Copenhagen

City of Copenhagen
København
Skyline of City of Copenhagen
Official logo of City of Copenhagen
Coat of arms
City of Copenhagen
Location of Copenhagen in Denmark
Coordinates:
Country Denmark
Municipalities
29
Region Hovedstaden
First mention 11th century
City Status 13th century
Government
 - Mayor Ritt Bjerregaard (S)
Area
 - Urban 455.61 km² (175.9 sq mi)
Population (2008)[2]
 - City 509,861
 - Density 5,777/km² (14,962.4/sq mi)
 - Urban 1,153,615
 - Urban Density 1,947/km² (5,042.7/sq mi)
 - Metro 2,501,094(Copenhagen-Malmö Metropolitan Area)[5]
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Website: www.kk.dk/english

Copenhagen (IPA: /ˌkəʊpənˈheɪgən, ˌkəʊpənˈhɑːgən, ˈkəʊpənˌheɪgən, ˈkəʊpənˌhɑːgən/; Danish: København (help·info) IPA: [kʰøb̥ənˈhɑʊ̯ˀn, kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn]) is the capital and largest city of Denmark. It is situated on the Islands of Zealand and Amager and is separated from Malmö, Sweden by the strait of Øresund.

The original designation for the city, from which the contemporary Danish name is derived, was Køpmannæhafn, "merchants' harbor". The English name for the city is derived from its Low German name, Kopenhagen. The element hafnium is also named for Copenhagen, whose Latin name is Hafnia.[3]

Copenhagen is usually ranked as one of the two largest cities of the Nordic Countries.[4][5]. With the completion of the transnational Oresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen and the Swedish city of Malmö are connected by a car/rail link and are in the process of integrating their labour markets, resulting in the number of commuters from both sides growing annually. These two cities together form the center of the Øresund Region, which is home to almost 3.7 million inhabitants covering an area of 20,869 km².

The Danish Capital is well known for its livelihood and its people.

Copenhagen has placed well in a number of international rankings, some of which are mentioned in the following. In 2008, the magazine Monocle listed Copenhagen first in their Top 25 Most Livable Cities list,[6] and gave the city the special award as "Best Design City". Monocle has also stated that Copenhagen is Scandinavia's most desirable city.[7] Copenhagen is one of the most important business cities in northern Europe: In the 2008 Worldwide Centers of Commerce Index, published by MasterCard, Copenhagen was ranked 14th in the world and 1st in Scandinavia.[8] [9]. In addition, it has also been classified as a GaWC Cultural World City. In a survey published by the Danish Enterprise and Construction Agency and the Capital Region of Denmark in 2008, Copenhagen was ranked 3rd in Western Europe in terms of attracting regional headquarters and distribution centers, only surpassed by London and Paris.[10]

Together with Tromsoe in Norway the city of Copenhagen is described as "The Paris of the North" because of its design, fashion and beauty.[11]

Panorama of inner city Copenhagen
Panorama of inner city Copenhagen

Contents

Climate

Summers are warm and pleasant with average high temperatures of around 21°C (70°F) and lows of 13°C (55°F), but temperatures could sometimes exceed 25°C (77°F+) and occasional heatwaves are common during the summer. Winters are cold, with temperatures of -2 to 4°C (28 - 40°F), and are similar to New York City's.

Precipitation is moderate throughout the year, and snowfall is occurs mainly in December through March, but snow cover does not remain a long time.

Nuvola apps kweather.svg Weather averages for Copenhagen Weather-rain-thunderstorm.svg
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 2
(36)		 3
(37)		 6
(43)		 11
(52)		 16
(61)		 19
(66)		 21
(70)		 21
(70)		 17
(63)		 12
(54)		 7
(45)		 4
(39)		 11.57
(53)
Average low °C (°F) -1
(30)		 -2
(28)		 0
(32)		 3
(37)		 7
(45)		 11
(52)		 13
(55)		 13
(55)		 10
(50)		 7
(45)		 3
(37)		 0
(32)		 3
(37)
Precipitation mm (inches) 53
(2.09)		 33
(1.3)		 43
(1.69)		 43
(1.69)		 46
(1.81)		 56
(2.2)		 74
(2.91)		 61
(2.4)		 61
(2.4)		 59
(2.32)		 66
(2.6)		 61
(2.4)		 656
(25.83)
Source: World Weather Information Service[12] 2008-01-06
Nørrebro seen from "Søerne"
Copenhagen as seen from the City Hall at night
Kongens Nytorv
View from Rundetårn
Gefion Fountian

Copenhagen municipalities

The conurbation of Copenhagen consists of several municipalities. The central and largest is Copenhagen municipality, the second largest is Frederiksberg municipality which is an enclave inside Copenhagen municipality. Both are contained in the larger Capital Region of Denmark, which contains most of the Copenhagen metropolitan area.

Previously, the areas of Frederiksberg, Gentofte and Copenhagen municipalities have been used to define the city of Copenhagen. This definition is now obsolete. To meet statistical needs after the latest municipal reform, which took place in the beginning of 2007, an effort has been made to work out definitions of lands (landsdele) in Denmark. A land is basically a geographical and statistical definition, and the area is not considered to be an administrative unit. The land of Copenhagen City includes the municipalities of Copenhagen, Dragør, Frederiksberg and Tårnby, with a total population of 656,582 in the beginning of 2008.[13][14]

Copenhagen and Frederiksberg were two of the three last Danish municipalities not belonging to a county. On 1 January 2007, the municipalities lost their county privileges and became part of Copenhagen Capital Region.

History

Main article: History of Copenhagen
Copenhagen c. 1895

From its humble origins as a fishing village to its heyday as the glittering capital of the Danish Empire, to its current position as one of the world's premier design capitals, the stories and characters of Copenhagen's history can be discovered in its sumptuous palaces, copper-roofed town houses and atmospheric cobbled squares. From the Viking Age there was a fishing village by the name of "Havn" (harbour) at the site. Recent archeological finds indicate that by the 11th century, Copenhagen had already grown into a small town with a large estate, a church, a market, at least two wells and many smaller habitations spread over a fairly wide area.[15] From the middle of the 12th century it grew in importance after coming into the possession of the Bishop Absalon, who fortified it in 1167, the year traditionally marking the foundation of Copenhagen. The excellent harbour encouraged Copenhagen's growth until it became an important centre of commerce (hence its name - the first part of the word denoting commerce in Danish language). It was repeatedly attacked by the Hanseatic League as the Germans took notice. In 1254, it received its charter as a city under Bishop Jakob Erlandsen.

During 1658-59 it withstood a severe siege by the Swedes under Charles X and successfully repelled a major assault. In 1801 a British fleet under Admiral Parker fought a major battle, the Battle of Copenhagen, with the Danish Navy in Copenhagen harbour. It was during this battle Lord Nelson famously "put the telescope to the blind eye" in order not to see Admiral Parker's signal to cease fire. When a British expeditionary force bombarded Copenhagen in 1807, to gain control of the Danish Navy, the city suffered great damage and hundreds of people were killed. The reason why the devastation was so great was that Copenhagen relied on an old defence-line rendered virtually useless by the increase in shooting range available to the British. But not until the 1850s were the ramparts of the city opened to allow new housing to be built around the lakes ("Søerne") which bordered the old defence system to the west. This dramatic increase of space was long overdue, not only because the old ramparts were out of date as a defence system, but also because of bad sanitation in the old city. Before the opening, Copenhagen Center was inhabited by approximately 125,000 people, peaking in the census of 1870 (140,000); today the figure is around 25,000. In 1901, Copenhagen expanded further, incorporating communities with 40,000 people, and in the process making Frederiksberg an enclave within Copenhagen.

During World War II, Copenhagen was occupied by German troops along with the rest of the country from 9 April 1940 until 4 May 1945. In August 1943, when the government's collaboration with the occupation forces collapsed, several ships were sunk in Copenhagen Harbour by the Royal Danish Navy to prevent them being used by the Germans. The city has grown greatly since the war, in the seventies using the so-called five-finger-plan of commuter trainlines to surrounding towns and suburbs.

Since the summer 2000, the cities of Copenhagen and Malmö have been connected by a toll bridge/tunnel (Øresund Bridge), which allows both rail and road passengers to cross. As a result, Copenhagen has become the centre of a larger metropolitan area which spans both nations. The construction of the bridge has led to a large number of changes to the public transportation system and the extensive redevelopment of Amager, south of the main city.

Panorama of The Palace and Fredricks Chruch
Panorama of The Palace and Fredricks Chruch

Copenhagen's new skyline

Copenhagen is known for its horizontal skyline, only broken by spires at churches and castles. In the coming years, a number of development projects in the outskirts of the historical city will add another dimension to the skyline.

Greater Copenhagen

The LM-project
The upcoming high-rise area in Nordhavn, Copenhagen. UN headquarters in Denmark, hotels and office buildings are going to be build. Consists of two towers; 113 m. and 98 m. with a 65 m. high skybridge, all designed by Steven Holl, which won the international competition 31 October 2008

Carlsberg Our City
Carlsberg's upcoming building project. Expected to start in 2010 and end in 2029, with an estimated cost of over 2,8 billion Euro. 9 highrises/towers are planned.

DI new headquarters
DI (Dansk Industri) will in 2009/2010 restore and modernise their current HQ. The building will give Rådhuspladsen a more modern and contemporary look.

The Battery
9 buildings of different heights, 86 m for the tallest one. Floors: ~28, 24, 23, 21, 19, 18, 15, 14 and unknown (for the mosque.) Residential, Office, Shopping, Etc.

Ørestad Business district

Due to the Copenhagen Airport all buildings in Ørestad must not reach 85 meters.

Copenhagen Towers
Crowne Plaza/Office Towers. The hotel is expected to be completed in 2009. Just in time for the global climate conference held by UN. The Office Tower is designed by the British architects Fosters + Partners. In 2010-2012 a third phase of the project will begin with another office tower. Under construction (hotel + office).

Ørestad Business Center
Two buildings at a height of 80-85 meters will form a gate at the highway from Ørestad to the Airport. Due to the operation of planes and radars, the buildings are limited to 85 meters.

Bella Center
2x80 m. towers. Under construction.

Ørestad Downtown
2x75 m. towers, designed by Daniel Liebeskind. Under construction.

Field's tower
1x80 m. tower.

Housing Crises

Since the 1990s Copenhagen has suffered from an ever-growing shortage of housing.

Location

Location of Coppenhagen in Denmark
Nørrebro seen from "Søerne"
Copenhagen City Hall

Copenhagen is located on the eastern shore of the island of Zealand (Sjælland) and partly on the island of Amager. Copenhagen faces the Øresund to the east, the strait of water that separates Denmark from Sweden, and that connects the North Sea with the Baltic Sea. On the Swedish side of the sound directly across from Copenhagen, lie the towns of Malmö and Landskrona.

Copenhagen is also a part of the Øresund region, which consists of Zealand, Lolland-Falster and Bornholm in Denmark and Scania in Sweden.

Boroughs and Areas

Copenhagen consists of a number of boroughs and areas, including

The term bro in the names Østerbro, Nørrebro, Vesterbro and Amagerbro should not be confused with the Danish word for bridge, which is also 'bro'. The term is thought to be an abbreviation or short form of the Danish word brolagt meaning paved referring to the roads paved with cobblestones leading to the city's former gates - Østerport, Nørreport, and Vesterport - around which these boroughs grew. Thus the names could roughly be translated as Eastern, Northern, and Western Paved (Road), respectively.

Today the names Østerport, Nørreport, and Vesterport all refer to train stations located on the railroad that was built where the city-walls used to be. This is the border between the medieval town and the rest of Indre By.

Suburbs: The Finger Plan

Suburban Copenhagen is planned according to Fingerplanen, "The Finger Plan", initiated in 1947, dividing the suburbs into five fingers. The S-train lines are built according to The Finger Plan, while green belts and highways are built in-between the fingers

The Little Finger

The northern suburbs form the little finger of the plan, and is traditionally the wealthiest of the suburbs. In popular language, the area is known as "The Whiskey Belt", although the area is mixed between mansions, larger houses, garden cities and mid-size houses. The area has a population of around 270,000 inhabitants.

The Ring Finger

The North-Northwestern part of the suburbs forms the ring finger. The area is to a large extent formed by detached middle-class dwellings, with some exceptions of housing projects or upper-class areas. The area has a population of around 100,000 inhabitants.

The Middle Finger

The northwestern suburbs form the middle finger, and consists of a mixed area of both detached middle-class dwellings, widespread garden cities and large, low-rise public housing projects. The area has a considerable part of the industrial areas of metropolitan Copenhagen, mostly in the traditional sectors of manufacturing. The area has a population of around 110,000 inhabitants.

The Index Finger

The index finger forms the western suburbs, which are the suburbs with the lowest income per capita and the highest crime-rate. The suburbs vary from the petit bourgeois area of Glostrup to the widespread low housing projects of Albertslund and Taastrup. Of the total of 145,000 inhabitants, some 20% are immigrants of first or second generation.

The Thumb

The southwest suburbs along the coast form the thumb of the plan. While the central parts of these suburbs are dominated by high-rise housing projects and low-income inhabitants, the distant part is dominated by detached middle-class houses. These suburbs have a population of some 215,000 inhabitants and has a sizeable number of immigrants.

Amager Island suburbs

When the finger plan was initially introduced, the island of Amager wasn't included as the infrastructure was inadequate for modern suburban life. Later it has been improved, and the suburbs at the island hold some 53,000 inhabitants. Amager is now one of the most modern suburbs of Copehagen with increasing wealth.

Copenhagen Panorama
Copenhagen Panorama
Copenhagen Panorama
Copenhagen Panorama

Population

Islands Brygge.

Depending on the boundaries used, the population of Copenhagen differs. Statistics Denmark uses a measure of the contiguously built-up urban area of Copenhagen, this means the number of communities included in this statistical abstract has changed several times, in the abstracts latest edition with close to 1.2 million (1,153,615 (2008)) inhabitants. This number is not a strict result of the commonly-used measuring methods of 200 meters of continuously build-up area, as there are exceptions to the general rule in the suburbs of Dragør, Taastrup, Birkerød, Hørsholm and Farum. Statistics Denmark has never stated the geographical area of urban Copenhagen. However, we know it consists of Copenhagen Municipality, Frederiksberg and 16 of the 20 municipalities in the old counties Copenhagen and Roskilde, though 5 of them only partially.[16]

Østerbro Panorama
Østerbro Panorama

Statistics Denmark has worked out definitions of so-called lands (landsdele), a definition used to meet statistical needs on a lower level than regions. From this, the land of Copenhagen city (København by) is defined by the municipalities of Copenhagen, Dragør, Frederiksberg and Tårnby, with a total population of 656,582 in the beginning of 2008.[13][14] The surroundings of Copenhagen is defined by another land, Copenhagen suburban (Københavns omegn), which includes the municipalities of Albertslund, Ballerup, Brøndby, Gentofte, Gladsaxe, Glostrup, Herlev, Hvidovre, Høje-Taastrup, Ishøj, Lyngby-Taarbæk, Rødovre and Vallensbæk, and with a total population of 504,481 (January 1, 2008).[13][14] This gives a total population of 1,161,063 for these two lands together. The lands of Copenhagen city and Copenhagen suburban can together be used as a definition of the metropolitan area, although perhaps a somewhat narrow one.

From 1 January 2008 the population of the 34 municipalities closest to and including the municipality of Copenhagen is 1,857,263 and by 1 October 2008 the population of this area had grown to 1,872,706.[17] Land area: 2,923 km² (1,032 sq mi). (Capital Region - Bornholm + East Zealand + Stevns) Water area: 105 km² (40.5 sq mi).[18] Thus, the region comprises 6.8% of the land area of Denmark, but has 33.9% of Denmark's population. This gives a total of 637 inhabitants per km² or 1,650 per square mile for the region. This compares with a population density in the rest of the country of approximately 90 per km² or around 230 per square mile.

Based on a 10%-isoline (data from 2002) in which at least 10% commutes into central parts of the Copenhagen area, most of Zealand would be covered and this area has a population of about 2.3 million inhabitants.[19]

Since the opening of the Øresund Bridge in 2000, commuting between and integration of Greater Malmö and Copenhagen have increased rapidly, and a combined statistical metropolitan area has formed. This metropolitan area, which has a population of 2,501,094 (2008) is expected to be officially defined by the respective statistics divisions of Denmark and Sweden in the upcoming years.

A high-ranking civil servant of the Interior Ministry, Henning Strøm, who was involved in (i.e. known as "the Father of") a past municipal reform, which took effect on 1 April 1970, said on television, broadcast in connection with the recent Kommunalreformen ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), that Copenhagen municipality would encompass an area with 1.5 million inhabitants, if the principles of the 1970 municipal reform were also applied on Copenhagen municipality.[20] In other words: in the rest of Denmark the city occupies only part of the municipality, but in Copenhagen the municipality of Copenhagen occupies only part of the city of Copenhagen.

Panorama of Nyhavn
Panorama of Nyhavn

Recreation and Culture

Since the late 1990s, Copenhagen has undergone a transformation from a cute Scandinavian capital to a cool metropolitan city of international scope in the league of cities like Barcelona and Amsterdam. This was in part due to infrastructural changes like the new Metro, the new Airport Terminal and the bridge to Sweden - but also due to cultural success: Dogma & Lars von Trier, a renewal of Scandinavian architecture & design, the establishment of Vega - House of Music, not to mention the rise of a bustling underground culture scene, which was nearly non-existent in Copenhagen until recently. Between 1998 and 2008, lifestyle journalists wordwide (from Wallpaper to the NewYorkTimes) have praised Copenhagen as a cool, well-functioning creative city (see "Copenhagen In International Ranks", below).

Music and entertainment

Copenhagen Opera House
The Royal Danish Theatre

The Copenhagen Jazz Festival, which takes place in early July, is a popular annual event that is the result of a significant jazz scene having existed for many years. It developed when a number of American jazz musicians such as Ben Webster, Thad Jones, Richard Boone, Ernie Wilkins, Kenny Drew, Ed Thigpen, Bob Rockwell and others such as rock guitarist Link Wray came to live in Copenhagen during the 1960s.

Copenhagen Distortion is a youth culture festival capturing the zeitgeist of the city, gathering every year (5 days up to the first weekend of June) up to 30.000 people in the streets, in shops, galleries, clubs, bars, in boats and buses, with a cultural focus on street culture, art and upfront dance music.

For free entertainment one can stroll along Strøget, especially between Nytorv and Højbro Plads, which in the late afternoon and evening is a bit like an impromptu three-ring circus with musicians, magicians, jugglers and other street performers.

View from Amerikakaj
Cisternerne, Frederiksberg
Cisternerne, Frederiksberg

Sports

Copenhagen has a wide variety of sport teams. The two major football teams are Brøndby IF and FC København. Brøndby IF plays at Brøndby Stadium in Brøndby and FC København plays at Parken in Østerbro, Copenhagen. Notable Copenhagen teams playing at the second highest level in Danish football (the Danish 1st Division) include Lyngby BK, AB, HIK, Frem, Brønshøj, Fremad Amager and Skjold.

Copenhagen also has three ice hockey teams: Rødovre Mighty Bulls, Herlev Hornets and Nordsjælland Cobras.

There are a lot of handball teams in Copenhagen. FC København owns both a women's and a men's team, which have the same name and logo. They were formerly known as FIF. Of other clubs playing in the "highest" leagues there are; Ajax Heroes, Ydun, and HIK (Hellerup).

Rugby union is also played in the Danish capital with teams such as CSR-Nanok, Copenhagen Scrum, Exiles, Froggies and Rugbyklubben Speed.

The Danish Australian Football League, based in Copenhagen is the largest Australian rules football competition outside of the English speaking world.

Copenhagen is also home to a number of Denmark's 40-odd cricket clubs. Although Denmark has been an associate member of the International Cricket Council since 1966, the sport is not taught much in schools, and Danish cricket competes unfavourably with the much more widely followed sport of football for players, facilities, media attention and spectators.

The second World Outgames will take place in Copenhagen in 2009, after Berlin refused to stage them due to the continuing rivalry between the two gay sporting organisations. It would be the largest such event hosted in Copenhagen.

Cuisine

Copenhagen offers a great variety of fine restaurants and it is possible to find modest eateries with open sandwiches (called "smørrebrød"), which is the traditional and best known dish. Most restaurants, though, serve international dishes.

The city boasts an impressive 11 Michelin star restaurants. Restaurant Noma (Nordisk Madhus) has currently been voted the 10th best restaurant in the world, and recently it received another Michelin star in addition with the one it already had received.[21] Furthermore, the readers of the international website TripAdvisor rated Noma as the best restaurant in the world.

Since the nineteen-eighties, immigration from the Pakistan, Middle East, Turkey and Arabian countries has introduced fast food dishes such as kebab and falafel, which have become as popular as more traditional Danish fast food.

Nature

Østre Anlæg
University of Copenhagen Botanical Garden

Copenhagen and the surrounding counties have 3 beaches with a total of approx. 8km of sandy beaches within 30 minutes bicycling from the city centre. This includes Amager Strandpark, a 2 km long artificial island which opened in 2005 and is located just 15 minutes by bicycle from the city centre.

Copenhagen Fashion Week

Every February and August, Copenhagen is host to Northern Europe's largest fashion event, Copenhagen Fashion Week. On the catwalks are a growing number of new and known Danish talent with a preview of their upcoming collections. And at the three trade fairs, CPH Vision, Gallery and Copenhagen International Fashion Fair, you will find an additional 1,100 exhibitors representing a total of over 2,300 international brand name collections.

Danish fashion is known for its unique angle on design, innovation and aesthetics. With a more modern approach to femininity and functionality, expressed in fresh silhouettes, a focus on details and incomparable quality. These are only some of the reasons why more than 50,000 buyers, designers and global press attend Copenhagen Fashion Week twice a year.

Of course, the other main attraction is Copenhagen itself. It's a cosy, metropolitan city located by the waterfront, and features an interesting array of design venues, architecture, cultural events, cafés, bars and nightlife.

Copenhagen Fashion Week is organised by the Danish Fashion Institute - a newly founded network organisation created by and for the Danish fashion industry. The purpose is to develop an extensive network of industry professionals to promote, market and drive Danish fashion forward. In close cooperation with trade fairs, interest organisations, national organisations, event agencies and media partners, Copenhagen Fashion Week is a pivotal player in positioning Copenhagen as a fashion destination on the international arena.

Panorama of Copenhagen Habour
Panorama of Copenhagen Habour

Economy

Wind Farm just off Copenhagen
The Danish National Bank. Designed by Arne Jacobsen.

Copenhagen is a center for business and science, not only in Denmark, but also in the Oresund Region and Scandinavia. Thus the Copenhagen Capital Region had both the highest GDP per capita and economic growth in the whole of Denmark in 2005.[22] In a 2006 survey of the richest cities in the world, Copenhagen was ranked 9th, and along with the Norwegian capital Oslo the highest gross wages were paid in Copenhagen, but the high taxes mean that wages are reduced after mandatory deduction.[23] Furthermore, Copenhagen has in several surveys been ranked as one of the most expensive cities in the World.[24][25] In a newly released survey by the Swiss bank UBS AG, the second largest bank in Europe by market capitalisation, Copenhagen had the highest gross wages in the World[26], and the average wage earner in Copenhagen earned somewhat 40% more than the average person in New York, considering the 14 most prevalent crafts [27], but when considering the tax level and general prices, Copenhagen drops down to a 6th place in the survey and in a calculation of the hourly domestic purchasing power, with the most common average expenses and rent included, Copenhagen only reaches a 16th place, behind cities such as Zurich, Munich and Oslo.

Several international companies have established their regional headquarters in Copenhagen, e.g. Microsoft. Maersk, the world's largest container shipping company, has their world headquarters in Copenhagen. A substantial number of Danish pharmaceuticals such as Novo Nordisk, Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Bavarian Nordic also operate in the area, having placed their headquarters in or close to Copenhagen.[28]

In a survey published by the Danish Enterprise and Construction Agency and the Capital Region of Denmark in 2008, Copenhagen was ranked 3rd in Western Europe in terms of attracting regional headquarters and distribution centers, only surpassed by London and Paris.[10]

There are 2,100 foreign companies located in the Copenhagen area, of which approx. 500 are Scandinavian head offices, representing a wide range of industries. Strong Danish business clusters in sectors including life sciences and IT help attract head offices and R&D divisions from abroad. One of these is the German biotech giant Sartorius Stedim Biotech, which is currently creating a Nordic head office in Tåstrup on the outskirts of Copenhagen. Sartorius produces process equipment for the pharmaceutical and biotech industry.

"We chose Copenhagen in preference to Stockholm because Copenhagen with its Medicon Valley is one of the strongest and most interesting biotech regions in Europe at the moment," commented Henrik Krogen, director of Sartorius Stedim Nordic A/S.[29]

Søndre Frihavn
Søndre Frihavn

Science, Research and Education

Copenhagen University

Copenhagen is home to the oldest and largest university in Denmark, the University of Copenhagen founded in 1479. The University does renowned research within science, health, law, social sciences, theology and the humanities and forms part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), which is a collaboration between high-ranking universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Yale and the University of California at Berkeley. The University attracts app. 1500 international and exchange students every year.[30] The city is also home to EQUIS accredited and high-ranked Copenhagen Business School.

Transport

The new metro
S-train at Nørreport
Metro entrance in Frederiksberg

The greater Copenhagen has a very well established transportation infrastructure making it a hub in Northern Europe. By a quality service of roads, railways, airports and harbours has earned Denmark a top ranking in the IMD’s World Competitiveness Yearbook and in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report for several consecutive years[31]

Christianshavns Kanal

Roads

Copenhagen has a large network of toll-free highways and public roads connecting different municipalities of the city together and to Northern Europe.[31] As in many other cities in Europe traffic is increasing in Copenhagen. The radial arterial roads and highways leading to the Copenhagen city center are critically congested during peak hours.[32]

Cycling

The city's bicycle paths are extensive and well-used. Bicycle paths are often separated from the main traffic lanes and sometimes have their own signal systems. Copenhagen is known as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world,[33] with up to 32% of people commuting to work by bicycle [34] and is a center of bicycle culture. The city provides public bicycles which can be found throughout the downtown area and used with a returnable deposit of 20 kroner.

Copenhagen's well-developed bicycle culture has given rise to the term 'copenhagenize'. This is the practice of other cities adopting Copenhagen-style bike lanes and bicycle infrastructure.

Harbour

The harbour of Copenhagen, since 2001 merged with Malmö to Copenhagen-Malmö Port, has several functions but its main function today is a major cruise destination.

Cruise Copenhagen Network was established in 1992 as a partnership between the Port of Copenhagen, the City of Copenhagen and 45 professional suppliers, in order to strengthen and develop Copenhagen as the most successful home port for cruises in Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea. The trade magazine Dream World Cruise Destinations recently polled the cruise lines, who voted Copenhagen no. 1 in several categories: Most Responsive Port and Best Destination Experience for Independent Sightseeing. World Travel Awards has for several years in a row named Copenhagen Port as the number one cruise destination in Europe.[35]

Airports

Copenhagen airport (Kastrup)

Copenhagen has two airports, Kastrup (the large international airport) and Roskilde Lufthavn (a smaller international and general aviation airport). Kastrup, also known as Copenhagen Airport, is Europe's 17th busiest airport and has four times won the award as being "The best airport in Europe", and two times as "The best airport in the world".

Kastrup is Scandinavia's Largest Airport and is one of the three main hubs for Scandinavian Airlines.

Another nearby and busy airport, Malmö Airport, is found outside Malmö, across the Oresund Bridge on the Swedish side. It's situated about 55 km from central Copenhagen, and is often used by low-cost carriers and charter airlines as their Copenhagen destination. In certain circumstances, like heavy fog and lightning strikes, it sometimes works as a alternate to Kastrup.

Public transportation

The public transportation system of Copenhagen consists of commuter trains (called "S-trains" (S-tog)), buses, and a metro. The S-trains form the basis of the transportation network, stretching to most areas of metropolitan Copenhagen, with their main hub at Copenhagen Central Station (København H). Regional trains supplement the S-train services with lines extending further such as to the Copenhagen Airport, Elsinore, and Malmö. The Danish State Railways' Intercity network has its eastern terminus and main hub at Copenhagen, with most trains extending to Copenhagen Airport.

The fare system is based on 95 zones covering the capital area. Tickets are transferable from one means of transport to another within a time limit. The more zones a ticket is valid for, the longer its time validity with a maximum of two hours. Discount cards (punch cards, klippekort) and period cards are available. Ticket prices are high and have increased substantially in recent years leading to a decrease in passenger numbers. In fact, the percentage of trips made on public transportation in Copenhagen is quite low by northern European standards.

Panorama of Sølvtorvet Copenhagen
Panorama of Sølvtorvet Copenhagen
Christiansborg Palace - home of the Danish Parliament Folketinget, the Supreme Court, Office of the Prime Minister and official reception area of Queen Margrethe II
Børsen - the former Stock Exchange building
The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen harbor
Amalienborg Palace - home of the Danish royal family. The central building is the domed Marble Church located behind the palace complex
Nyhavn
The Marble Church
Rosenborg Castle in central Copenhagen
Christianshavns Canal

Places of note in or near Copenhagen

Photo Gallery

Copenhagen In International Ranks

Copenhagen has placed well in a number of international rankings, some of which are mentioned below.

Copenhagen is one of the most visited cities in Northern Europe and is known for its livelihood.[36]

In 2008, the magazine Monocle listed Copenhagen first in their Top 25 Most Livable Cities list,[37] and gave the city the special award as "Best Design City".

Monocle has also stated that Copenhagen is Scandinavia's most desirable city.[38]

In addition, it has also been classified as a GaWC Cultural World City, while it is 3rd in Western Europe in terms of attracting regional headquarters and distribution centers, only surpassed by London and Paris.[39]

The city of Copenhagen is ranked #14 in MasterCard Worldwide Centers of Commerce Index and #1 in Scandinavia. This makes Copenhagen the most important business city in Nordic Region.[40]

Copenhagen was ranked #6 in Grist Magazine's "15 Green Cities" list in 2007 making Copenhagen the Greenist Capital of Scandinavia.[41]

Copenhagen is the worlds #7 most expensive city and #3 most expensive in Europe on the Forbes List.[42]

Copenhagen is seen as a fashion powerhouse, hosting a large annual Fashion Week and attracting famous international designers. Copenhagen is also referred as the ' Fashion Capital of Scandinavia '. Copenhagen Fashion Week itself is the largest Fashion Event of the Nordic countries.[43]

North Habour
North Habour

Notable natives

Sister Cities

Further reading

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Region Hovedstaden" (in Danish). Region Hovedstaden. Retrieved on 2008-11-12.
  2. ↑ General facts on The Øresund Region
  3. ↑ Biography of George de Hevesy
  4. ↑ [http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081121160053AAC89Yw LARGEST CITY Copenhagen or Stockholm ?
  5. ↑ [http://www.meetincopenhagen.com/professional_-_english/congresses_and_conventions/why_copenhagen?/short_facts Denmark in brief
  6. ↑ Monocles page on Copenhagen
  7. ↑ By Stuart Husband Monocle Magazine Published: June 19, 2007
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 (2008). "Worldwide Centers of Commerce Index" (PDF). MasterCard. Retrieved on 2008-11-24.
  9. ↑ MCWW WCoC-Report 2008
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "COPENHAGEN REGION RANKS 3RD IN WESTERN EUROPE FOR ATTRACTING HEAD OFFICES", Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, 2008-08-05, http://www.ambottawa.um.dk/en/servicemenu/News/Copenhagen+region+ranks+3rd+in+western+EuropeForAttractingHeadOffices.htm 
  11. ↑ Copenhagen Tourism Site
  12. ↑ "Weather Information for Copenhagen". World Weather Information Service]. Retrieved on 6 January, 2008.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Statistics Denmark, table BEF1A07: Population 1 January by region, age, sex, marital status Retrieved on 2008-03-26.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Statistics Denmark, definitions of lands as of 2007-01-01 (excel-file, in danish) Retrieved on 2008-03-26.
  15. ↑ Arkæologer graver ny teori om København op af mulden (Archeologists develop new theory about Copenhagen from their digs), Videnskab.dk, 5 November 2008
  16. ↑ [1]Largest cities of Denmark 2007
  17. ↑ Statistikbanken.dk Population table BEF1A07
  18. ↑ Orienteering fra Københavns Kommune. Statistisk Kontor.2003 nr. 25
  19. ↑ http://www.bvl.aau.dk/dansk/fase1/plancher/pendler_hreg.jpg
  20. ↑ DR netnews 25-06-04
  21. ↑ "Michelin starred restaurants Copenhagen - Official tourist-site about Copenhagen". Wonderful Copenhagen. Retrieved on 2006-08-10.
  22. ↑ Regionale regnskaber 2005 - Nyt fra Danmarks Statistik - Danmarks Statistik
  23. ↑ City Mayors: World's richest cities
  24. ↑ City Mayors: World's most expensive cities (EIU)
  25. ↑ City Mayors: World's most expensive cities - Ranking
  26. ↑ Københavnere får verdens højeste lønninger - Dine penge
  27. ↑ Københavnere får verdens højeste lønninger - Dine penge
  28. ↑ USATODAY.com
  29. ↑ ATTRACTING HEAD OFFICES.
  30. ↑ Internationalisation – University of Copenhagen
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 [2] , Infrastructure & logistics - Copenhagen a distribution hub, retrieved February 22, 2007.
  32. ↑ [3], Light rail project in Copenhagen – the Ring 2½ corridor, reterived February 22, 2008
  33. ↑ ICLEI Cities Enjoy Bicycles AwardsPDF (289 KiB) ICLEI "Cities Enjoy Bicycles" awards for bicycle-friendly cities, in which Copenhagen was awarded a certificate of honour
  34. ↑ Media Release: Copenhagen Comes To Swanston Street
  35. ↑ [4]World Travel Awards 2007-08
  36. ↑ Facts on Copenhagen
  37. ↑ Monocles page on Copenhagen
  38. ↑ By Stuart Husband Monocle Magazine Published: June 19, 2007
  39. ↑ Copenhagen region ranks 3rd in western Europe for attracting head offices - Embassy of Denmark Canada
  40. ↑ MCWW WCoC-Report 2008
  41. ↑ 15 Green Cities | Grist | Main Dish | 19 July 2007
  42. ↑ Forbes-Worlds Most Expensive Cities List
  43. ↑ The New York Sun-An Unexpected Fashion Capital
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 Monocles page on Copenhagen
  45. ↑ By Stuart Husband Monocle Magazine Published: June 19, 2007
  46. ↑ 15 Green Cities | Grist | Main Dish | 19 July 2007
  47. ↑ Forbes-Worlds Most Expensive Cities List
  48. ↑ Preferred City For Investment Projects
  49. ↑ [hhttp://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200608/13/eng20060813_292730.html Global earning ranking]
  50. ↑ Style & Substance Danmark
  51. ↑ A great place to live
  52. ↑ A great place to live

External links

30 most populous cities of Denmark
as of 1 January 2008, according to Statistics Denmark [6]
1. Copenhagen 1,153,615
2. Århus 237,551
3. Odense 158,163
4. Aalborg 121,818
5. Esbjerg 70,880
6. Randers 59,565
7. Kolding 55,596
8. Horsens 51,670
9. Vejle 50,213
10. Roskilde 45,824
11. Herning 44,763
12. Næstved 41,810
13. Silkeborg 41,674
14. Fredericia 39,391
15. Viborg 34,831
16. Køge 34,792
17. Helsingør 34,350
18. Holstebro 33,939
19. Hørsholm 32,886
20. Taastrup 31,917
21. Slagelse 31,879
22. Hillerød 29,296
23. Svendborg 27,318
24. Sønderborg 27,286
25. Holbæk 26,267
26. Hjørring 24,815
27. Frederikshavn 23,551
28. Haderslev 21,279
29. Skive 20,643
30. Ringsted 20,188
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