(
Danish:
København)
As nwman called it "Capital of that nice little country". The Capital City of Denmark, lying on the
islands of Zealand (Sjælland), and Amager. It was a small fishing
village until 1167, when the bishop of Roskilde built a castle on the site
of the present Christiansborg palance. A settlement quickly grew up and it
became the Danish capital in 1443.
Lying across the Øresund from
Malmö, in Sweden, the city is one of Scandinavia's liveliest and largest
with a population of around 1.4 million. For tourists, the city has maintained
a good balance between daytime sightseeing and an active nightlife. For
sightseers, the city is replete with countless museums, castles and old
churches, including the Rådhus (City Hall), Gammel Torv (where the
city's central market once was), Tivoli, the
little mermaid, the Royal Theatre, Charlottenburg (seat of
the Royal Academy of Arts), Nyhavn -- a picturesque canal, dug 300 years
ago -- and, of course, Amalienborg Palace, home of the royal family since
1794. And for the clubbers, pubs and clubs are open until the early
hours of the morning.
The city was occupied by Germany between April
1940 and May 1945, and was also site to an important battle in both British
and Danish Naval history on April 2, 1801, when the British fleet led by
Sir Hyde Parker and Nelson destroyed the Danish fleet. The various
skirmishes and battles between Britain and Denmark had deep
ramifications for the industrialisation of Denmark and the emancipation
of the Working Classes.
Population (1990): 1,337,100