NIE ACTIVITY
GEOGRAPHY Connections
Copenhagen, Denmark
CITY VIEW
This year-long series is presented in collaboration with the Connecticut Geographic Alliance.
By Kelly Fuerstenberg, University of New Haven
TAKE 5
Where in the world can you be among some of the
world’s happiest people, ride your bike or walk to
pleasure gardens said to have inspired Hans Christian
Anderson and Walt Disney, and possibly rub elbows
with members of the monarchy? That place is
Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.
Denmark is ruled by a Constitutional Monarchy.
Queen Margrethe 2nd, married to Prince Consort
Henrik, is the country’s figurehead. She cannot make
political decisions without the prime minister. Acts of
Parliament do not become law until they are signed
by both the queen and prime minister. The queen also
represents Denmark abroad. The royal family’s winter
residence is Amalienborg, a palace that consists of four
palaces, built around an octagonal courtyard.
Copenhagen is the center of Denmark’s government.
Christiansborg Palace houses the three branches of
government--the Danish Parliament (legislative), the
Prime Minister’s office (executive), and the Supreme
Court (judicial). The monarchy also uses parts of the
palace.
45445-01
The city has everything, from cobblestone streets
to waterway buses, from island apartments to grand
palaces. It has theaters and sports venues. It is home
to a zoo, a national museum, national aquarium, a
museum of modern art, and a 17th century observatory.
Stretching more than half a mile, Strøget provides
shopping on one of Europe’s longest pedestrian streets.
Bicycling is an integral part of life in Copenhagen.
The city’s goal is for half of all trips to work and school
or college be made by bicycle. New pedestrian and
bicycle bridges have been built to provide shortcuts and
improve safety of those traveling by foot or bicycle. Just
how dedicated to bikes are they in Copenhagen? Only
29 percent of households actually own a car! Traffic
lights favor bicyclists rather than motorists during rush
hour. If you visit, be sure to know the rules of the road
before heading out on your bicycle.
It’s no wonder that Danes have been rated among the
happiest in the world.
DID YOU KNOW?
●During its 1,000-year history, Copenhagen has transformed from a fishing village to a center of commerce.
●Just north of Copenhagen is Dyrehavsbakken (Bakken), the world’s oldest amusement park. It began in 1583!
●Tivoli Gardens, which opened in 1843, is an “amusement garden” that features walking paths, music, theater,
performing artists, restaurants, rides (including a wooden roller coaster controlled by a brakeman!), gardens, and
nightly illuminations.
●More than 38,000 students attend the University of Copenhagen. Founded in 1479, it’s one of Europe’s oldest
universities
●Copenhagen is spelled København in Danish. Try this pronunciation: [kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn]
●Copenhagen is attempting to become climate neutral by 2025 through initiatives that include boosting bicycle
ridership, green rooftops, wind and solar energy, district heating and cooling systems, and reduced CO2
emissions.
Mapping Activity
Location: Located in eastern
Denmark on the islands
of Zealand and Amager,
Copenhagen is found at
coordinates 55° 40’ 00” N, 12°
35’ 00” E
Place: Copenhagen has a
population of more than 5.6
million.
Human/Environment:
Copenhageners are
committed to reaching
climate neutral status by
2025.
Movement: Danes ride
bicycles, take the metro line,
and even a few drive cars.
They also take the bus (or
water bus) or train, or they
walk.
Region: Copenhagen and the
surrounding land is relatively
flat. Not only is it located on
an island, it also comprises
man made islands, including
three built as military forts.
Common Core Curricular
Connections
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.7
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.2
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.7
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.2
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.2
Copenhagen is home to the headquarters of Maersk,
a global container shipping company that got its start
with steamships. In 2000, the Øresund Bridge opened,
connecting Copenhagen to the Swedish city of Malmo.
How many modes of transportation could you use to
move goods into and out of Copenhagen? Map land,
air and water routes to major cities around the world,
including Hartford, London, Oslo, Vienna, Moscow,
and Singapore. If you visited Copenhagen, name
three modes of transportation that you could use to get
around the city. Map a route using at least two of them.
Using the News
Global warming is causing the climate to change around the world. What weather
events have affected Copenhagen, and what, if any, changes are being made to
prevent further damage?
Hans Christian Anderson is one of Copenhagen’s most famous residents. You can
discover more about Denmark by following in his footsteps. Locate where he was
born, lived, and is buried. Where did he do some of his writing? Statues honoring
him and his stories are not just limited to Denmark. Where else in the world can you
find monuments and memorials to him?
Online Resources:
hhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen
http://www.tivoli.dk/en/om/
http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/136520/Copenhagen
http://www.dac.dk/en/dac-life/copenhagen-x-gallery/cases/the-bicycle-snake/
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/copenhagens_ambitious_push_to_be_carbon_neutral_by_2025/2638/
http://www.ku.dk/english/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maersk
http://www.geographic.org/geographic_names/name.php?uni=-3810472&fid=1523&c=denmark
http://denmark.dk/en
http://www.danishnet.com/info.php/travel/copenhagen-19.html
http://www.bakken.dk/english/bakken-the-worlds-oldest-amusement-park
http://www.aaccessmaps.com/images/maps/dk/copenhagen_ctr/copenhagen_ctr.gif
For students who are blind, learning disabled or print challenged, visit CRIS Radio at
http://www.chrisradio.org and click Kids On-Demand for a free audio version of Geography Connections.