Danish is spoken by roughly 6 million people worldwide, the
vast majority of which live in Denmark, where it is the official language.
Danish is also an official language in Greenland and the Faeroe Islands, where
there are significant numbers of speakers, and a recognized minority language
in the Schleswig region of Germany near the border with Denmark.1
Danish is closely related to Swedish and Norwegian, and in
its written form is almost identical to Norwegian. However, all three languages
are very different in the way that they pronounce common words. According to
the Wikipedia, the close similarities between these languages have led some
linguists to label them dialects of one single Scandinavian language.2
Since in the Middle Ages Danish has been subsequently
influenced by Low German dialects, French and most recently English.3
Danish also has four main dialect groups which correspond to its largest
islands/peninsulas: Sjællandsk (Central-Eastern Danish), Jysk (Western Danish),
Bornholmsk (Eastern Danish), and Fynsk (Central Danish). The standard form of
Danish taught in schools is called Rigsdansk.4
Below are some brief but important facts about the country
of Danishland and its people.
Capital:
Copenhagen
Currency:
Danish krone (DKK)
Government Type:
Constitutional monarchy
Population:
5,413,392 (July 2004 est.)
Internet Country Code:
.dk
Internet Hosts:
1,219,925 (2004)
Internet Users:
2.756 million (2002)
For additional demographic information on Denmark and its
people, please see the following link:
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/da.html
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/da.html
1
"Danish language" Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_language#Distribution_.26_official_status
[Accessed December 2, 2004]
[Accessed December 2, 2004]
2
"Danish language" Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_language#Classification
[Accessed December 2, 2004]
[Accessed December 2, 2004]
3
"Danish (Dansk)" Omniglot: A Guide to Writing Systems
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/danish.htm
[Accessed December 2, 2004]
[Accessed December 2, 2004]
4 Danish
language" Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_language#Dialects
[Accessed December 2, 2004]
[Accessed December 2, 2004]
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