Looking for the best page on facts about Denmark?
Then, look no further. Below are over 100 facts that prove why Denmark is one of the best countries in the world to visit.
Many of the facts are more interesting than you might first imagine! Like did you know that Denmark’s simultaneously one of the smallest and largest countries in the world? How is that possible you ask? Well, find out in this post.
This post contains facts for everyone! Whether you are looking for the most popular 40 facts about Denmark, facts for kids, or facts about the booming economy. Use the table below and jump around to the facts that interest you.
The Kingdom of Denmark is made up of hundreds of islands. Four hundred forty-three islands, to be exact. However, only 70 of the islands are inhabited.
Are you a hill hater? Well then, Denmark’s the place for you. The tallest mountain in Denmark is only 170 meters tall – which is just over 550 feet. Maybe the lack of tall hills contributes to why the Danes are obsessed with biking.
As you read through all these facts about Denmark, you start to see that many of them revolve around biking. The Danes are obsessed with biking. So much in fact, that the weather is never an issue. In fact, 3/4 Danes country to bike even in the winter months.
Speaking of weather, it rains (or snows in the winter) every other day in Denmark. On average the country gets 171 days of precipitation – of 0.004 inches or more – per year. It’s one famous thing about Denmark.
It’s clear that Danes love to cycle! Even many of the things to do in Copenhagen, have to do with biking. So many people love to bike in Denmark that the country has over 12,000km of bike lanes and cycle tracks.
The average person in Copenhagen bikes up to 3 km a day. On average, the total sum of km biked in a day is 1.13 million Km.
If you stretched out all the kilometres biked in Copenhagen in a single day, it would wrap around the world 35 times.
Ok, one last fun fact about Denmark and bikes, before we take a break. (However, there are more bike facts later). Over 2,000 miles (4,000 km) of the bike paths are part of the National Routes through the country. Denmark has 11 national bike routes that are signposted throughout the country.
Another fact about Denmark relating to islands is that Denmark technically owns Greenland. In many ways, Greenland maintains autonomy, however, the largest island in the world is a Danish dependent territory?
Copenhagen’s the most visited city in Scandinavia and attracts around 30 million travelers a year. That means that Copenhagen gets more visitors than 6 times the population of the entire country.
Traveling Greenland you might not feel like you are in a Danish owned territory. After all, Greenland has its own limited government and its own parliament. However, 2/3 of the Greenland’s budget comes from Denmark. And Greenland isn’t an independent country.
One last fact about Denmark, relating to Greenland is that in August of 2019, the president of the United States (Donald Trump) floated the idea of trying to buy the island. Was he serious? Who knows?
When it comes to size Denmark isn’t big. In fact, it ranks as the 130th smallest country in the world – out of 195 countries.
When you count Greenland, which has its own government, yet it is owned by Denmark. Then Denmark becomes the 12th largest country in the world.
The most famous brand to come out of Denmark is Lego. Lego was started in Denmark in 1932. And not only are they the most well known Danish brand, but also one of the biggest exports of the country.
Since it started, Lego has become a worldwide phenomenon. These days, the brand is much more than building blocks. And it has touched everything from videogames and movies to theme parks and clothing.
Of course, I’m talking about Lego – for one last time. One incredible Denmark fact is that Lego’s one become one of the biggest companies in the world. How big is Lego? Well, it’s a multi-billion-dollar a year company.
There are a few notable Neighborhoods in Copenhagen, but Vesterbro sits at the top of the list. Vesterbro, in downtown Copenhagen, has been voted by Lonely Planet and Business Insider as one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world.
A lesser known fact about Denmark are the countries National Parks. There are five national parks scattered around a handful of the major islands. Each of these parks holds a diverse amount of flora, fauna, beachfront, and wildlife. And these are great options if you’re looking for awesome day tips from Copenhagen.
Perhaps, because you are never far from the sea in Denmark, but the country gets more than its fair share of wind.
The average wind speed in Denmark is 13 miles an hour. In 2013, during Hurricane Allan, Denmark record-smashing winds that went as high as 119 miles an hour.
Denmark’s known for it clean water. Just look at the Harbour water in Copenhagen. The water is tested regularly and is so clean you can swim in it. They even have built-in baths at the Harbor.
In general Denmark’s one of the safest countries in the world, being safe is a point of pride with Danes. And Many people consider Copenhagen the safest city in the world. Denmark has a low crime rate, and so does the capital.
Denmark puts all that wind to good use. In the 1970s, Denmark was a pioneer in developing wind turbines. To this day they are a massive exporter of wind turbines around the world.
Speaking of exports, Denmark’s the largest exporter, and producer of ranch mink in the entire world. That’s a lot of mink fur. This might not be the best fact about Denmark, if you’re against the fur trade. Mink is the ranks third in the country agricultural exports.
Stroget, in downtown Copenhagen, is the longest car-free shopping street in the world. It famed for its food shopping, and entertainment. This famed street is popular for locals and travelers, and a must see when spending 3 days in Copenhagen.
Most people know Denmark, as well as Denmark. However, the official name of the country is the Kingdom of Denmark.
As you might expect, now that you know that Denmark’s a kingdom, the country has a Royal Family. In fact, the Danish monarchy is the oldest in the world.
Queen Margrethe II, the current queen of the Kingdom of Denmark, can track her lineage back to the Vikings era over 1,000 years ago.
Denmarks has a vast wealth of museums, art galleries, and artistic structures. Some of the art museums are famed across the entire world. The country loves promoting history and art, and a great thriving country for any artist to visit.
No matter where you go in Denmark you are always within 30 miles (48km) of the sea. Imagine living in a place where you can always get to the water within a half hour.
Prince Nikolai, the grandson of Queen Margrethe, currently moonlights his princely duties and works as a model around the world.
Even though they are right next to each other Denmark, and Sweden don’t actually touch. They are connected by Oresund Bridge.
Lars Ulrich, Metallica’s drummer, was born in Denmark.
Another fact about Denmark relating to musical as the bronze age instruments they have found. Denmark has the world’s oldest surviving musical instruments. These curving horns date back to the Bronze Age – which ran from 3,000 B.C. to 1,200 B.C.
Just one thing that Denmark is famous for these days.
One fun fact about Denmark is that it only touches one of the countries that surround it. The only land border Denmark shares is with Germany. Water divides the other borders from Sweden and Norway. .
Just under a quarter of the Denmark’s population live in the capital. The city has just over 700,000.
Denmark’s the smallest kingdom in smallest of the Three Kingdoms in Scandinavia.
Did you know that Denmark has some of the best restaurants in the world? None is more famous than Noma, which has held a top spot of the “best restaurants in the world” for over 7 years.
Speaking of high-class cuisine, Denmark has 25 Michelin Star Restaurants, holding a total of 33 Michelin Stars. Many of these Michelin Star restaurants are located around the capital. This makes Denmark a great country to visit just to eat….well, if you have the budget for it,
At the time of writing this (May 2020) Copenhagen has 16 Michelin Star restaurants, which hold 23 of Denmark’s 33 Michelin Stars. If you’re a foodie, with some cash to spare, then Copenhagen’s one of the best places in the world to visit.
Demark has 14 Nobel Prizes. These prizes have comes from medicine, physiology, and literature.
Many of these facts about Denmark culture have to do with food. However, Danes also know how to maintain a proper diet. According to the WHO (World Health Organization) has found that Danish women have the lowest rate of obesity in the European Union.
It may surprise you to learn that Denmark’s the least corrupt nation in the world. This is according to the 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index. A close 2nd place is New Zealand.
Danes put a lot of trust in their government, and in return the government stays pure and looks out for the,
A lot of surveys pinpoint Denmark as the happiest country in the world to live. And no matter how the survey is measuring happiness, Denmark always seems to come out on top. And as a huge fan of Denmark, I agree with this wholeheartedly. Danes are good-hearted people, and the country has a happy vibe to it.
Because Denmark has no corruption and everyone is happy the people have a high level of trust in each other, the monarchy, and government institutions. Trusting each other is a cornerstone of daily life in Denmark.
The Danish word “Janteloven” doesn’t have a direct translation in English. But the closest meaning is that it’s no better or less than, it’s equal In Sweden, they have a similar word, that I’m still trying to grasp the proper way to use.
Our next fact about Denmark might throw you for a loop. Being a maritime superpower you would imagine that the national dish would be seafood-related.
However, that’s not the case. The National dish of Denmark’s called stegt flæsk (fried pork) it is usually served with potatoes and a parsley sauce.
Anyone else find it strange that a country made of up hundreds of islands, only has one land border, and surrounded by sea’s has pork as a national dish?
You might have noticed from some of the earlier Denmark facts that the country loves cycling. Well, love isn’t the right word. Danes are obsessed with biking; so much so that there are double the amount of bikes are cars in the country.
In that same vein, over 50 percent of the Copenhagener’s bike to work daily.
Bikings also one of the main things to do in Copenhagen for travelers.
On average Copenhagener’s bike 1.13 million km a day.
Danes love being cozy and comfortable. (Maybe this comes from always biking in the rain and snow, am I right?) The are so obsessed with coziness that they even have their own word describes the concept – “hygge”.
Hygge is more than just being cozy. It’s like an artform. And while “hygge’s” a concept that doesn’t have a direct translation in English. Although, the word that comes to the closest is comfy.
Not really, but strangely enough there’s no word for please in Danish. Maybe this goes back to the Vikings days when they took what they wanted. Who knows?
Yep, Danes do have a strong sense of humor. However, there sense of humor rooted in irony. Which is my favorite type of humor.
Danes are known for their liberal and progressive attitude towards sex. And they have a stricter attitude towards violence. Almost the opposite of the United States who are liberal on violence, but strict on sexual content.
In 1969 Danes legalized pornography, meaning it can even be found on tv. Prostitution is also legal in Denmark although you rarely see it.
On your 25th birthday, if you are unmarried, you get a cinnamon roll thrown over you. Surely this is one of the craziest facts about Denmark.
The Danish had a society based on the land for hundreds of years. They had to make the best use of there land to survive. Their roots lie heavy in the land, agriculture, and fishing. And many Danes still respect these roots to this day.
Because their society was based on agriculture that Danes has a deep connection to the land. This might be why they are a pioneer in green sustainability. They have a holistic attitude towards water and waste management, and renewable energy.
Being on time for work, a meeting, or even just to see friends is a big deal in Denmark. It’s a key part to integrate yourself into Danish society.
In the late 1800s to early 1900s, over 10 percent of Denmark’s population emigrated to the United States.
Men and Women get awesome maternity leave in Denmark. Women get 18 Weeks of paid leave. Men get 2 weeks, which doesn’t seem like a lot. However, couples get an extra 32 weeks of paid leave that they can can split between themselves.
Another fun fact about Denmark that revolves around biking are the specific traffic lights. Denmark’s bike crazy, so much so that the country has specific traffic lights for bikers.
One of Denmark’s best culinary delights is the Smørrebrød (translated as bread and butter). An open-faced sandwich usually covered with butter and cold cuts. Over time these sandwiches have become more and more elaborate.
Smørrebrød’s one of the best things about Denmark. Ida Davidsen restaurant in Copenhagen’s the best place in the country to get it. For four generations the family has been making them. And using the same recipe for 100 years.
The average Dane eats an average of 42 sausages a year. That’s a lot of sausages.
Christiania is a free-spirited, hippie-like community inside of Copenhagen. The Danish government lets the community-run by its own laws as long as they keep it contained to their area. There’s a lot of weed and a communal type of living atmosphere. It’s like walking into another country. Visitors are welcome to visit, though taking photo’s is discouraged.
Yes, Denmark has free health care for everyone. A perk of the high tax rate.
Denmark also has free education. Free education and health care are part of the reason the country has such high taxes. But the people believe its worth it. And when you add up the cost of tuition in the United States (which averages between 100,000 – 200,000 USD for a four year degree), vs all the taxes in Denmark that Danes have a compelling argument.
There are no laws in Denmark that set an age limit on drinking. So you can drink alcohol at any age. However, you do have to certain ages to buy it.
While there is no age limit for drinking booze, there are age limits on how old you must be to buy alcohol. Beers can be bought at 16. And you need to be over 18 to buy hard liquor.
This attitude towards booze has actually lead to a more controlled and relaxed atmosphere about drinking.
The government has a list of 7,000 names that you are allowed to name your baby. Yep, there’s no going be no baby “prince.”
Between 2005 and 2015 Life Expectancy at Birth has grown by 4 years.
Denmark has one of the highest taxes in the world. Many Danes pay 25% to the government.
Danes also have one of the most expensive income taxes in the world. On the upper end, some Danes pay as much as 45%.
Shocking surveys have found that 90% of Danes are happy with the tax rate. This is because the high tax rate lets the gives them a lot of benefits.
I mentioned earlier that Denmark’s leading the charge on producing and exporting wind turbines. However, the country uses them itself. Denmark loves green energy, and 41% of the energy in Denmark is produced by wind. Per capita, they produce twice as much as the next runner up.
Danes love eating! But they also export a lot of food. Danes are the 5th largest exporter of food in the entire world.
Denmark has an economic freedom score of over 78 percent. Making it the 8th freest economy in the world.
By this standard Denmark also has the 4th Freest Economy in Europe. Only Switzerland, Ireland, and the UK have freer economies.
Another fun fact about Denmark’s economy is that property system. The country has an unbiased, independent judicial system strongly enforces property rights in Denmark. Property owners have a lot of rights.
Denmark has always been a watery shipping power. 10% of globally traded goods are transported in Danish Shipping Containers.
The relationship between Denmark and Greenland can be compared to Scotland in the UK. In fact, Denmark gives the country of Greenland around half a billion dollars a year.
As of 2020, Denmark has an unemployment rate of 4.9 percent. Making it one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe. Next to Germany and the Czech Republic.
Denmark owns Greenland. But they have an invested interest in keeping the country happy, as Greenland is an important strategic spot.
Denmark charges an insane tax for buying a car. In fact, on new car purchases, the country charges a tax of 150%.
The world’s oldest theme park, Bakken, is just outside of Copenhagen. There’s also Tivoli Gardens, in downtown Copenhagen. Both of these theme parks are still open today. And Tivoli Gardens was visited by Walt Disney, who used the park as inspiration to start Disney World.
Speaking of Walt Disney, the famous Disney movie “the Little Mermaid” is based on the tale from renowned Danish author Hans Christian Anderson. Who inspired many stories and things around the world.
This is a strange choice for any Nordic country. However, the National Bird of Denmark is swans. There’s actually a good reason for Swans being the national bird, which will talk about in our next fact.
The popularity of Swans comes from the famous fairy tale, the Ugly Duckling, which was written by Hans Christian Anderson, the most famous of Denmark’s Authors.
One easy and fun fact about Denmark for kids is that it’s the southernmost of the Nordic countries. It’s below Norway, Sweden, and Finland. And on Denmark’s southern border it touches Germany.
You already know the fun fact that Denmark’s made up of hundreds of Islands. And it owns Greenland, the biggest island in the world. However, that’s not all. Beside Greenland the Kingdom of Denmark owns the self-governing area of Faroe Islands.
A favorite snack of Denmark, actually of most of Scandinavia, is salty licorice. The Swedes are as well. They put salty licorice in sweets like chocolate and cakes. This is one part of Denmark’s culture I can’t understand, as I hate salty licorice. This is one fact about Denmark that I’ve never been able to get on board with.
Like Sweden, Denmark has three extra letters in the Alphabet. Though the letters are different than Sweden. The Danish letters are Æ, Ø, Å.
Being so close to the sea at all points means that knowing how to swim is vital. In fact, swimming lessons are part of the curriculum in every state school.
The Danish company, Lego, started out making wooden toys. It wasn’t until the mid-1900s that they started making the blocks that have become a worldwide obsession.
Denmark has one of the oldest monarchies in the world. It started in 935, during the age of Gorm the Old. Today this day, the monarchy is still going, even though it’s evolved and taken different forms over the last thousand years.
One fact about Denmark – and in true Danish famous of being able to express yourself – It is currently not illegal to burn the Danish Flag in Denmark.
Yes, you can burn the Flag of Denmark, However, it is illegal to burn a flag from any other countries
In 1989 Denmark became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex unions. And over 85% of the population support this decision.
Denmark started being settled more than 4,700 years ago. During the New Stone age, farmers started settling here.
Denmark led the way for same-sex marriages and since then 28 countries have followed suit.
Vikings from Denmark raided the Lindisfarne Abbey in 793. Marking the first Viking raid in Britain.
From the 4th to 11th century Vikings from Denmark raided the coast of Europe. From the 8th to the 11th century they raid Britain as well.
This is a crazy fact about Denmark, did you know that the oldest state flag in the world is the Danish Flag or Dannebrog? And dates back over 800 years. Technically, it’s not the oldest flag that ever existed. However, its the oldest flag in continuous use.
The famous Danish Pastry “wienerbrød” actually translates to “Viennese bread” as it was brought to the country in the mid-1800s by a group of Austrian bakers that moved to the country.
Copenhagen was founded in 1167 A.D. by Bishop Absalon. This makes Copenhagen almost 900 years ago.
The Scandinavian countries are known for their beautiful people. Even the royals are model worthy. Prince Nikolai, who’s currently working as a model around the world, isn’t the first Danish royal to strut on the catwalk.
Carlsberg, the most well-known Danish beer, has gained more fame around the world in recent years. however, most people don’t know this fun fact about Denmark. Carlsberg started in Copenhagen and has been providing beer to Denmark for over 150 years.
The oldest archaeological findings in Denmark show that the country has been lived in since at least 12,500 B.C.
The wife of Spanish Crown Prince Frederik, Princess Mary, comes from Tasmania, Australia.
Denmark and the United States have a close relationship. A part of this is because Denmark lets the United States house a number of military bases on the island.
In 1832 the Danes landed in England. And after all lot of war, conquest, extortion, and reconquest set up two kingdoms in Britain.
To this day, over 2,000 towns and villages still have traces of the Danish occupation in the names.
Throughout history, Denmark has been known as a neutral country. They even remained neutral in World War I.
The Virgin Islands now belong to the United States. However, these islands used to belong to the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1917 the United States bought the Virgin Islands from Denmark.
In 1843, Denmark changed fro ma monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. This established a two-chamber parliament system.
Well, maybe started isn’t the right word. But in 1949 Denmark became a COfounder of Nato.
In more recent history Denmark’s had a little argument with Canada over the small islands of Hans in the arctic.
One uplifting Denmark fact comes from Women’s Suffrage. In 1915, Denmark gave women the right to vote. That’s 4 years before women could vote in the United States.
While Denmark was an early adopter of giving the women the right to vote they were not the first. The first country in Europe to give women the right to vote was Finland, who let women vote 30 years before Denmark.
Denmark and Norway used to be one massive Kingdom ruled by Denmark. In the 15th Century King Christian I of Denmark, connected Denmark, Norway, Sleswick, and Holstein.
In 1814, the Treaty of Kiel, forced the Kingdom of Denmark to cede Norway to the Kingdom of Sweden.
Denmark was occupied by the Nazis in World War II. The Danish King, Christian X, would ride the streets on Copenhagen every day. He wanted to show and inspire courage against the Nazi’s. And would occasionally be caught in gunfire.
No ones actually sure why Denmark is called Denmark. According to legend. According to myth, Denmark means “flat land.” Others say it means “Land of the Danes”. Others say “men of the creeks”. Another popular translation is sea warriors.
Denmark’s roughly the size of Maryland or West Virginia in the United States. In terms of square miles, New York State is 3 times bigger than Denmark.
Copenhagen by far the biggest city in the country. However, the 2nd largest city, Aarhus, has a population of 330,000. The 3rd biggest city Odense has a population of just over 200,000.
Surprise surprise, Danish is the national language of Denmark. However, did you know that language is similar to Norwegian and Swedish?
Denmark has a population of under 6 million. The total population of the country is 5.8 million.
While Denmark has a tiny population compared to the rest of Europe, it has the second largest population in Scandinavia, only surpassed by Sweden, which has close to 10 million.
The Gudenåen flows 98 miles – or 158km – making it the longest river in Denmark.
The country of Denmark is half the size of Scotland. Well, a little over half the size, but close enough.
Most of the population of Greenland wants independence from Greenland someday. In fact, Denmark has now given up a claim to Greenland’s natural resources. And many Greenlanders expect to be independent of Denmark in their lifetime.
While it is a fact about Denmark that most of Greenland wants to be independent, it is easier said than done. While Greenlanders want to be independent of Denmark the country has no floating currency, no military, and no seat at the UN. Denmark represents Greenland in all these things.
Men outnumber women by over 2,000 on the islands of Faroe. And in order to keep the population up, they have resulted in important brides from other countries like Thailand.
