Overview of Denmark

Denmark consists of the peninsula of Jutland and some 400 named islands. Of
these, 82 are inhabited, the largest being Funen (Fyn) and Zealand. The capital city
is Copenhagen and the official language is Danish. The country’s geographical size
is 42 924 km² with a population of nearly 6 million in 2020. Denmark has a large
fishing industry, and possesses a merchant fleet of considerable size. The
manufacturing sector's main areas of activity include food products, chemicals,
machinery, metal products, electronic and transport equipment, beer and paper and
wood products. Tourism is also an important economic activity.

Between the 8th and 11th centuries, the Danes were known as the Vikings. Together
with the Norwegians and Swedes, they colonised, raided and traded in all parts of
Europe. Modern-day Danes pride themselves on their country's welfare state with its
widespread social protection for everyone. The currency is the Danish krone DKK.
Denmark is a constitutional monarchy, ruled today under the 1953 constitution. The
single-chamber parliament or Folketing has 179 elected members.

Among the best-known Danes are the writer Hans Christian Andersen, famous for
his fairy tales, the author Karen Blixen and the designer Arne Jacobsen. Danish
cinema has gained international recognition thanks largely to the experimental film
director Lars von Trier. Specialities of Danish cooking include smørrebrød (open
sandwiches), boiled or sugar browned potatoes, boiled red cabbage, roast pork and
roast duck.

Economy:
This thoroughly modern market economy features a high-tech agricultural sector,
advanced industry with world-leading firms in pharmaceuticals, maritime shipping
and renewable energy, and a high dependence on foreign trade. Denmark is a net
exporter of food, oil, and gas and enjoys a comfortable balance of payments surplus,
but depends on imports of raw materials for the manufacturing sector. Danes enjoy a
high standard of living and the Danish economy is characterized by extensive
government welfare measures and an equitable distribution of income. An aging
population will be a major long-term issue. Denmark is a member of the European
Union. Danish legislation and regulations conform to EU standards on almost all
issues. Despite previously meeting the criteria to join the European Economic and
Monetary Union, Denmark has negotiated an opt-out with the EU and is not required
to adopt the euro. Within the EU, Denmark is among the strongest supporters of
trade liberalization and has a gross domestic product (GDP) of over 365 billion USD.

PART 1: GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TEXT

1: What is the currency of Denmark?
2: What is the population in 2020?
3: Does Denmark have a deficit or surplus balance of payments?
4: How many of Denmark’s islands are uninhabited?
5: How does the author describe the country's welfare state and standard of living?
6: What does Denmark manufacture?
7: Besides manufacturing, what industry and other economic activity is named?
8: Who was the famous writer of fairy tales?
9: What types of food and drink are mentioned in the text?
10: How many kilometres in size is Denmark?
11: What is Denmark’s gross domestic product?
12: What does Denmark depend on?
13: Who were the Danes also known as?
14: What activities did they do with the Norwegians and Swedes?
15: What has Denmark negotiated with the European Union (EU)?
16: What do modern day Danes pride themselves on?
17: How many members does parliament or Folketing have?
18: Do Danish people have an equal or unequal distribution of income?
19: Why has Danish cinema gained international recognition?
20: What kind of monarchy does Denmark have?

PART 2: TRUE – FALSE – NO INFORMATION

1: The country’s geographical size is 42 924 miles.
2: Denmark has an increasingly younger population.
3: Denmark will opt to join the Euro in 2030?
4: The country has a low dependence on foreign trade.
5: Denmark possesses a merchant fleet of considerable size.
6: The country enjoys a comfortable balance of payments surplus.
7: Denmark was severely affected by the 2008 financial crisis.
8: Denmark consists of the peninsula of Jutland and some 400 unnamed islands.
9: The country has advanced industry with world-leading firms in pharmaceuticals.
10: In recent years, farming has declined due to increased imported food.
11: Danish cinema has gained recognition in the European Union.
12: Denmark has a medium sized fishing industry.

PART 3: DISCUSSION:
1: Have you previously learned about Denmark at school or online?
2: What new information did you learn today and was it interesting?
3: According to the text, is Denmark a successful country?
4: Is Denmark a country you would like to visit in the future? If so, why?
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