in the European Union (EU) has come to be a key political issue. Denmark emerged from two referendums (June 2, 1992, and May 18, 1993) with four important exemptions (or "opt-outs") to the Maastricht Treaty on the European Union: common defense, common currency, EU citizenship, and certain aspects of legal cooperation, including law enforcement. However, the Amsterdam Treaty was approved in a referendum May 28, 1998, by a 55% majority. Visa requirements for U.S. citizens to enter Denmark. U.S. citizens do not need a visa for tourist or business travel to this country. Any U.S. citizen who wishes to travel to Denmark for any purpose other than tourism or business negotiations (e.g. work, study, adoption, immigration, or stays longer than stipulated in the entry requirements) should contact directly, the embassy or nearest consulate. TDS is not able to assist with expediting visas for Denmark at the present time. All applicants are required to appear in person to obtain a visa Tourist Travel
Business Travel
Diplomatic/Official Travel
Employment or Study Travel
Visa Requirements/Validity/Costs Visa requirements for NON-U.S. citizens to enter Denmark.
Notice Regarding Visa For Schengen States : Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden. As of 01 June 2001, travelers to Europe on business or tourism purposes may receive a visa for a short stay of one to ninety days, valid for all of the above-mentioned countries. A Schengen visa issued by an embassy or consulate of the above countries allows the holder to travel freely in all of these countries. However, visas for travel to Monaco and French Overseas Departments and Territories may only be issued by a French Embassy or Consulate.
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The
Danes, a homogenous Gothic-Germanic people, have inhabited Denmark since
prehistoric times. Danish is the principal language. A small German-speaking
minority lives in southern Jutland; a mixed Inuit-Danish population inhabits
Greenland; and the Faroe Islands have a Nordic population with its own
language. Education is compulsory from ages seven to 16 and is free through
the university level.
The
Reformation was introduced in Denmark in 1536. Denmark's provinces in
today's southwestern Sweden were lost in 1658, and Norway was transferred
from the Danish to the Swedish crown in 1814, following the defeat of
Napoleon, with whom Denmark was allied.
Denmark's
rich intellectual heritage contributes to the cultural achievements of
the modern world. The astronomical discoveries of Tycho Brahe (1546-1601)
and the brilliant contributions to atomic physics of Niels Bohr (1885-1962)
indicate the range of Danish scientific achievement. The fairy tales of
Hans Christian Andersen (1805-75), the philosophical essays of Soren Kierkegaard
(1813- 55), and the short stories of Karen Blixen (penname Isak Dinesen,
1885-1962) have earned international recognition, as have the symphonies
of Carl Nielsen (1865-1931). Danish applied art and industrial design
have won awards for excellence. The name of Georg Jensen (1866-1935) is
known worldwide for outstanding modern design in silver, and "Royal
Copenhagen" is among the finest porcelains.