10 interesting facts about Denmark – one of the most developed countries in the world

The Kingdom of Denmark is a sovereign state in Northern Europe and one of the most developed countries in the world. Denmark is known for its civil liberties and high standard of living. Denmark also has stunning natural landscapes and vast tracts of untouched forest land.

If you’re looking for some new Scandinavian party stories, then you’ve come to the right place! Norway, along with Sweden, of course, have a long, intertwined history. However, there are some things that make Denmark unique, here is a list of 10 interesting facts about this country.

10 The country where the first LEGO appeared

LEGO appeared around 1930when a Danish carpenter from Billund in Jutland had difficulty building houses. He supplemented his profession by making wooden toys and was so successful that he was soon making only his own wooden building blocks.

He called the company LEGO – a mixture of Danish words To play и Good. It was the perfect name for a completely simple toy. And so the beloved LEGO was born.

9. 14 Nobel laureates

With 14 Nobel Prizes, the most recent in 2010, Denmark is among the top six countries with the highest number of Nobel laureates per capita.

8. There are 443 islands in the country

There are various lists of Danish islands, depending on how the word “island” is defined. According to the official Danish definition, an “island” must be submerged at least half a meter deep, and surrounded by free-flowing natural water (not a man-made canal).

The complete list of islands in Denmark includes 443 islands, of which only 76 are inhabited..

Some beautiful Danish islands:

Lolland – the island, which is located south of Zealand, attracts tourists with the possibility of outdoor activities. You can play golf, fish or cycle in the picturesque surroundings as an amateur or on a specially built cycling route as an athlete.

You can also enjoy water sports and outdoor activities here. The islands of Lolland are especially charming because of their curved bays and limestone cliffs.

Falster – the island provides an opportunity for a relaxing quiet holiday in solitude with nature, even though it is located almost in the center of Europe. This is a quiet place a short drive from civilization.

Mens Clint – the island enchants tourists with limestone cliffs that rise above the sea to a height of one hundred and twenty-eight meters. This place is one of the most beautiful in the Kingdom of Denmark.

7. The national flag is considered the oldest operating in the world.

The oldest continuously used national flag is the flag of Denmark.. The current design of the white Scandinavian cross on a red background was adopted in 1625, and its square form in 1748. In Denmark it is known as “Dannebrog” or “Danish fabric».

Although Denmark was never part of the Roman Empire, similar designs were used by the Empire to represent the provinces, as the white cross is a symbol of Christianity. The Scandinavian cross has a horizontal stripe slightly to the left of the side of the square when viewed from it.

Although there is no prescribed definition of what constitutes “continuous” use, the Danish flag was certainly in use in the 1370s, as the coat of arms of Gelre Kles Heinenzun (or Heinen 1345-1414) shows. It was also certainly used in naval battles during the war against Sweden in the 1560s, as shown in Reriolf Deventer’s 1585 watercolor Bericht von Pulver und Feuerwerken.

6. Free education and medicine

Higher education in Denmark is free for students from the EU and Switzerland. Likewise, if you participate in an exchange program, your studies in Denmark are free.

You also do not pay tuition fees if you have:

• Permanent residence permit
• Temporary residence permit, which can be upgraded to permanent
• Residence permit as an accompanying child

Also, foreign students in Denmark are provided with free medical care during their studies.

5. The Royal Library of Copenhagen is the oldest in Scandinavia.

Public libraries in Scandinavia are well designed and designed to reinforce a social fabric that reflects the region’s history and values.

The Scandinavian countries began to develop their first purpose-built libraries around 1900, and as the welfare state developed from the 1930s, they gained additional prominence as democratic institutions.

The Royal Library dates from 1906. Modernization of an adjacent 1673 building, now the National Archives. Designed by Professor Hans J. Holm, it features an eclectic mix of historical precedents. Reflecting its time, the Royal Library was built as a “temple of knowledge” with a brick façade, towers, clerestory windows, decorative details and chandeliers.

4. There are no high-rise buildings in Denmark

Copenhagen is a modern international capital, but there are no modern skyscrapers in its center. The tallest building in the city center is still the Danish Parliament Tower, completed in 1928, followed by the City Hall, completed in 1905.

A law passed six years ago effectively bans the construction of new skyscrapers in the central city. Most buildings in central Copenhagen are three to six stories high and the law will remain unchanged.

Skyscrapers are just not popular here. It might be chic to live in a high-rise or penthouse in Manhattan, but nobody in Denmark cares.

3. Car tax can exceed the value of the car

If you buy a new car in Denmark, the car dealer usually handles the vehicle registration tax and license plates. Sales tax is charged at 180% In other words, a $20 sedan will set you back $000.

2. Ranks second in the world in terms of VAT

Taxation in Denmark consists of a complex system of direct and indirect taxes. Since the income tax was introduced in Denmark through a fundamental tax reform in 1903, it has been a fundamental basis in the Danish tax system.

Today, various income taxes from individuals and legal entities bring about two-thirds of Denmark’s total tax revenue, and indirect taxes, which include VAT, are responsible for the last third. Denmark has a VAT of 25%.

However, a number of services are not subject to VAT, such as private public transport, medical services, newspaper publishing, rental of premises.

1. Birthplace of German culture

The historic Duchy of Schleswig was divided after two referendums in 1920. Since then, Southern Schleswig has formed the northern part of the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein, while Northern Schleswig has formed the Danish border region of South Jutland.

National minorities were left behind on both sides of the border. Thus, a minority of people who live in the south of Denmark identify themselves as Germans, and a minority of German citizens south of the border as Danes. History helps explain how identity transgresses national borders in a region.

For many centuries, the Duchy of Schleswig linked the German and Scandinavian worlds. The duchy originated in the Danish kingdom. However, by the late Middle Ages, it had become closely intertwined with the neighboring German principality of Holstein.

In 1460, the Danish king assumed authority over both territories, but recognized their special constitutional status and relationship. In later centuries they were treated as the German duchies of the Danish conglomerate. This dual affiliation also expressed itself on a cultural level. The rural majority spoke Frisian along the southwest coast, German in a growing segment of the southeast, and Danish in the northern half of the duchy.