The Kingdom of Denmark is the smallest and southernmost of the Nordic countries. Located north of its only land neighbour, Germany, southwest of Sweden, and south of Norway, it is located at 56° N 10° E in northern Europe. From a cultural point of view, Denmark belongs to the family of Scandinavian countries although not located on the Scandinavian Peninsula. The national capital is Copenhagen.

Culture

Sexual equality is a high priority in Denmark. Danes are quite liberal and tolerant towards sexual minorities.

Copenhagen is a popular destination for lesbian and bisexual travellers. It has an active gay community and lots of nightlife options. The main gay and lesbian festival of the year is the Mermaid Pride parade, a big Mardi Gras-like bash that occurs on a Saturday in early August.

Equality is an important part of Danish culture, so much so that, 'success' or what may be seen as a deliberate attempt to distinguish one self from others may be viewed with hostility.

Population

The majority of the population is of Scandinavian descent, with small groups of Inuit from Greenland, Faroese, and immigrants.

Languages: Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (Inuit dialect), German; English is the predominant second language.

Ethnicity/race: Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German, Turkish, Iranian, Somali.

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, Muslim 2%.

Economy

Once essentially an agricultural country and still possessing a visibly rural landscape, Denmark after 1945 greatly expanded its industrial base so that by the 1990s industry contributed over 25% of the gross domestic product and agriculture less than 5% (Denmark's other traditional industries of fishing and shipbuilding have also declined). Financial and other services, trade, transportation, and communication are also important
Denmark's main exports are agricultural and industrial machinery, teak and oak furniture, meat, fish, and metals and metal manufactures; the chief imports are machinery, metals, motor vehicles, and fuels.

Education

The Danish education system is sophisticated and offers free access to public school, high school and most kinds of higher education (universities etc.). About 99% of the general population attend elementary school (lasting 9 to 10 years); 86% attend secondary school and 41% pursue further education.

Transport

Denmark's national airline (together with Norway and Sweden) is Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) and Copenhagen Airport is the country's largest airport, and also the biggest hub in Northern Europe.