Taani
Quick Facts:
| Area: | 43,094 sq. km | | Population: | 5,368,854 (July 2002 est.) | | Capital: | Copenhagen | | Language: | Danish | | Religion: | Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, Muslim 2% | | Currency: | Krone (DKK) | | YFUweb site: | www.yfu.dk |
IntroductionDenmark is a country with open, friendly people who place great importance on respect for each individual. One thing is especially dear to the Danes: for the individual truly to be able to use his freedom, there must be a certain equality. These values of freedom and equality are inseparable in the Danish mind.
Short Facts Area: On a global scale, today’s Denmark is a small country. Its total land surface amounts to 43,094 square km (17,000 sq.. miles), with 7,313 km of coastline. Denmark is divided into nearly 500 separate geographic units: the peninsula of Jutland (Jylland) alone covers 29,766 sq. km, Zealand (Sjælland) covers an area of 7,439 sq. km, and Funen (Fyn) covers 2,976 sq. km. There are 383 islands with a total area of 47 sq. km that are uninhabited. The Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic form a self-governing part of Denmark and have a population of 40,500. Greenland, which has 50,000 inhabitants, is officially part of Denmark, but has home rule.
Climate: The Danish climate is usually described as temperate oceanic, with mild summers and cold, rainy winters. February is generally the coldest month (the national mean is 0° C/32° F), while July and August can be the warmest (16° C/61°F). It is almost always windy in Denmark. Spring usually begins in April and winter in December.
Population: The Danes, a homogenous Gothic-Germanic people, have inhabited Denmark since prehistoric times. Danish is the principal language. A small Germanspeaking minority lives in southern Jutland; a mostly Inuit population inhabits Greenland; and the Faroe Islands have a Nordic population with its own language.
Language: Danish is the official language of the country. It is a Scandinavian language and can be understood by both Swedes and Norwegians, although with some difficulty because of the gutteral quality of spoken Danish. There is also a small German-speaking minority.
Religion: The Danish constitution provides for religious freedom, but about 95% of the population belongs to the Lutheran Church (Folkekirken), which is a branch of the Protestant faith. Danes only occasionally go to church. Jutland is traditionally more church-going than Copenhagen, the capital. In recent yearsthe number of church-goers has greatlyincreased, especially among youth.
Government: Denmark had kings during the Viking period, and in 1660 the absolute monarchy was introduced. Peaceful changes may explain why Denmark is still a monarchy. The modern Royal Family never interferes with politics. Today, the Royal Family includes Queen Margaret II (born 1940), who is married to Prince Henrik (born 1934) of France. The Danish Parliament is called Folketinget and has a single chamber with 179 members, around 36% female.
History: During the 10th and 11th centuries, the Vikings devastated the northern part of Europe. The Vikings made many early voyages to America, predating Christopher Columbus by some 300 years. Later, Denmark tried to integrate with Norway and Sweden, but in 1523, the Swedes wanted a country of their own. In 1658, Sweden took the eastern provinces by force and in 1807 acquired Norway with Britain’s help. Denmark also fought a war with Germany over the southern provinces of Slesvig and Holsten. The Germans won the war of 1864 and took possession of these areas. But after Germany’s defeat in World War I in 1918, North Slesvig again became a part of Denmark. In 1972, in a close decision, Denmark joined the European Union
Economy: Denmark has a shortage of natural resources, but has long been renowned for high quality agricultural produce. Only 4% of its people are employed in agriculture, but some 70% of the total land is used for farming. Dairy farming and animal husbandry are also important. In the last 35 years, the country has experienced an industrial revolution and now specializes in advanced manufacturing industries. Important industrial products are machinery and equipment, food, processing, textiles and clothing, electronics, transportation equipment, metal products and furniture.
Education: In 1814, Denmark became the first country to have a primary school law. Since then, education has continually held a prominent role in Danish society. The course at the Danish secondary school (Gymnasium) lasts three years. Students enter Gymnasium after their ninth or tenth years of schooling. They may choose from a variety of courses, such as mathematics, languages, etc. The majority of Danish youth goes to school for 12 years. Schooling and books are free of charge in all Danish public schools. Public buses or school buses are available everywhere. Social convention in schools is very relaxed. Students do not wear uniforms; they may wear whatever they like to school. Often, they call their teachers by their first name. Ordinarily, students go to school for approximately 30 hours per week, plus homework. Exchange students are placed in the tenth class of the primary school or in the first or second class of the secondary school, depending on their age, interests and abilities. School starts at the beginning of August and ends the following June.
Family life: Families in Denmark are, in many cases, still close-knit and quite stable. A distinguishing aspect of the Danish culture is the importance given to the individual, a concept taught and honored in Danish homes. Generally, children are taught principles and then allowed to govern themselves.
Food: Home-cooked meals are still a well-preserved tradition. Lunch often consists of open sandwiches with cheese, meat, fish, pate, etc. Dinner is a time for family members to sit together and discuss the day, while enjoying a hot meal, with vegetables, potatoes, salads, meat, pork, fish, poultry and beef among the usual ingredients.
Recreation: The Danish people are avid readers, and the country is one of the leading book-buying nations in the world. Denmark ranks first in number of books borrowed from public libraries. Danes also have a great love for music. The Danish people enjoy sports, but most are played on an amateur level. Although many sports familiar in other countries are also enjoyed in Denmark, soccer (football) is probably the most popular. In Denmark, contact among young people is rather informal. When you go out for fun, you normally pay for yourself. The Danes enjoy drinking beer, among other spirits. However, in restaurants or discotheques, teenagers are not allowed to have alcoholic drinks and are denied entrance if they are under the age of 18. There are also many clubs for young people, where they can be together while enjoying hobbies, sports and other activities.
YFU Denmark
Since YFU Denmark began in 1960, 8,000 students have been involved in exchanges in the name of Youth For Understanding. The organization is divided into 17 regions, each with a regional leader and four counselors. The senior volunteers and returnees are a very important part of YFU and do all the work in the regions on a voluntary basis. The office in Tommerup (on Funen) coordinates all the different activities concerning applications and travel, and stays in contact with students and their families, in Denmark, as well as abroad.
Exchange activities for inbound students: All year students arriving in July attend a 5-7 day orientation camp. During the camp, students are introduced to the Danish language, culture, school system, and spoken and unspoken rules of Danish families, YFU Denmark, etc. The camp may include a guided tour to various sights and an introduction to the history of Denmark. Excursions and sports take place in the afternoon. Year and semester students arriving in January attend a similar orientation camp. Exchange students to Denmark are invited to participate in YFU activities at regional meetings, workshops and gettogethers for volunteers, host families, and students. A special optional tour to a selected European capital may also be available to program participants. However, charges for this tour are separate from the regular program fee.
Danish host families and placement: Each year, some of the YFU host families are recruited from current applicants’ families. Many host families have hosted before, while some are families of YFU program alumni. Host families live either in the country or in a town, in apartments or in houses. They can be single persons or couples. They may or may not have children. YFU Denmark asks that they have an interest in the program and a willingness to open their hearts and homes to young people.
Common Phrases | English | Danish | | Good Morning | Godmorgen | | Good Evening | Godaften | | How are you? | Hvordan har du det? | | Thank you | Tak | | My name is | Jeg hedder | | Good bye | Farvel | | Yes | Ja | | No | Nej | | Excuse me | Undskyld mig |
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