GOOD TO KNOW

Denmark covers 42,916 square kilometres and has more than 7,000 kilometres of coastline. Its only land border is with Germany. The Skagerrak strait runs between Denmark and Norway. Of Denmark’s 5.6 million people, 28.9 per cent live in rural areas; 51 per cent of Denmark is countryside and it is a major exporter of food. Farms measure an average of 67.5 hectares compared to the EU average of 16.1 hectares, while 27.5 per cent of the country’s agricultural production consists of pigs.

Germany is Denmark’s top export partner as well as its main import partner.

Like the UK, Denmark joined the European Economic Community (today the European Union) in 1973 and, like the UK, it doesn’t use the euro.

The Faroe Islands and Greenland (see page 26) are former Danish colonies. They are both part of the Kingdom of Denmark, both have their own governments and send two MPS each to the Danish parliament, but neither country is a member of the EU.