Denmark Danish : Danmark is the smallest of the Nordic countries in terms of landmass. Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European naval power , the Kingdom of Denmark is the oldest kingdom in the world still in existence, but has evolved into a democratic, modern, and prosperous nation. These days, the Danish Vikings have parked their ships in the garage and put the helmets on the shelves, and along with the other Scandinavian nations, have forged a society that is often seen as a benchmark of civilisation; with progressive social policies, a commitment to free speech so strong it put the country at odds with much of the world during the cartoon crisis, a liberal social-welfare system and, according to The Economist , one of the most commercially competitive.
Top it off with a rich, well-preserved cultural heritage, and the Danes' legendary sense of design and architecture, and you have one intriguing holiday destination. Dubbed in various surveys and polls throughout the years as the "happiest country in the world", it is often pictured as a romantic and safe place, likely linked to Hans Christian Andersen as a "fairy tale" on its own. Of course much more lies beneath the surface, but for the traveller, Denmark is likely to prove convenient, safe, clean, but also quite expensive to visit.
The main part of Denmark proper is Jutland , a peninsula north of Germany , but Denmark also includes a great number of islands, of which the major ones are Zealand and Funen.
Most of the islands are situated in the small shallow sea of Kattegat and the Baltic Sea, between Jutland and Sweden. Separated from the other islands, Bornholm lies by itself between Sweden and Poland in the Baltic Sea. The capital, Copenhagen, is located at the easternmost shore of Zealand. Though not immediately obvious on a map, Denmark includes more than islands, of which 72 are populated. The peninsula of Jutland and the main islands make up most of the population and land area; smaller islands are here categorised as part of those.
Local administration in Denmark is made up by five regions and 98 municipalities kommuner. These subdivisions are of little concern to visitors. While all three have their own constituent parliaments, they are also part of The Kingdom of Denmark with King Frederik X as symbolic monarch.
