Denmark - People | Britannica

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• Introduction & Quick Facts
• Land
  • Relief
  • Drainage
  • Soils
  • Climate
  • Plant and animal life
• People
  • Ethnic groups
  • Languages
  • Religion
  • Settlement patterns
  • Demographic trends
• Economy
  • Agriculture and fishing
  • Resources and power
  • Manufacturing
  • Finance
  • Trade
  • Services
  • Labor and taxation
  • Transportation and telecommunications
• Government and society
  • Constitutional framework
  • Local government
  • Justice
  • Political process
  • Health and welfare
  • Education
• Cultural life
  • Daily life and social customs
  • The arts and sciences
  • Cultural institutions
  • Sports and recreation
  • Media and publishing
• History
  • Prehistoric and Viking-era Denmark
    • Earliest inhabitants
    • The Viking era
  • Medieval Denmark
    • The High Middle Ages
      • The monarchy
      • The kingdom
      • The church
    • The Late Middle Ages
      • Declining royal power and Holstein rule
      • Reunion under Valdemar IV
      • Margaret I and the Kalmar Union
      • Late medieval society
  • Reformation and war
  • Danish absolutism
  • The 18th century
    • Foreign policy
    • The economy and agricultural reforms
  • The 19th century
    • The Napoleonic Wars and their aftermath
    • The liberal movement
    • The Schleswig-Holstein question
    • The Right and the Left
  • The 20th century
    • Parliamentary democracy and war, c. 1900–45
    • Postwar Denmark, 1945–c. 1990
      • Postwar politics
      • Postwar economics
  • Denmark since the 1990s

References & Edit History Facts & Stats Images, Videos & Interactives At a Glance Denmark summary Quizzes The Country Quiz Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz Which Country Is Larger By Population? Quiz Which Country Is Larger? Quiz Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz Related Questions

• What were Alfred’s military achievements?
• What was the importance of literacy and learning to Alfred’s rule?

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External Websites

• European Union - Denmark
• Official Site of Denmark
• Official Tourism Site of Denmark
• Official Site of the Embassy of Denmark in Great Britain
• Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Denmark
• World History Encyclopedia - Harald Bluetooth and the Conversion of Denmark

Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

• Denmark - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
• Denmark - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

People of Denmark in Denmark Ask Anything Homework Help Also known as: Danmarkip Nâlagauvfia, Kingdom of Denmark, Kongaríkidh Danmark, Kongeriget Danmark(Show More) Written by Christian Nokkentved Instructor, European History, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. Christian NokkentvedAll Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Mar. 3, 2026 •History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

Ethnic groups

Denmark is almost entirely inhabited by ethnic Danes. Few Faroese or Greenlanders have settled in continental Denmark, despite their status as Danish citizens. A small minority of Germans, on the other hand, has been long established and is substantially assimilated. In the early 21st century, important ethnic minorities in the country included Turks, Germans, Poles, Iraqis, Swedes, Norwegians, Bosniaks (Muslims from Bosnia and Herzegovina), Iranians, and Somalis.

News •

After tense US-Greenland standoff, Denmark calls an early election • Feb. 26, 2026, 1:33 PM ET (AP) ...(Show more) Thanks but no thanks: Trump’s hospital ship plan provokes defense of Greenland health care system • Feb. 22, 2026, 2:57 PM ET (AP) Fans who raised Greenland's flag at US-Denmark Olympic hockey game say it was a pro-European gesture • Feb. 14, 2026, 9:28 PM ET (AP) Rubio's speech to European allies takes a softer tone but sticks to Trump's firm stance • Feb. 14, 2026, 2:13 PM ET (AP) Europe hopes to repair trans-Atlantic trust as Rubio attends key security conference • Feb. 13, 2026, 4:36 PM ET (AP) Show less

Languages

Danish, or Dansk, is the official language. It is closely related to Norwegian, with which it is mutually intelligible, especially in the written form. Although the other Scandinavian languages are close relatives, they are sufficiently different to be understood easily only by those schooled or experienced in the effort. Many educated or urban Danes have learned to speak a second language, particularly English. Turkish, Arabic, German, and other minority languages are spoken by members of the country’s various ethnic groups.