60 Astonishing Facts About Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country located in Northern Europe, known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and high quality of life. Comprising the Jutland Peninsula and numerous islands, including Zealand and Funen, Denmark is bordered by the North Sea to the west and the Baltic Sea to the east. It has a long history as a seafaring nation, with the Vikings originating from this region. Today, Denmark is celebrated for its modern design, sustainable living, and strong social welfare system. Copenhagen, the capital, is famous for its historic architecture, including the colorful Nyhavn harbor, the royal palaces, and the Tivoli Gardens amusement park. The country is also known for its commitment to environmental sustainability, consistently ranking among the world’s greenest nations. With a high standard of living, excellent healthcare, and education systems, Denmark is often regarded as one of the happiest countries in the world.

1. During the 12th century, the danish army consisted of just seven men.
2. The coldest temperature ever registered in Denmark was -31.2 degrees Celsius and was noted in Hørsted, Thy on January 8, 1982. In comparison, the highest temperature ever recorded in the country was 36.4°C in Holstebro on August 10, 1975.
3. The country is the second happiest country on the globe, just after Finland.
4. Denmark is one of the top countries to adopt cashless payments. The government has set a deadline to eradicate paper money by 2030 completely.
5. The country has more pigs than humans. There are over 28 million pigs in the country, while they have 5.8 million of population.
6. It is illegal in the country to burn foreign flags, but it is not illegal to burn their own danish flag.
7. There are about 15 different species of sharks swimming in the Danish waters. The smallest shark species is just 0.5 meters, and the largest species can grow up to 12 meters. But none of the species is considered dangerous to humans.
8. According to the corruption perception index, Denmark is considered the least corrupted country in the world. Some other countries which are least corrupted are New Zealand and Finland.
9. There are special rules to name your baby in Denmark, and the government official should approve the name. Some other countries with this kind of rule are Germany, Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand, China, and Japan.
10. The Faroe Islands, which consist of 18 islands in the middle of the North Atlantic ocean, are so well illuminated in the summers that the lighthouses are turned off from May to July.

    

11. The current flag design of the country was first used in 1219. Till then, the country didn’t make any further changes to its flag.
12. Denmark is a windy country. The average speed of wind there is about 21 km/hr(13 mph). On October 28, 2013, hurricane Allan made new wind records in the country, with speeds reaching up to 142 km/hr (88 mph) and gusts of 193 km/hr(119 mph).
13. Greenland is the biggest island on the globe, and it comes under the danish kingdom. However, the Self-Government Act constitutes Greenland’s constitutional position in the Unity of the Realm.
14. There are about six national parks in the Denmark kingdom. Five of them are in Denmark, and one is in Greenland.
15. The country is an archipelago made up of over 100 islands; some of the islands are not even inhabited.
16. Denmark has more than twice the amount of bicycles than cars. 9 out of 10 people in the country own’s a bicycle.
17. The country has no age requirements for drinking alcohol in Denmark. However, you have to be 18 plus if you want to get served in bars, clubs, or restaurants.
18. The capital city has the world’s largest pedestrian street known as the Strøget, which has been a great success since it was made in 1962.
19. The country holds the largest 4th of July(American independence day) celebration outside the united states.
20. The country is the second-highest consumer of candy on the planet. An average day is expected to eat 8.51 candy per year.

    

21. Denmark is the 38th largest economy globally and is the 19th most complex economy on the planet.
22. Denmark’s top exports are packaged medications ($15.9B), electricity ($3.66B), refined petroleum ($3.01B), pig meat ($2.89B), and vaccines, blood, antisera, toxins, and cultures ($2.06B). The majority of these exports are made to Germany ($18.9B), the United States ($13.1B), Sweden ($11.6B), the Netherlands ($7.26B), and Norway ($6.53B).
23. Automobiles ($5.61 billion), Refined Petroleum ($3.87 billion), Energy ($3.75 billion), Packaged Medicaments ($3.67 billion), and Crude Petroleum ($3.41 billion) are Denmark’s main imports. The country imports the most from Germany ($25.4 billion), Sweden ($14.6 billion), China ($10.9 billion), the Netherlands ($10.5 billion), and Norway ($6.43 billion).
24. The average age of marriage in the country for males is 38.8 years, and for females are 36.2.
25. All Danes practically know how to swim, as swimming lessons are a compulsion in all country schools.
26. In Denmark, Pornography can be purchased at the local petrol stations.
27. The country sees pedophiles as sick people who should be helped rather than punished. They have registered societies in the country, and special meets are made in municipal clubhouses to exchange their experiences and discuss their common interests.
28. There is a place in the country called Cold Hawaii, which is considered the best place for surfing and is one of the best beaches in Scandinavia.
29. On the foroe island, the sex ratio of women compared to men is less. So the people of the island seek their wives from other parts of the world, most likely from the Philippines and Thailand. In 2017 there were about 300 brides from these countries.
30. The first bicycle track in the world was first built in the country about 124 years ago. Now the country has more than 12,000 km of bicycle tracks.

    

31. There is no place in the country which is more than 50 km(30 miles) away from the sea.
32. The danish language is considered to be tough to learn. Even it has three words that you will not be able to find in the English language, which are Å, Ø, and Æ.
33. 99% of Denmark’s Jews survived the Holocaust because the Danish organized a massive evacuation to neutral Sweden.
34. Denmark shares physical borders with only one country, which is Germany.
35. The drummer of the heavy metal band Metallica, Lars Ulrich, was born in Denmark.
36. The species of dog known as great dane is actually from Germany and not from Denmark.
37. Iceland severed legal ties to Denmark and became an independent republic in 1944.
38. Some important inventions took place in Denmark. Some of them are Lego, tetra-pack, handball, zipper, Dynamite, and Bluetooth technology.
39. The mute swan is the national bird and animal of the country. It was opted in 1984 replacing skylark bird.
40. The country is inhabited since 12,500 BC, and agriculture has been evident in Denmark since 3,900 BC.

    

41. The Bluetooth technology got its name from the second king of Denmark named as King Harald Bluetooth.
42. The world’s largest underwater waterfall is in the Denmark Strait, which connects Greenland and Iceland. Arctic water from the Greenland Sea plunges to the depths of the (slightly warmer) Irminger Sea.
43. Bacon was first exported from Denmark to the united kingdom in 1847.
44. The Danes have the term Janteloven (The Law of Jante), which was created in 1933 by a Danish/Norwegian writer. It is often quoted in public debate in the country and consists of “Ten Commandments,” all boiling down to “You are no better than I am.”
45. Soccer is the most loved and is also the national sport of the country. They won the EUFA in 1992 and the country also won the European championship six times in a row from 1984 to 2004.
46. There is a special word in the Danish language called “hygge,” which denotes to the cozy feeling of being together.
47. Helle Thorning-Schmidt became the first female prime minister of the country elected on October 3, 2011, and served as the prime minister until 2015.
48. Denmark is famous for its liberalism, and this is best illustrated by “Christiania,” a hippy commune that sprung up in 1971. Allowed to remain a social experiment, it is still inhabited by about 900 people seeking an alternative lifestyle.
49. The united bought the virgin island from Denmark in 1917, which was a part of the danish west indies.
50. Bakken is the oldest operating amusement park in the world. The park has over 150 attractions and an old wooden roller coaster that was built in 1932. It is located in Klampenborg, north of Copenhagen.

    

51. The second oldest amusement park on the planet is even in this country. It was opened on August 15, 1843, and is still operational. It is also the second most popular seasonal theme park in the world too.
52. On the Faroe Islands of Denmark, there are twice the number of sheep than people.
53. Denmark is the world’s largest producer of ranched minks. Over 40 percent of the total world pelt comes from the country.
54. In the Danish language, there is no direct word for “Please”.
55. The country was the first on the globe to grant legal recognition of same-sex unions, which was in the form of registered partnerships. The law was passed in 1989, and later, on June 15, 2012, the law was replaced with same-sex marriage.
56. Denmark does not have big mountains or hills. Himmelbjerget is the second most highest hill in the country, with an elevation of just 147 m (482 ft). Himmelbjerget, also locally called the sky mountain, was believed to be the highest hill in the country till 1847. A scientific survey revealed that nearby Møllehøj is the highest hill in the country, with elevations of 170.86 m(560 ft).
57. Health care and education are free in the country as the fees for these services are paid into taxes.
58. In 2022 the country had an unemployment rate of about 4.43%, which is fairly low compared to many other countries.
59. There are about ten billionaires in the country. The person who tops the charts is Anders Holch povlsen and has a net worth of 950 crore USD.
60. Ribe is the oldest extant town in Denmark which was established in the early 18th century in the Germanic Iron Age.