Archaeological evidence suggests that present-day Copenhagen may have been a site of pre-Christian settlement as early as 6,000 years ago, but the first written record of the city as a trading post dates from 1047. In its earliest years, Copenhagen— literally merchant’s harbour—was a minor pit-stop on the trade route between Roskilde, in northwest Sealand, and the Cathedral of Lund in present-day Sweden. The city was formally incorporated in 1167, when King Valdemar the Great entrusted his close adviser Bishop Absalon, then Archbishop of Roskilde, with the task of building a fortification to ward off marauding pirates. The site of Bishop Absalon’s fort is now home to Christiansborg Palace, for centuries the seat of Danish government.

Over the centuries, the city has continued its defiant survival, enduring bouts of plague, two fires in 1728 and 1795 that destroyed much of its medieval architecture, and heavy bombardment by the British Navy under Admiral Nelson from 1801-1807. City expansion in the mid to late 19th century coincided with a fruitful period in literature and the arts popularly referred to as the Golden Age. With its scenic canals, stately architecture and prolific intelligentsia, the popular aspiration was to turn Copenhagen into a Paris of the North. Although the city never did quite achieve the status of a Nordic 'City of Lights’, its Parisian affect is still in evidence on Kongens Nytorv and the adjoining streets.

Copenhagen has traditionally resisted the temptation to overbuild—its zoning laws are notoriously strict—but the city’s waterfront area is proving an exciting haven for urban development. Copenhagen is also making the most of its ties to sister city Malmø, in Sweden, since the grand opening in 2000 of the soaring Øresund Bridge which has benefitted the movement of trade in the region dramatically.

POLITICS

Since 1953, the Danish Parliament, or Folketing, has consisted of a unicameral legislature housed at Christiansborg Palace. The Folketing is composed of 179 elected members, including representatives from the Faeroe Islands and Greenland, both of which are still members of the Danish Commonwealth. Although the Prime Minister has the authority to dissolve Parliament and schedule new elections at any time, they must be held at least every four years.

At the moment, Denmark is divided into 13 counties and 275 municipal councils, or 'communes’. A major overhaul of the nation’s municipalities is due to take effect in 2007, however, a move that will replace the county system with five national regions and slash the number of communes to 97.

The Danish political system is characterised by multiple parties, which are proportionally represented in the Folketing based on their percentage of the total vote in national elections. A minimum threshold of 2% of the popular vote is required for representation in the Folketing. The current majority party is the Danish Liberal Party (Venstre), barely edging out the opposition, Labour-affiliated Social Democrats. Other parties represented in the Danish Parliament include the Conservatives, Danish People’s Party, Socialist People’s Party, Social Liberals and Unity List. The burning of Danish embassies earlier this year has caused understandable uncertainty about what constitutes as freedom of speech.

RELIGION

Religion is traditionally a private matter in Denmark and overt displays of religious affiliation are rare. Weekly church attendance is low. About 70% of the population are active or de facto members of the official Danish Lutheran church, which is supported through taxpayer revenues. In addition to the spiritual needs of its active parishioners, the Lutheran Church is responsible for a host of civil administrative tasks, including the registration of births and deaths.

Other legally sanctioned (but not taxpayer-supported) denominations include Roman Catholicism, Islam and Judaism. Copenhagen is also home to expatriate Norwegian, Swedish, German and Anglican (Episcopalian) congregations.

POPULATION

The Greater Copenhagen area is home to approximately 1 million residents, or
9.3% of the entire population of Denmark. Population density is 5,800 people per square kilometre. The capital also boasts the largest concentration of first- and second-generation immigrants in the country, with 19% of the population claiming a non-Danish ethnic background. Ethnic minorities are predominantly Pakistani, Turkish or ex-Yugoslavian. As of 2004, 56,617 foreign citizens were registered as living in Copenhagen.