The Kingdom of Denmark is located at the northern end of the European continental mainland, between the North and Baltic Seas. Denmark's history has been closely intertwined with its Scandinavian neighbors, Sweden, and Norway, as well as with Germany, its neighbor to the south. Small in area (43,094 square kilometers; 16,634 square miles, or about twice the size of Massachusetts) and relatively flat (its highest point is fewer than 200 meters, or approximately 650 feet, above sea level), Denmark consists of the Jutland Peninsula, the two large islands Funen and Zealand (which contain the Copenhagen metropolitan region), and dozens of smaller inhabited islands. No Dane lives more than about 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) from the sea. Its population was just over 5.4 million in 2004. Like its geography, Denmark's climate is maritime, with moderate temperatures but with frequent showers and occasional thunderstorms.

At the center of northern Europe, Denmark's history, economy, and politics have been...