Copenhagen: Meet the mermaid
Copenhagen, Denmark's capital and Scandinavia's liveliest city, lies within the Øresund Region, which encompasses Scania, on the Swedish side, and Zealand and the island of Bornholm on the Danish side. Copenhagen has a population of 1.7 million; the Øresund Region has a total population of 3.2 million. Denmark is situated in northern Europe and is one of the three Scandinavian countries. It consists of a mainland peninsula, Jutland, and 406 islands. The Danes number 5.1 million, seven per cent of whom are of foreign origins. Their mother tongue is Danish, of course, but English and German are spoken widely and to a high standard.
Copenhagen was founded in 1167 and has been Denmark's capital since 1417. Denmark is the world's oldest kingdom. The reigning monarch, Queen Margrethe II, who lives in Copenhagen, can trace her ancestry back - over 1,000 years - to the Viking age. Copenhagen is also the seat of Denmark's government. Denmark has a well-established tradition of democracy and stability. Since November 2001, Denmark has had a coalition government led by Venstre - Denmark's Liberal political party. Denmark is a member state of the European Union and is also part of the United Nations, NATO and the OECD.
Denmark is renowned for the high standard of living they offer their inhabitants. In their latest survey into the standard of living in the world's cities, the renowned consultancy firm William M. Mercer positioned Copenhagen at number four in its 'Best Cities' list. Wallpaper magazine went one better recently when it placed Copenhagen third in its 50 best 'World's Top Places to Call Home' list, citing its excellent transport, quality housing, superb shopping, and abundant culture among the reasons they'd like to live here. They could also have mentioned that the inflation rate in Denmark has been one of the lowest in Europe for many years and that the economy remains strong. Tourism is an important source of foreign currency and employment. In 2003, the tourist sector in the Copenhagen Region alone employed around 157.300 people and had a turnover of DKK 11 billion.
The reputation of Copenhagen as a costly destination is not born out by the prices here and, actually, for most things it is on a par with other northern European capitals like London or Amsterdam. For example, in Copenhagen you can:
- Have a beer for around DKK 25-45 (USD 3.50/EUR 3.50)
- Have a coffee for around DKK 20 (USD 3.00/EUR 3.00)
- Grab a sandwich for around DKK 35 (USD 5.00/EUR 5.00)
- Take a bus across the city for only for DKK 15 (USD 2.00/EUR 2.00)
- Transfer by train from the airport to the city centre DKK 25.50 (USD 4.20/EUR 3.45)
- Visit a nightclub for DKK 75 (USD 11/EUR 10)
- Stay in a three star hotel for an average price of DKK 1,100-1,500 (USD 157-214/EUR 146-200) or in a four star hotel for an average price of DKK 1,200-2,400 (USD 171-343/EUR 160-320) for a double room, including VAT, taxes and breakfast.
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