We are making our way around the continents.  So far we’ve unpacked suitcases in Australia, South America and Asia.  Today we are on letter “D” and will unpack our 4th suitcase on the continent of Europe.  This country’s beauty captivates me, but I think you’ll like this country because it just so happens to be the homeland to Legos and the second oldest amusement park in the world.  So let’s take a ride and explore our 4th country, Denmark.

The Danish Flag

Denmark Country Facts

1.  Size:  Officially the Kingdom of Denmark, its area is 43,098 square kilometers

2.  Population:  5,548,758 (according Denmark’s official country website 2012)  In other words, or should I say numbers, that’s over 5 million people!

3.  Capital City:  Copenhagen

4.  Language:  Danish – My family had fun after dinner listening to ten top Danish phrases on this youtube video.  Check it out and impress your friends by speaking a bit of Danish.

5.  Currency:  Danish Krone – Denmark is part of the European Union.  Most countries in the European Union use a currency (remember this means type of money) called the Euro.  Denmark, however, decided to continue to use the Danish Krone.

6.  Denmark is part of the Jutland Peninsula.  You can see the peninsula in the map above.  It is connected to land but almost fully surrounded by water.  The greenish blue colored country at the very bottom of the map, and directly above these words, is the northern tip of Germany.  The Denmark border is just north of Germany.  The peninsula is comprised of these two countries.

7.  In addition to the Jutland Peninsula there are over 407 islands.  People inhabit, or live on, 70 of the islands.

8.  As I mentioned in the first paragraph, LEGO was invented in Denmark.  Legoland and the company headquarters are located in the city of Billund on the Jutland Peninsula.

Legos were invented in Denmark
Photo courtesy of Alan Chia on Wikimedia Commons

9.  Historical palaces, gardens and the word famous amusement park Tivoli are located in Denmark’s capital city Copenhagen.

Tivoli Amusement Park is in downtown Copenhagen
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

10.  Are there any Little Mermaid fans out there?  You might be pleased to know that The Little Mermaid was written by the world famous Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen.  He also wrote The Emperor’s New Clothes and The Ugly Duckling.  I think it would be fun to read one of these stories and print out some of these coloring pages.  I was pleased to find free Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tale e-books on Amazon. There is a first and second series.  I also listed a paperback that is only $.99!  Please comment and let me know if your children enjoy these stories.