Danmark
Denmark is by far the smallest of the Scandinavian countries, but in the 16th century, it was the largest—at one time, Denmark ruled all of Norway and the three southern provinces of Sweden. Danes are proud of their mighty history and are the first to remind you that they were a lot bigger and a lot stronger in the good old days. And yet, they’re a remarkably mellow, well-adjusted lot—organized without being uptight, and easygoing with a delightfully wry sense of humor.
In the 10th century, before its heyday as a Scan-superpower, Denmark was, like Norway and Sweden, home to the Vikings. More than anything else, these fierce warriors were known for their great shipbuilding, which enabled them to travel far. Denmark’s Vikings journeyed west to Great Britain and Ireland (where they founded Dublin) and brought back various influences, including Christianity.
Denmark is composed of many islands, a peninsula (Jutland) that juts up from northern Germany, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. The two main islands are Zealand (Sjælland in Danish), where Copenhagen is located, and Funen (Fyn in Danish), where Hans Christian Andersen (or, as Danes call him, simply “H. C.”) was born. Out of the hundreds of smaller islands, ship-in-bottle-cute Æro is my favorite. The Danish landscape is gentle compared with the dramatic fjords, mountains, and vast lakes of other Scandinavian nations. Danes (not to mention Swedes and Norwegians) like to joke about the flat Danish landscape, saying that you can stand on a case of beer and see from one end of the country to the other. Denmark’s highest point in Jutland is only 560 feet above sea level, and no part of the country is more than 30 miles from the sea.
In contrast to the rest of Scandinavia, much of Denmark is arable. The landscape consists of rolling hills, small thatched-roof farmhouses, beech forests, and whitewashed churches with characteristic stairstep gables. Red brick, which was a favorite material of the nation-building King Christian IV, is everywhere—especially in major civic buildings such as city halls and train stations.
Like the other Scandinavian countries, Denmark is predominantly Lutheran, but only a small minority attend church regularly. The majority are ethnic Danes, and many (but certainly not all) of them have the stereotypical blond hair and blue eyes. Two out of three Danes have last names ending in “-sen.” The assimilation of ethnic groups into this homogeneous society, which began in earnest in the 1980s, is a source of some controversy. But in general, most Danes have a live-and-let-live attitude and enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. Taxes are high in this welfare state, but education is free and medical care highly subsidized. Generous parental leave extends to both men and women.
Official Name: Kongeriget Danmark—the Kingdom of Denmark—or simply Denmark.
Population: Denmark’s 5.5 million people are mainly of Scandinavian descent, with immigrants—mostly German, Turkish, Iranian, and Somali—making up 12 percent of the population. Greenland is home to the indigenous Inuit, and the Faroe Islands to people of Nordic heritage. Most Danes speak both Danish and English, with a small minority speaking German, Inuit, or Faroese. The population is 80 percent Protestant (mostly Evangelical Lutheran), 4 percent Muslim, and 16 percent “other.”
Latitude and Longitude: 56°N and 10°E, similar latitude to northern Alberta, Canada.
Area: 16,600 square miles, roughly twice the size of Massachusetts.
Geography: Denmark includes the Jutland peninsula in northern Europe. Situated between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, it shares a 42-mile border with Germany. In addition to Greenland and the Faroe Islands, Denmark also encompasses over 400 islands (78 of which are inhabited). Altogether Denmark has 4,544 miles of coastline. The mainland is mostly flat, and nearly two-thirds of the land is cultivated.
Biggest Cities: Denmark’s capital city, Copenhagen (pop. 1.2 million), is located on the island of Zealand (Sjælland). Aarhus (on the mainland) has 310,000, and Odense (on Funen/Fyn) has 170,000.
Economy: Denmark’s modern economy is holding its own, with a Gross Domestic Product of just over $210 billion. Denmark’s top exports include pharmaceuticals, oil, machinery, and food products. It is also one of the world’s leaders in exports of wind turbine technology. The GDP per capita is about $37,800.
Currency: 6 Danish kroner (kr, officially DKK) = about $1.
Government: Denmark is a constitutional monarchy. Queen Margrethe II is the head of state, but the head of government is the prime minister, a post held since October 2011 by Helle Thorning-Schmidt. The 179-member parliament (Folketinget) is elected every four years.
Flag: The Danish flag is red with a white cross.
The Average Dane: He or she is 41 years old, has 1.7 children, and will live to be 79. About 74 percent of Danish women are employed outside the home, and about 53 percent of Danes own a home or apartment. Despite the cozy lifestyle, no European nation consumes more antidepressants per capita except Iceland.
Denmark, one of the most environmentally conscious European countries, is a front-runner in renewable energy, recycling, and organic farming. You’ll see lots of modern windmills dotting the countryside. Wind power accounts for nearly 30 percent of Denmark’s energy today, with a goal of 50 percent by 2020. By 2050, the country hopes to free itself completely from its dependence on fossil fuels. About 60 percent of waste is recycled. In grocery stores, organic products are shelved right alongside nonorganic ones—for the same price.
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II is a very popular and talented woman who, along with her royal duties, has designed coins, stamps, and book illustrations. Danes gather around the TV on New Year’s Eve to hear her annual speech to the nation and flock to the Royal Palace in Copenhagen on April 16 to sing her “Happy Birthday.” Her son, Crown Prince Frederik, married Australian Mary Donaldson in 2004. Their son Christian’s birth in 2005 was cause for a national celebration (the couple now have four children).
The Danes are proud of their royal family and of the flag, a white cross on a red background. Legend says it fell from the sky during a 13th-century battle in Estonia, making it Europe’s oldest continuously used flag. You’ll see it everywhere—decorating cakes, on clothing, or fluttering in the breeze atop government buildings. It’s as much a decorative symbol as a patriotic one.
You’ll also notice that the Danes have an odd fixation on two animals: elephants and polar bears, both of which are symbols of national (especially royal) pride. The Order of the Elephant is the highest honor that the Danish monarch can bestow on someone; if you see an emblematic elephant, you know somebody very important is involved. And the polar bear represents the Danish protectorate of Greenland—a welcome reminder to Danes that their nation is more than just Jutland and a bunch of flat little islands.
From an early age, Danes develop a passion for soccer. You may see red-and-white-clad fans singing on their way to a match. Despite the country’s small size, the Danish national team does well in international competition. Other popular sports include sailing, cycling, badminton, and team handball.
The Danish language, with its three extra vowels (Æ, Ø, and Å), is notoriously difficult for foreigners to pronounce. Even seemingly predictable consonants can be tricky. For example, the letter “d” is often dropped, so the word gade (street)—which you’ll see, hear, and say constantly—is pronounced “gah-eh.” Luckily for us, most Danes also speak English and are patient with thick-tongued foreigners. Danes have playful fun teasing tourists who make the brave attempt to say Danish words. The hardest phrase, rød grød med fløde (a delightful red fruit porridge topped with cream), is nearly impossible for a non-Dane to pronounce. Ask a local to help you.
Sample Denmark’s sweet treats at one of the many bakeries you’ll see. The pastries that we call “Danish” in the US are called wienerbrød in Denmark. Bakeries line their display cases with several varieties of wienerbrød and other delectable sweets. Try kringle, snegle, or Napoleonshatte, or find your own favorite. (Chances are it will be easier to enjoy than to pronounce.)
For a selection of useful Danish survival phrases, see the following pages. Two important words to know are skål (“cheers,” a ritual always done with serious eye contact) and hyggelig (pronounced HEW-geh-lee), meaning warm and cozy. Danes treat their home like a sanctuary and spend a great deal of time improving their gardens and houses—inside and out. Cozying up one’s personal space (a national obsession) is something the Danes do best. If you have the opportunity, have some Danes adopt you during your visit so you can enjoy their warm hospitality.
Heaven to a Dane is returning home after a walk in a beloved beech forest to enjoy open-faced sandwiches washed down with beer among good friends. Around the hyggelig candlelit table, there will be a spirited discussion of the issues of the day, plenty of laughter, and probably a few good-natured jokes about the Swedes or Norwegians. Skål!
The Danes tend to say words quickly and clipped. In fact, many short vowels end in a “glottal stop”—a very brief vocal break immediately following the vowel. While I haven’t tried to indicate these in the phonetics, you can listen for them in Denmark...and (try to) imitate.
Three unique Danish vowels are æ (sounds like the e in “egg”), ø (sounds like the German ö—purse your lips and say “oh”), and å (sounds like the o in “bowl”). The letter r is not rolled—it’s pronounced farther back in the throat, almost like a w. A d at the end of a word sounds almost like our th; for example, mad (food) sounds like “math.” In the phonetics, ī sounds like the long i sound in “light,” and bolded syllables are stressed.
| English | Danish | Pronunciation |
| Hello. (formal) | Goddag. | goh-day |
| Hi. / Bye. (informal) | Hej. / Hej-hej. | hī / hī-hī |
| Do you speak English? | Taler du engelsk? | tay-lehr doo eng-elsk |
| Yes. / No. | Ja. / Nej. | yah / nī |
| Please. (May I?)* | Kan jeg? | kahn yī |
| Please. (Can you?)* | Kan du? | kahn doo |
| Please. (Would you?)* | Vil du? | veel doo |
| Thank you (very much). | (Tusind) tak. | (too-sin) tack |
| You’re welcome. | Selv tak. | sehl tack |
| Can I help (you)? | Kan jeg hjælpe (dig)? | kahn yī yehl-peh (dī) |
| Excuse me. (to pass) | Undskyld mig. | oon-skewl mī |
| Excuse me. (Can you help me?) | Kan du hjælpe mig? | kahn doo yehl-peh mī |
| (Very) good. | (Meget) godt. | (mī-ehl) goht |
| Goodbye. | Farvel. | fah-vehl |
| one / two | en / to | een / toh |
| three / four | tre / fire | tray / feer |
| five / six | fem / seks | fehm / sehks |
| seven / eight | syv / otte | syew / oh-deh |
| nine / ten | ni / ti | nee / tee |
| hundred | hundred | hoo-nuh |
| thousand | tusind | too-sin |
| How much? | Hvor meget? | vor mī-ehl |
| local currency: (Danish) crown | (Danske) kroner | (dahn-skeh) kroh-nah |
| Where is...? | Hvor er...? | vor ehr |
| ...the toilet | ...toilettet | toy-leh-teht |
| men | herrer | hehr-ah |
| women | damer | day-mah |
| water / coffee | vand / kaffe | van / kah-feh |
| beer / wine | øl / vin | uhl / veen |
| Cheers! | Skål! | skohl |
| Can I have the bill? | Kan jeg få regningen? | kahn yī foh rī-ning-ehn |
*Because Danish has no single word for “please,” they approximate that sentiment by asking “May I?”, “Can you?”, or “Would you?”, depending on the context.