Denmark

The Kingdom of Denmark (Danish: Kongeriget Danmark) is geographically the smallest Nordic country and is part of the European Union. It is located at {{coor dms|56|00|00|N|10|00|00|E|}} in Scandinavia, which is in northern Europe. Denmark borders the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, and consists of a peninsula attached to Northern Germany named Jutland (Jylland in Danish), the islands Funen (Fyn), Zealand (Sjælland), Bornholm and many smaller islands, the waters of which are often referred to as the Danish Archipelago. Denmark is north of Germany, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway. Greenland and the Faroe Islands are Crown territories of Denmark, each with political home rule.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Denmark

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Perhaps the most famous Dane is actually a mythical figure: Hamlet, the title character of William Shakespeare's greatest play, which was set in a real castle (Kronborg) in Helsingør, north of Copenhagen. The Dane most well-known in foreign countries is probably Hans Christian Andersen, a writer mostly famous for such fairy tales as The Emperor's New Clothes, The Little Mermaid, and The Ugly Duckling.

Related Topics:
Hamlet - William Shakespeare - Kronborg - Helsingør - Hans Christian Andersen - The Emperor's New Clothes - The Little Mermaid - The Ugly Duckling

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Other well known Danes include:

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• Morten Andersen, NFL kicker (Only in the United States)
• Bille August, film director
• Vitus Bering, explorer and navigator
• Karen Blixen, also known as Isak Dinesen, author
• Niels Bohr, physicist and Nobel Prize laureate
• Aage Niels Bohr, physicist and Nobel Prize laureate
• Victor Borge, entertainer, pianist
• Mickey Beyer Clausen, entrepreneur and philanthropist
• August Bournonville, ballet dancer, choreographer
• Hans Brenaa, dancer, ballet master
• Tycho Brahe, astronomer
• Erik Bruhn, dancer, ballet master
• Canute the Great, King of England, Denmark and Norway
• Christian IX, King known as the "Father-in-law of Europe"
• Christian X, King during German occupation
• Ole Kirk Christiansen, inventor of LEGO
• René Dif, member of the pop band Aqua
• Carl Dreyer, film director
• Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, painter
• Johannes Andreas Grib Fibiger, physician and Nobel Prize laureate
• Niels Ryberg Finsen, physician and Nobel Prize laureate
• Karl Gjellerup, author and Nobel Prize laureate
• N.F.S. Grundtvig, poet, hymnalist, educationalist
• Hans Christian Gram, bacteriologist (Gram staining)
• Piet Hein, polymath
• Anders Hejlsberg, computer scientist, inventor of the C# programming language
• Jean Hersholt, film actor (Academy Awards Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award)
• Ludvig Holberg, dramatist, historian, and essayist
• Arne Jacobsen, architect, designer
• Georg Jensen, designer
• Johannes Vilhelm Jensen, Author and Nobel Prize laureate
• Niels Kaj Jerne, immunologist and Nobel Prize laureate
• Søren Kierkegaard, existentialist philosopher
• William S. Knudsen, industrialist (president, General Motors) in USA
• Schack August Steenberg Krogh, physiologist and Nobel Prize laureate
• Henning Kronstam (external link), dancer, ballet master, Theatre director, Royal Danish Ballet
• Toni Lander, dancer, ballet master
• Bent Larsen, professional chess player
• Michael Laudrup, soccer player.
• Vilhelm Lauritzen, architect
• Rasmus Lerdorf, computer scientist, inventor of the PHP programming language
• Jørgen Leth, filmmaker
• Knud Ejler Løgstrup, Christian philosopher
• Peter Martins (external link), dancer, choreographer, Ballet Master in Chief (succeeding George Balanchine), New York City Ballet
• Lauritz Melchior, tenor, Metropolitan Opera
• Viggo Mortensen, actor in USA
• Asta Nielsen, actress
• Brigitte Nielsen, actress
• Connie Nielsen, actress
• Carl Nielsen, composer
• Jakob Nielsen, mathematician
• Hans Christian Ørsted, physicist, discoverer of electromagnetism
• Dirch Passer, actor
• Henrik Pontoppidan, author and Nobel Prize laureate
• Kirsten Ralov, dancer, ballet master
• Knud Rasmussen, explorer
• Bjarne Riis, professional road bicycle racer, winner of the 1996 Tour de France
• Ib Schønberg, movie actor
• Jacob Riis, photographer,journalist and social activist in USA
• Jens Christian Skou, Chemist and Nobel Prize laureate
• Niels Steensen, anatomist, Roman Catholic bishop and saint
• Bjarne Stroustrup, computer scientist, inventor of the C++ programming language
• Christian Jürgensen Thomsen, Archaeologist, inventor of the Three-age system
• Bertel Thorvaldsen, sculptor
• Sandi Toksvig, comedian in the UK
• Lars von Trier, film director
• Lars Ulrich, musician, member of band Metallica
• Wilhelm Marstrand, painter
• Jørn Utzon, architect
• Whigfield, singer
• The Psyke Project Danish hardcore band reigning from Helsinge
• The Raveonettes, a rock and roll band
• Vilhelm Hammershoi painter
• Junior Senior, a pop group