Countries of the World (Europe) - Denmark
Second European country in my new geography series. One thing you will notice is I will be starting at different points in each list - I DON'T want this to become an overview of all the "A" countries at the same time (like reading the encyclopedia, for those who remember actually using physical encyclopedias!). Again, I'm going to play with the format on these first few and see what I like, then try to be as consistent with my content going forward as I can.
Jay LeBlanc
1/13/20266 min read
Section I - Basic Info on Denmark
Official Name: Kingdom of Denmark
Population: 6,051,491 (114th largest in the world, 21st largest in Europe)
Area/Size: 16,639 square miles (half the size of South Carolina)
Capital: Copenhagen (1.4 million - sister city of Kyiv, Ukraine)
Spoken Languages: Danish, English, Greenlandic (Inuit dialect)
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran (official, 76%), agnostic (15%), Muslim (6%)
Life Expectancy: 81.3 years Internet Access Rate: 99.8%
Per Capita Income: $79,514 Unemployment: 5.6%
What do they Export?: Packaged medicine, petroleum, wind turbines, fish
Export Partners: Germany (13%), United States (10%), Sweden (9%), Netherlands (7%)
Import Partners: Germany (18%), Sweden (11%), Norway (10%), Netherlands (9%)
Government Type: Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (kingdom with regular parliamentary elections - last one in 2022 - open and free)
Section II - Images of Denmark
6 Key Dates in Denmark's History
Probably no surprise to teachers, but most of the time the "key dates" will drive what the present-day issues are in the country. Certainly that will be true with the more recent events - the Cold War and subsequent breakup of (first) the Warsaw Pact and (second) Czechoslovakia impacts a lot of the issues in Czechia today (including the name changes!).
793 - c. 1050 - while the area that is today Denmark has been occupied for thousands of years, the first real record of Danish interactions are Viking raids on the English tidal island of Lindisfarne in 793 A.D. Subsequently the Vikings conquered and settled coastal parts of both England and France. The Vikings travelled widely outside their realm, sailing to what today are Russia, Turkey, and North America. Their finely crafted longships gave them the advantage needed to conquer by sea. Following the baptism of the Danish King Harald Bluetooth in 965 AD, the Christian clergy became influential in Danish society, though Viking raids continued intermittently for another century.
1397 - 1523 - Denmark is unified with the rest of Scandinavia (Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland) into the Kalmar Union, governed by a single monarchy (beginning with Queen Margrethe I). Sweden broke away to form its own monarchy in 1523 at the start of the Thirty Years War (taking Finland with it) but Norway and the island lands would remain unified with Denmark until 1814.
Jun 5, 1849 - Denmark became a constitutional monarchy on June 5, 1849 when it adopted a constitution which took away powers from the King and gave rights to ordinary Danish people. June 5 is now a holiday in Denmark, called "Constitution Day". This move led to a war with the Germans (1848-1851) which Denmark won. But tensions continued and Denmark was defeated by Germany in a renewed conflict in 1864. As a result, Denmark had to cede the duchies of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg on the southern border with Germany. Denmark subsequently remained neutral during World War I.
Apr 9, 1940 - despite a declaration of neutrality and the signing of a 10-year non-aggression pact with Germany the year before, Nazi forces of Adolf Hitler invaded and quickly conquered Denmark. For two years the Danish government cooperated with their occupiers to minimize impact on the civilian population, but in late 1943 several events (including Danes helping over 8,000 Jews to escape from Denmark into Sweden after the Nazis tried to arrest them) led to direct German takeover of the country. Eventually on May 4, 1945 it was announced that the German troops in Holland, North-West Germany and Denmark had surrendered without a single English, American or Russian soldier setting foot on Danish soil.
1948 and 1979 - marks the slow movement of the Faroe Islands (in 1948) and Greenland (in 1979) toward self-rule and greater autonomy from Denmark. In both cases, the main factor limiting calls for independence has been economic - both lands still receive substantial financial support from Denmark and have been unable (thus far) to establish a diverse economic base that could sustain an independent country. But both have increased their control of local affairs and legislative representation.
Jan 14, 2024 - Queen Margrethe II of Denmark abdicates her throne after 52 years of rule, making way for her eldest son, Frederik X, to be crowned. Interestingly, she had not planned to rule since at the time of her birth, only males could ascend the throne of Denmark. But the act of succession was changed in 1953, so that when her father King Frederik IX died in 1972 she was able to ascend. She then ruled (within a democratic monarchy) over five decades of change in Denmark, including joining the European Union in 1993.
Other Non-Political Issues
Section III - Issues of Denmark
General Information on Denmark:
“Denmark", One World Nations Online, Jan 2025, https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/denmark.htm
“Denmark", Wikipedia, Jan 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark or https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark
"Denmark Country Profile", National Geographic Kids, Dec 2025, https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/denmark
“Denmark Explained in 15 Minutes | History, Geography, Culture” (video), Opentiera, Dec 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2EuGpjPUVc
"Visit Denmark" (national tourism site), Kingdom of Denmark, 2026, https://www.visitdenmark.com/
“The World Factbook - Denmark", Central Intelligence Agency, Jan 2026, https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/denmark/
History Links on Denmark:
“The history of the Nordic Region", Nordic Co-operation, 2021, https://www.norden.org/en/information/history-nordic-region
"Kalmar Union", Wikipedia, Jan 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalmar_Union
“The Lesson of Denmark’s Unparalleled Effort to Save Its Jewish Population During World War II", Time Magazine, Nov 2023, https://time.com/6332953/denmarks-effort-to-save-jewish-population-world-war-ii/
“The Thirty Years War” (specifically the portion on the Danish Intervention), History Guild, Aug 2018, https://historyguild.org/the-thirty-years-war/
“The Viking Age" (then make sure you use the links on the right side of the page), Nationalmuseet (the National Museum of Denmark), https://en.natmus.dk/historical-knowledge/denmark/prehistoric-period-until-1050-ad/the-viking-age/
Current Events Stories on Denmark:
“Greenland’s PM has a blunt message for Trump: ‘We choose Denmark’ over the U.S.", CNBC, Jan 2026, https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/13/greenland-denmark-trump-nielsen-frederiksen.html
"In an Age of Right-Wing Populism, Why Are Denmark’s Liberals Winning?", The New York Times Magazine, Feb 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/24/magazine/denmark-immigration-policy-progressives.html
"The record-breaking tunnel being built from Denmark to Germany", BBC News, Apr 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy70y2x3xj6o
“Welcome to The Royal House of Denmark” (website of the Danish royal family), Kingdom of Denmark, Jan 2026, https://www.kongehuset.dk/en/
"What's the secret to Denmark's happy work-life balance?", BBC News, Jan 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20g7705re3o
Other Interesting Links Related To Denmark:
"Denmark roster for 2026 Winter Olympics includes Eller, Ehlers", NHL.com, Jan 2026, https://www.nhl.com/news/denmark-roster-for-2026-winter-olympics
"Hygge: The Danish Concept of Comfort We Need Now More Than Ever", Afar Magazine, Jan 2025, https://www.afar.com/magazine/what-is-hygge-everything-to-know-about-denmarks-cozy-lifestyle
"Legoland Denmark: Visit the Global Home of LEGO in Billund", Life In Norway, Jul 2024, https://www.lifeinnorway.net/legoland-denmark/
“The Little Mermaid Statue & Story – Hans Christian Andersen”, Travel In Culture, Mar 2025, https://travelinculture.com/little-mermaid-statue-hans-christian-andersen-story/
"What the Scandinavian concept of hygge can teach Americans about comfort and happiness" (video), PBS Newshour, Jan 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AhFejqEW9g