Denmark became a united kingdom during the Viking age, which makes it one of the oldest existing monarchies in the world. Today the country has more than five million people, living in a welfare state with very high income equality, according to some surveys the “happiest people in the world”.
Geography
Denmark consists of two large islands, Zealand and Funen, a large peninsula, Jutland, and many smaller islands. It is a very flat country, just above the sea level, with a sandy coast that is always changing shape due to erosion and addition of new material from the sea. The capital Copenhagen is located on Zealand. It has a population of more than a million. Other large cities are Odense on Funen and Århus, Ålborg and Esbjerg on Jutland.
Copenhagen
In Copenhagen, some the most popular tourist attractions is the amusement park Tivoli Gardens and the statue of the little mermaid from H.C. Andersen’s fairy tale, on a rock by the harbor. The freetown Christiania, a self-proclaimed autonomous part of Copenhagen, also has many visitors. In recent years the governments have tried to normalize the neighborhood.
One can also visit the Carlsberg beer brewery. Danes are known to consume more beer than any people in the world. For shopping, one can visit the street Strøget, one of the longest pedestrian malls in the world. Århus, Odense and Ålborg also have shopping quarters worth exploring.
Legoland
Legoland lies in the small town of Billund on Jutland. It is also one of Denmark’s most popular attractions, a theme park consisting of 45 million lego blocks. Other attractions are the many castles, including Rosenborg, Amalienborg and Egeskov.
White chalk cliffs of Møn Klint
An impressive landmark is the white chalk cliffs of Møn Klint, on the coast of the island of Møn in eastern Denmark. Skagen, the northernmost point of Jutland with its large sand dunes where two seas meet, also draws many tourists.