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Copenhagen
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 3.6 million.
Climate
Considering its latitude, Copenhagen's climate is fairly mild, but its inhabitants know how to make the most of the sunshine. From early April to late September, over 260 of the city's cafés and restaurants move their tables outdoors, while the sunbathers hit the parks as soon as the temperature rises above 10ºC. Copenhageners cycle year-round, whatever the weather. February is the coldest month, while July and August are the warmest.
www.dmi.dk
History
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.
www.kk.dk
Politics
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.
Standard of Living
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 as number five in its 'Best Cities' list. Monocle Magazine recently (July 2007) placed Copenhagen number 2 on its top twenty list of most liveable cities, 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 2007, the tourist sector in the Copenhagen Region alone employed around 52.300 people and had a turnover of DKK 32.100 billion.
www.um.dk
No Smoking
Along with most other western European countries, Denmark has now imposed a blanket ban on smoking in public places. Smoking is forbidden in public buildings and private business - including restaurants, pubs, shops, public transport, entertainment venues and workplaces - throughout the country. The only exception from the ban is for establishments with an area less than 40 sq.mtrs., which don't serve fresh food - so you can still enjoy a cigarette in some smaller pubs if you're lucky - some places have installed special smoking rooms but most refer smokers to the streets.
How to Get There
Copenhagen Airport is consistently voted one of the best in the world by consumer travel groups and magazines, and it has recently been extended with a spectacular new terminal. In 2005 19,9 million passengers used the airport, which serves approximately 130 cities worldwide. SAS and related partners of Star Alliance plus 60 other international airlines use Copenhagen. In 2005, the total number of take-offs/landings numbered over 268,000, which makes it the most important international air traffic hub in northern Europe.
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