American reacts to Denmark. Geography Now! Denmark
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- Опубліковано 28 бер 2021
- Jim learns about Denmark! If you are from Denmark say hi in the comments 👋
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I am from Denmark 🇩🇰
You can get Christmas trees from approximately 16 $, if you cut them yourself (together with the kids and family, drinking hot chocolate, coffee and " Gløgg" (hot red wine with spice)) - or you can buy the trees from approximately 25$ in the cities - for those poor souls that don't like getting some fresh air in the forest, together with the kids. By the way - Santa Claus is living in Greenland - not in Finland, as those poor Fins believe (home country of Nightwish!!) 😉
We are also very much into fighting polution, creating green energy, and often considered to be front-runners in those matters. As others have mentioned, free schools, hospitals and a social security network, that prevents homelessness (unless you choose it yourself) - but our taxes...
If you put everything together including the taxes on things you buy, we are around 90% give or take...
Cars are like 3 times the price from factory and gasoline 1,8$ pr liter..
And yes we all speak and write fluid english and most people also german (we learn it as standard in scool, like swedish and norwegian).
In general we are polite and likes to help other people ( for free and fun and friendship, even if we don't know people first..)
And we have stright ruling about weapons - so Denmark are a pretty safe country to live in.
We are in general nice people, that as a rule sees the best in people as a starting point - and if we were wrong - well we are pretty big and have Viking blood in our vains...
And we like to party. We are mostly compared with people from the other Nordic countries - or the Aussies!!
You sound awesome! Thanks for taking the time to share all that info with me.
I totally agree, Aussies are so easy to like! I’m Norwegian though, maybe it’s a Scandinavian thing to like Aussies 😊
@Jouni Guess he got to have an address in Finland to avoid Danish taxes 💸. By the way..don’t you pay a hell of a lot of money in taxes in Finland too?
@Jouni 🤣 This has to be the most wholesome disagreement ever!
I live in Copenhagen without a car, no way i'm trying to drag a fucking christmas tree all the way through the city from a forest. I'll just pay the 25$ thank you.
I'm from Denmark, and at the age of 25 I was allowed to retire, never having worked (but a lot of attempts) due to mental illness and diagnosis. I'm convinced in any other country outside of scandinavia, I would be dead or homeless living on the streets getting there.
Because of the high taxes, people like me with severe mental illness are taken care of. We have full access to healthcare, schooling and eduation - everyone here does.
I feel so safe and cared for, knowing the people around me are taking care of me indirectly and the government helping me directly to navigate life. I feel cared for by my country and neighbours, it feels very very safe and comforting.
I feel the same way. I’m not severely mentally ill but have been unable to work/go to school for about 7 years now because of anxiety (agoraphobia), have been in treatment.
I am, like you, convinced I’d either be dead or homeless by now if it hadn’t been for our welfare system payed by taxes. I feel very safe here in Denmark and the high taxes is definitely a huge part of what allows me to feel this way.
Another reason why high tax is okay - we take care of each other and what happend to you, could happen to anyone of us
The taxes are DEFINITELY worth it if you ask me. It helps make sure everyone is taken care of, and that we have already paid for any education, healthcare, senior care, and financial help during times of unemployment that we, and everyone around us, might need.
They deffintetly is! 🇩🇰🇩🇰🇩🇰
Yeah it is, but it is also on the other hand kinda controversial
My dad always complains about how we pay taxes to the queen-
@@Emxtional_ well, if you are against the monarchy I guess that is as close to a fair complaint as you can get. Unless the majority wants to get rid of that it probably won't change, but I get that that is frustrating for the minority. I never enjoy when the majority overrule what I would like or want, so I get it. But I guess not even a democracy will ever be able to make everyone happy all the time...
I agree, the taxes are 100% worth it.
Remember Vitamin D is ranked in that area of depression medicin. It is just for lack of the Sun in the Winther. Thanks for this video. Greetings from Denmark 👋🇩🇰
Not only lack of the D vitamins during winter but we have a very high pressure on young people during education. Too many future choices to be made and we are raised up to show responsablity to society! Many has depression cause of that and it has become a common illness in Denmark.
@@moonytoon1979no offense but no? We have one of the best functioning phsycological help systems in the World? And the choice thing isnt that Big a thing we have to decide between what kinda School we Want when we are 16
I'm danish and i pay my tax happily. I think what we get for our tax money is worth the high tax. Free healthcare, paid sick leave, childcare, free education et.c.
And I think what we pay more in tax, compared to a US citizen, is roughly what a US citizen spends on health insurance, savings for education and so on.
Don't forget this fact. In the United States we save all our lives to support ourselves when we get old and to pay off our homes. Then when you do get cancer or have a heart attack or something you lose all your savings. Insurance here is a joke and dictates what treatments are covered. Hospitals, doctors, and politicians get all of our money eventually. This is not a lie!
lige mine or
The Noma thing was an experimental dish, taken out of context and not why they are the best restaurant. We are a meat and gravy kind of country :)
Noma was just named the best restaurant in the world again (and Geranium, another Danish, at 2nd).
BRUN SOVS OG KARTOFLER!
@@kenetha123 hell yeah brother
@@kenetha123 Det' noget der rykker :D
15:05 Quick note on the comment he makes about antidepressants, I think the data is highly connected to our healthcare systems, since things like depression are found and treated at a much higher rate.
and vitamin d is classified as an antidepressant. People who are from most other countries get plenty of vitamin d from the sun but people from the north needs to take it .
That's definitely part of it. It also seems plausible that depression is more pronounced in generally happy and prosperous places, as people compare their situation to others. You will feel sadder if everyone around you seems happy, compared to when everyone's life sucks equally.
@@albinjohnsson2511 That's very true actually
Hi 👋
I'm a faroese Dear- ARMY living in Denmark 🇩🇰 😂
Yes, high taxes, but most of us don't mind since we get all the benefits of free healthcare, school, university and so on.
I'm so happy that he included Faroe Islands, since most people tend to forget about my homeland.
👋
I'm happy to see a Faroese, being happy about living in Denmark.
@@masselfur Do you know some who are not?
Hej Alice. Jeg bor i Odense og tænker tit på både på færøerne og grønland og er glad for vi har fælledskabet sammen.Jeg tænker vi er stærkere sammen når vi nu er så små
Omg, Alice! Tjekkede lige din kanal... BTS og Sotus?! YES!!! 🤜🤛
Thy-ARMY, på 45 her
💜Borahae💜
To answer your question to Danes - Most of us do not mind paying high taxes, and yes we have completely free healthcare. We also have social security for unemployed and not only do we have free education we get payed during education so we can focus on that rather then struggling with a part time job out of necessity.
not free
none of this is free, its because the taxes are 45%
@@JamesRelok This is arguing semantics, you should be able to read from what i wrote, that of cause i mean "payed by taxes" when i say "free" given the context. That being said there is an argument to be made that in fact it would be considered "free" in a sense. If a person is not able to work and therefore not paying taxes, they will still receive the healthcare and it would be free for them. Now you could argue that someone else is paying for it and therefore is is not free, but in that sense the word "free" is misused more often then not.
@@JamesRelok taxes in 2022 is 52.07%(personal income) and 42%(positive net capital income)
@@JamesRelok That's just wrong on both statements. And you know the meaning of "free". Nothing in life is free a toddler knows that. We are specifically discussing whether there is an upfront financial burden related to health care and education or not. And there is not. So in the context that everyone above the age of 5 understands, these government provided services are "free". Also they are free in the sense that you don't actively have to have paid any taxes in order to make use of them, nor are you ever put in debt over your use of the freely provided health care and education. You can grow up while getting paid to study, have no medical bills, then decide to move to another country for work and never pay a single coin in Danish tax. You are legally free to do this if you so please, so yes even by technicality the services are free.
Onto the second statement of "taxes are 45%" - which is also wrong. Every Danish resident is allowed to earn up to 46.000 DKK (roughly 6.500 USD) tax free per year. What you earn from 6.5k USD up to 78k USD is taxed at 37%. Whatever you may earn above that income bracket is taxed at 53% (also called "Top skat", or "Peak tax".
So in short summary, yes the mentioned services are free, and no taxes are not 45%. We haven't even included any of the deductions that are widely available to pretty much everyone.
2:31 I have used that bridge several times and it is actually quite impressive. There's spots where you can't see any land. The first time I was there driving with my girldfriend at 6 am with no one else in sight, it was just us on the bridge, no land in sight and a beautifull sunrise.
I was at the top of the bridge. It was an amazing sight.
9:50 Dane here! I terms of taxes I think we get amazing rewards. Free school and university, financial student support from the age 18 (the amount of money depends on whether you live at home, parent's income, distance from education etc.) free healthcare (now also free therapy for people age 18-25!), and more. I think the reward is actually bigger than the price we pay, and takes away a lot of burdens:)
As a dane. Yes we have High tax but that means free healthcare, you get paid to go ti School
19:15 To put it briefly: high taxes make people happy. The countries with the highest taxes have the highest values when it comes to happiness.
Of course, only if you do something useful with the taxes you collect, right USA?
The top countries of the World Happiness Report 2021
1. Finland
2. Iceland
3. Denmark
4. Switzerland
So it’s not free😂
High taxes makes every single individual safe and secure. Taxes pay healthcare, police, millitary, and educational facilities, religious churches and similar, and several other things.
As a matter of fact, the average Dane have more money to spend after all costs for this, insurance and other necessities have been paid as explained by an American family that has moved to Denmark (Travilling young - I think their UA-cam channel are named).
Janteloven is based on the fact that we are all created equal. We all have the same opportunities to develop in life - as a single individual. Of course, those born of rich parents ultimately have some other and perhaps more options, but they should not think they are anything special, just because they happen to be born of rich parents. Boiled down to the essentials, a child of a poor person can be both wiser and more skilled than a child of rich parents, which is why the Danish school model is without a doubt better than the American one, because in Denmark everyone has the same education - Bering in the public school or whether your parents at some point send you to private school / boarding school. The teaching is the same. If you send your child to privat-/boarding school, an amount corresponding to what it is calculated for it costs to have the child go to a municipal school, with partial payment for the after-school. Thus, only a small difference has to be paid. so in general we have a principle, "the money follows the child", which allows parents to freely choose the solution they think is best for their child, without having to bear the entire bill themselves. That means, that the public school looses an amount of money (in fact they don't) and the privat-/boarding school gets the money instead. The parents only have to pay the difference, if any. And even here, you have the opportunity to And even here you have the opportunity to apply for extra economic help. This is also paid over the tax. The extra help you get if your child has extra needs, is disabled or similar. So Denmark try to make education equally accessible to everyone, regardless of your parents' income and wealth.
@@ShaneshaS, what you fail to understand is that by paying the taxes we do everyone is covered when it comes to health care, education, maternity leave, pensions etc etc. This means that an individual doesn’t have to pay out of pocket for education or health care. You won’t be ruined and lose everything as it frequently happens to people in the US - the only Western country which does not offer its citizens any form of comprehensive health care or socialized medicine - if you have to go to hospital for a much needed operation. We do pay for drugs, but even here drugs are subsidized by the government.
Recently there have been stories in the US about how people suffering with diabetes one can’t afford to buy insulin needed to keep them alive and how their health care providers - if they have any - refuse to cover the cost of the insulin that drug companies in the US charge exorbitant amounts. I’ve heard of people driving to Canada to get their medicine as it is cheaper in Canada.
So people who have no money or health care cut their doses to save on their medicine with fatal consequences. It’s heartbreaking to read about as it is a completely barbaric way to treat people who really need help. This would be unthinkable in Denmark. The diabetic person would receive all the medicine they need either free of charge or at a very low cost depending on their financial situation.
The thing about the sandwich. While he probably bought it in the most expensive part of Denmark (central Copenhagen) and Denmark is expensive, Danish smørrebrød is half or more of a meal. It's no ordinary sandwich.
I've had a $15 burger in New York and it was abominable - so greasy (yet the meat was dry like a hockey puck!) and the bun was falling apart. No effing fries were included in the price either.
16:00 They test these sirens once a year with the sound on, but they are tested every night without sound. They are used in case of incoming air raids, but can also be used in case of emergencies. And they are everywhere all across the country. If you live in a city you'll be able to hear at least 4 of them echoing around you.
They have different types of sounds they play and they all mean something different. They have them for air raids/bombs, gas, go inside, close windows and so forth.
They went off in my city one day after a chemical fire in the harbor, a ship salvage yard ignited some crude oil by accident, and the fumes drifted into the city and covered the streets.
Before 1994 they were tested every Wednesday at noon with sound on.
In elementary school it was always lunch recess at noon, so we were always outside playing during the siren test. We were used to it, but it was a bit foreboding when you thought about the reason for it, and about the stories you heard from your parents and grandparents about WWII. Luckily I never heard them being used for a real emergency.
@@Einyen I remember hearing them being tested every wednesday at 12.00 back in the day. If the Germans were smart. They would invade us on a wednesday during the air siren test... :-)
We never really feared a German invasion (after ww2, that is) but during the cold war the threat from Russia felt very real. And it does again now...
@@Einyen Just an addition: Yes, I also remember the weekly test every Wednesday at noon. The old sirens sounded different from what we hear in the video.
In 1993/94 or so, all the sirens were replaced with new ones, that didn't need to be tested (with sound) that often. And as @alphadexxa mentioned, the new ones can make different sounds. When they are tested yearly, the final sound played means "danger is over", or something like that.
@@Einyen yes and my grandmother who's from Serbia, she literally shat and pissed her pant first time she heard it. She witness the bombing of Belgrade doing ww2. And lost numerous family members, to but it frankly her whole family was wiped out except from her and her mom. She visit us often intil the start of the Balkan Civil War, sadly she had the "pleasure" of seeing the bombing of Belgrade in 1999 to. She was a tuff old lady, but very traumatized. I alway think of her when the sirens goes off.
The US expats Travellin Young have made a brilliantly simple video about our tax system vs. the US system. You should definitely check it out.
To be fair they've made some great and sometimes funny videos about our IT systems, schools, alcohol etc. but the tax video rules. 😄👍
@Jim Games This
I totally agree check out Traveling Young they so realistic when comparing US and Denmark especially the Tax explanation. Oh and yes I am a dane 75 so it's not only the young one's that speaks and writes English. Come and check out the country.
The annual emergency drill is always at noon on the first Wednesday of May. I remember it as being a big deal, when I was i kid, because the alarm was on the school grounds. So it was really loud.
Now it's just really funny to look at all the confused tourists when it happens. I know, I'm a monster mwuahaha!
For about the first 13 years of my life, they used to sound the sirens every single Wednesday at noon. So now I get kind of nostalgic for a couple of minutes that one Wednesday a year.
In Sweden we have an emergency drill the first monday of every third month.
The worst part is that although i know its going to happen every year at the same time, it always gets me "Oh... its that time of the year huh?" of cause it doesnt help that im a bit of an insomniac and getting roused from sleep by screaming loudspeakers.
The sirens are tested on the first Wednesday in May each year.
And no, we are not worried about the Germans attacking hehe.
For example, if there is a fire in your area that produces toxic fumes, the sirens in that specific area will be turned on, so people know they need to stay indoors, close windows and doors, and turn on the radio / TV, for news.
Hey, i am from Northern Germany we have the same thing in the smaller villages where the sirens are tested every saturday at 12 am
Same for France except there the sirens go off at midday on the first Wednesday of every month.
Norwegian here- just wanted to say that I have yet to meet an angry or grumpy Dane. Those guys always seem happy, no matter what.
Skål!
🍻
😊👍
Thats only because you are Norwegian, our rich little brother! We don't act like that with everyone
Tak (Thank you) 😊
Some DK tax stats and fees that often are glanced over in "cultural overview" vidoes:
As a base, a person in Denmark is allowed to earn roughly 6.5k USD tax free per year. This is usually to cover part time jobs that students might have and small hobbyist side business income etc.
What you earn above 6.5k USD is taxed at 37% - up to 78k USD.
The income that exceeds 78k USD is taxed at 53%.
So lets say you earn 100k USD total per year. The first 6.5k are tax free. The next 71.5k are taxed at 37%, and the remaining 12k are taxed at 53%
Now, these are only the surface numbers. To counteract the taxation, there are a whole host of deductions you may apply for. One such deduction can be travel cost, if you live more than 24km (15 miles) then you can refund the cost of travel at a rate of 30 cent per km travelled per day.
You can deduct other costs associated with your work depending on the field and type of employment, and the amount of savings is really just up to how much research you do about your deduction opportunities.
For some of this tax money, we get free health care for everyone. We get not just free, but paid education from high school to university degrees (pay increases if the student does not live with their parents), we get a frequently renovated road network with no road taxes (except a few bridges). We also get free financial support for people without a job (your conditions are far better if you have a university degree). You get free access to resources that help you to find a job while your unemployment is paid to cover basic daily needs etc.
And recently during Covid a lot of businesses received financial aid from the tax reserves which meant that the hardship overall was far less punishing compared to many other countries during the hardest lockdown periods.
What we do also have, is high VAT (typically 25% on common goods end services).
Typically, eating out is very expensive compared to many other places, and as a result the quality is often regarded far higher than quantity, as people rarely frequent restaurants and cafes on a daily basis, so the few times they do, the quality of the experience is regarded highly.
Also for people visiting, notice that Taxi prices are astronomical. And for people intending to stay for longer, car prices have an incredibly high registry fee, generally around 180% on top of the car's base value. Looking at a good bicycle deal or public transport is advisable if you live in/near a bigger city :D
I'm not from Denmark, but I think it's an awesome country! The majority of people bike rather than use vehicles, the citizens of Denmark are very environmental conscious and they have Hygge everyone enjoys. I try to live the Hygge way as best I can. In Copenhagen, they have these dropoff things (don't know what they're called) along the sidewalks where people can leave their unwanted items, mostly books, and others can take whatever they want for free.
Guess I should go to Copenhagen more
Also something I find funny is that a more literal translation of København would be buy a harbor xD
@@blob1820 yeah! Copenhagen used to at one point only be “havn” aka harbor, then it became a point for sell and trade and fishing! And later got it’s name from that iirc! And later became the ‘new’ capital too :DD
Dane here. Did anyone mention the great work/life balance? We have alot of time for family and leisure time for hobbies/sport ect. We have 5 weeks fully paid holidays. Some have 6 weeks. Alot of Danes enjoy travelling to other countries.
Not to mention heathcare and cost of education and people are quibbling over $ of a sandwich.
The first time I heard about Janteloven was in an interview with Alexander Skarsgard who is from Sweden. Maybe you want to react to it, because he describes it very well. It was at Stephen Colbert and is called "Alexander Skarsgard is too Swedish to be cocky." 😄
It's actually insane to us, that the US don't have free health care and education, because we see it as a basic right. Denmark is one of the least corrupted nations, and the danish people have quite a lot of trust in our government. Even though our prime minister right now are in huge problems, people still listen to her.
Not only as a basic right, but part of crucial infrastructure, which makes it bad for business and society in general, if it doesn't work. Which makes it seem twice as insane, if someone really want to claim to be best.
*THE* least corrupt
we have tax payed "Free" Schools, helthcare, universities, ( if you are 18 years or older and are studying you get payed to study.
Wow here inthe US if you want an education expect to be very poor for 4 years then be in debt for another 10 years...
@@JimGames if you loose you job you get payed to, and while studying you get cheaper apartments (study apartments) you get payed for studying so you can consentrate on study insteed of working. You get money from the state to help raise your children, you get free healthcare, and if recomended by a doctor free spyciatrist and other stuff the list is long
And we get payed more, so if you compared the amount in an avarage amarican family VS danish, we have the same amount of money after tax. Sorry if i miss spelled, but Hope you understand 😅
And we dont eat ants 😂
@@leonoraillum1334 Not to mention our payed leave from jobs if we have children, which is quite a long leave considering even amongst other european countries and that goes for both genders. It's excellent in many ways, or work days are shorter too, people seem to be in general more content, and the sense of equality, not just in idea, but people actually having access to things like Universal healthcare, a right to a equal great education as your neighbor (despite what income household you might come from). There's a number of great things that come with it, in my opinion as a dane too. I like knowing, that we have some kind of job security incase people get homeless aswell, list goes on.
But ofcourse, I can't speak for the other side of the coin, despite having travelled a great deal. I think America is great in alot of ways, so are most if not all other countries, so this is not a comparison. Just speaking as a dane. Great video by the way Jim, really enjoyed it and your imput. Always welcome here, cheers. :)
:-) about 80 pct of our population in Denmark support our taxes - abt 40 pct taxes on average. They support the funding of free health care, free education (even pay to the university student), 12 months maternaty leave, 5-6 weeks holidays, many religious holidays aside, homeless one way than another good help. Our military (which has fought side by side with american troops since abt 20 years).
A good reason that we're content and not worrying too much :-)
13:02 ants are acidic and kinda pop a little when chewing them. pretty well tasting once you get over the mental image of eating literal ants lol
EDIT: 16:23 also, yeah, they test them every year on a specified time and date. ive only ever heard them used once other than that, when some factory or something caught on fire and the smoke was toxic so they used the sirens to alert everyone to get inside and close all windows and doors
Hey Jim. Sure you are not of Scandinavian descent? Loved your reaction to Barbie. He’s pretty funny, and his pronunciation is really good. (And no don’t try to learn Danish, it’s about as hard as Chinese). As for the spectacular landscapes: you’d have to visit the Faroe Islands for that.
As for the Jantelov, it’s also applicable in the Viking sense: We are all in the same boat. I.e. We have to get along, and part of that is not self-aggrandising. Our government isn’t perfect, but they are reasonably honest. And the security of knowing you won’t starve, get evicted, or be unable to pay hospital bills if you loose your ob, or have to pay for your children’s education up to and including university: those taxes are worth it!
I feel great. Because of the high taxing I’m atm able to have my own apartment, be a full time university student (only had to pay for books) and afford food, clothes, pay bills etc. I don’t have a job, atm as the state pays me SU for being a student, which is enough to live off of while I study. And I can go do the doctors or hospital if needed with no worries as we have free healthcare. I sometimes forget how privileged that is, but I’m truly thankful. So when I get out of school, im ready for work and pay all the taxes that are needed for any other youths’ future
Danish girl here.
About the tax thing, i think its so worth it because you never have to worry if you have to go to the doctor or stuff like that.
Fun fact school is free up until you turn 18 then you get paid by the goverment to study, not very much but enough to live on. its based on like your parents income if you live at home or nit and stuff like that.
im from denark, and i have biked over the great belt bridge. it was so amazeing like you could feel the smallest ammount of wind in your hair
Yes, the taxes are so high because it goes into paying for things like education, healthcare, etc,. so it's technically free because we've already paid through the taxes.
" Officially named the East Bridge, the suspension bridge was designed by the Danish firms COWI and Ramboll. It has the world's fifth-longest main span (1.6 km (1 mi))" - If it is blowing it is really really not nice to cross that bridge
I’m danish and yeah they test the air raid sirens every year. They are also used for generalized emergencies.
I believe our tax rates are from roughly 33% (low taxes for people with lower income) to 55% (maximum taxes, for wealthier people).
We get free (paid with taxes) schooling, doctor and hospital shenanigans, you can get approved for free psychiatry and more. If you cannot work you’ll still receive money and help and there’s different ways they help you get back into the job market or help you get something else or similar going. It basically creates security for most situations and help to get through them.
Janteloven, you’re not better than the crowd, is not really spoken of much anymore from what I’m aware of. While parts of it tells you that we serve all the same, parts also says you’re not special in anyway and you’re not to believe that you are anything.
I think the taxes are amazing. We also get paid more, so fast food workers can actually live, as an example. So, you don’t tip people here. So, people getting paid more allows them to pay taxes which means they don’t go into debt from college, which means they can chase dreams regardless of financial status, etc.
The thing about Denmark being the happiest nation on earth (although we lost the top spot a few years back) is that it is not so much happiness as in joy, but more a contendedness. Things are really good and even the things that aren't that good, still seem minor compared to other nations.
Also that air raid siren is not just for air raids. It is also a general warning system for dangerous conditions outside, like a gas leak or toxic spill or something like Chernobyl happening again.
The sirens are spread out throughout the entire country, with multiple in each city, depending on the size of said city. If there is a train station in the town you live in, there will probably be one right by it. It gets tested on the first Wednesday in May each year. But it is also used if something happens that requires people to stay inside and close their windows. An example can be a large fire, especially a chemical fire. In the cities surrounding the fire, and in cities where the wind is blowing the fallout of said fire to, the sirens will do off. When that happens, we have all been taught to get inside if we aren't already, close all windows and doors, and turn on the news or radio to see what is going on. Now, with social media, most people just check on there instead, but the point is the same.
I will admit, hearing the sirens outside of the testing day is not fun. If it happens during the day, most people just check if it is the testing day, as most of us know it happens during the spring but we always forget which day and when. But if it happens during the late evening or night, when it is pitch black? That is not so fun, and I speak from experience.
The drill of the sirene isn't really scary since we know what's going on. Linking it to the Germans and world War is mostly a joke. I've heard it in real use only once and it was because of some toxic smoke in the area so to let us know we should stay indoors and close up until it was cleared.
Also we rarely have natural disasters 😊
I am from Denmark and I don’t know that many people that would ever eat ants or other insects.
16:13 yes, we have war sirens, basically we have a drill once a year where they test the sirens and our phone alerts, it's just a siren that alerts us for example if war starts, or if there's a fire in a major city, or if there's a tornado or such!
Re: Sirens - when I was still in kindergarden back in the '60, the sirens were tested every Wednesday at noon. When the sirens began it was a sign for all us children to start running in circles and whatnot on the outside playground screaming our lungs out. It was just tradition :)
The Great Belt bridge (Storebæltsbroen) was the tallest when it opened more than two decades ago. Now the record has been overtaking by a bunch of especially Chinese bridges pushing it far down the list. It is 254 metres (833 ft) tall making it much taller than the tallest natural point in Denmark.
I believe it is the 5th longest bridge in the world, if I am not mistaken
You mean tallest manmade point, right?
I pay my taxes happily. Remember in Denmark wages are also typically higher than in countries with lower taxes. What matters is the living standard you can afford. The high taxes help equalise the buying power of the citizens. So in denmark the diffference betweeen rich and poor is lower than the average country.
Equality, trust and security is probaly the most important describers and it is more or less the same in all the nordic countries. The high taxes most likely hurt business more than the employees.
But the economy is helped by a high education level (because everyone can afford education - it is free). It is also helped by a high degree of trust which reduces costs for companies - few lawyers are needed to draft legal contracts and business dare cooporate.
The security has helped making liberal employment rules which has help business feeling more willing to hire in good times because it is cheap to let employes go and the employes dare to leave a company because of the wealthfare money. All in all it creates a flexable job market that sofar has made up for the higher taxes. Also the infrastruture has significantly helped business - all funded by the high taxes.
Lastly the equality helps the business since more brains help to make the rigth descision in businesses. Even the operationel level dare and do say which descion the boss should decide on. I believe in the end if high or low taxes is better depends on how the money is spent and in generel people dont spend on improving the overall economy.
The Great Belt Bridge, is 18 KM. long, from Fyn to Sjælland. The highest point is 70 meters over sealevel.
The pylons are 254 meters high.
Idk if anyone has already explained the sirens but imma do it anyways even if i'm late. So yes the sirens are a form for Warnings if maybe we are getting attacked or something related to war. But it is also used for if there maybe has been an accident and then theres are some bad chemicals in the air that you mostly shouldn't inhale, then the sirens will start and then you need to get indoors quickly, and go onto a Tv channel thats called Dr1 (Denmarks radio/Danmark radio) where you can get to know what happened and when it's safe to go outside again. I can't really remember how the siren is but i think if it were 'short' sirens that is being played for sometime then it's cause theres danger and if it 2-3 longs it's safe to go outside again or then it's the oppsite can't remember (I'm danish thats why i know this)
Hi!! Dane here🙋🏼♀️
Most of the things I would’ve commented on has generally been said, but I do wanna address the annual siren. The testing of the siren happens on the first Wednesday in May at 12pm every year. It is located so everyone can hear it. Where I live, it is located at the public grade school, and it’s freaking loud when you’re in school. It can be scary because you completely forgets that it is supposed to happen so you hurry to check your phone for the date 😂 I remember one time it was blaring on a summer night so my family and I ran inside, closed the blinds, turned the light off and turned on the tv. Thankfully there was no attack but it was blaring because of a gas leak in the area. It was really scary tho 😂
In the Netherlands we test the sirens every first Monday of the month at 12pm.
Sweden her, it's next on your list I hope 😉
As said we are pretty good at English. Personally, 95% of books I read in English. If I have subtitles on, they are in English too. If I have them in Swedish since I still hear and understand what they say I don't always agree whit the translation. And a lot of jokes, puns and proverbs just don't translate so they make sense.
De kör i bokstavsordning, så Sverige lär dröja. Me de är på Spanien i nästa avsnitt, så snart blir det Sverige
16:14 the alarm goes off the first Wednesday of May every year and since I have a birthday in the first week of may it has happened many times on my birthday
I mean, the sirens have different tones for what it's used for, we have one for when we have to go inside and "hide" etc war, terrorism, major accidents like there's a fire and the toxic smoke is in the area the sirens begin in that area. But there's also a tone for when its safe to go out again
Yea actually we get paid to get an education, school, health care is free but you have to pay for a dentist appointment, but overall it’s cold here
It ain't free but paid for.
The payment for taking a longer education is not a normal payment it's an investment.
It's an investment by all the taxpayers in Denmark to the person getting education so he can become a productive member of society.
We have very high taxation and we Danes work a lot, efficient and hard. Everything worth having in Denmark has been worked really hard for to get.
@@sebastianwallin3726 Im not so sure the average american will agree that we work alot nor especially hard. But I do agree on efficient. Work hours tend to be from 37 hours per week and downwards. According to "samvirke" we work 224 days a year. Not to mention paid vacation of up to 7 weeks per year.
@@berntlarsen941
A lot of people in Denmark are paid for 37-40 hours of work when they in reality are doing 60 hours a week.
Just look at lawyers, teachers and all sort of other jobs.
Denmark really hasn't become wealthy because of anything other than hard work.
Norway, Sweden and Denmark are all pretty expensive in terms of living costs. Certainly compared to the UK any way. Sailed under the great belt bridge and it’s a pretty impressive structure
Not compared to London. 😀
About the tax in Denmark we get healthcare, free school (even paid to go to school after 18) and once Americans add all their taxes and healthcare you actually pay more, a American family that moved to Denmark here on UA-cam have a video showing the difference between the US and Denmark their channel is called "Travelin' Young"
7:32 its not a farm house, its a Summerhouse on Danish, or a cottage, or a house No. 2 is used for week end and holiday stays.
We have the sirens in Sweden as well. It's for all kind of disasters like gas leaks and stuff. But it's for wartime as well. We have em tested 4 times a year. Before it was every month. 😀
In the Netherlands we test them on the first Monday of each month and twice a year all cellphones sound an alarm as well, which is very disturbing to foreigners.
About taxing: when you account for the things we get for those taxes, free school (inkl college and university and money to get by while on education), healthcare etc, an average American and Danish household will pay about the same of their paychecks to receive the things an average household will need. The main difference being at the higher end of income brackets, which pays a far bigger chunk than their American counterparts. Greetings from Denmark :)
So I'm a bit late to the game here as I just found your video but you asked about the taxes. I just moved to Denmark and at first I thought the taxes would be unbearable but you get SO much in the way of social care that it just makes sense.
Free schooling, support if you lose your job, healthcare, your kids even get paid an income if they attend university. It's awesome.
Dane here, the sirens dont bother that much because we're used to it since it sounds the same day (wich is the first wednesday in may at 12), and yes we have speakers all throughout denmark so we can hear it basically whereever we are
You seem to like Nordic countries with these Geography videos.
I have been listening to a lot of music from these areas lately. It’s inspired me to learn more about the culture.
@@JimGames Really? Any Danish music?
That thing with the sirens is actually okay. They test the sirens every year the 1st wednesday of may and sometimes you might get surprised if you didnt realise🇩🇰😉
Greetings from Denmark
Yup the sirens are all over the place, and you can hear multiple starting and stopping from miles away.
the great belt bridge connection is 11.18 miles long, and was for some years the world largest suspension bridge with a span of 1.009 miles between the 2 "towers" and till this day, it's still the biggest in europe, and 3rd largest in the world only beaten by the japanese Akashi Kaikyo bridge and the chinese Xihoumen bridge.. the bridge is connected by a small island called "sprogø" directly translated to english meaning "languageisland" and another fun fact is, that sprogø was from 1923-1961 a place where "morally defect" women would be placed, (the bridge work started in 1988 and lasted till 1998) so back then they would be sailed out there :)
The sirens going off is just our emergency siren thing they test it monthly with out sound, however they do a test once each year with sound so just one time each year, they do it the first Wednesday each year in the month of May at 1200 noon.
Back in the day when i was a child it wasen't an annual alarm. Back then it was a weekly alarm every wedensday at Noon the sirene would go off. it went on for 1 minut.
back in 7th grade we had our klass room right under the sirene. and we where in there while it went off. was pretty fun was a nice little brake ( and yes it was realy loud. ) as said in the video they changed it to annual. its also that type of sirene they use when there is a gas leak or if there has been an accident in a chemical plant. and there is a poisonous cloud over the area.
I am german and remember the Siren goes every first Saturday in the month. But we use it also for fire alarms and other accident issues to call all the volunteer firemans in for help. That was before smartphones and apps. Haha
Fun fact:
The bridge connecting Fyn and Sjælland is the 3rd longest bridge, 2nd longest suspension bridge. If it had upended before math the same year it officially upened it could have had the tittle (maybe only for a short time) worlds longest bridge.
There are speakers through all of Denmark, but it’s both for disasters, war or dangerous gas in the air. It’s just “get inside and close the windows” alarm, and there’s a annual day where they test it to make sure it works. All over Denmark it goes off.
in denmark we have free healthcare free schooling free university free housing for the homeless which is payed by the taxes but the wages are alot higher so most people are really well off and have plenty of money
The Great Belt Bridge is the connection between Funen and Zealand. The bridge is 18km long and consists of a low bridge, high bridge and a tunnel that goes under the high bridge to the trains. The bridge opened for train passage in 1997 and for car passage in 1998.
OK, this video is about a year old, and there are a lot of comments already - for example about our taxes (which are totally worth it) - but I had to just comment on the sirens: The sirens sound once a year at noon on the first Wednesday in May. Yes, they can be heard all over the country, and the drill lasts for about 15 minutes (with pauses). This may sound dramatic, but it's not. Actually the sirens are tested every Wednesday throughout the year, but what is tested is the status of the electronic / digital system. The once-a-year-with-sound is to test the loudspeakers. The sirens are / can be used for all sorts of things like a fire in a chemical plant, an area suddenly experiencing some sort of pollution of the air or other similar incidents, and the instruction is always for people to go inside and turn to news outlets to gain information about what is going on and what to do, so although the sirens will be sounded in case of an attack by Germany, a more likely scenario is a civilian occurrence.
The sirens are actually tested every week, but tested with speakers on the first wednesday in May at 12 o'clock. It is two different sirens played within a couple of minutes. First one meaning DANGER. Go inside and get specific information from radio or tv. Second meaning DANGER IS OVER.
Hi! Öresundsbron (the bridge in the picture) is in total 15,9 km long, the span on the swedish side is the longest bridge of this type in the world with both railroad and automotive road.
10:08 healthcare and education in denmark is indeed free when you turn 18 you even get paid to go to school
A good Christmas tree in Denmark can easily go for 50 USD or more in Copenhagen. If you want the a big Nordmann Christmas tree it can go for up to 100 USD
2 years already...
LEGO comes from the Danish phrase "leg godt" ("play well").
And coincidently in Latin Lego means "put together" they didn't know that when they came up with the name.
About the food from NOMA I would say that what they serve is not your ordinary everyday food in Denmark. Whst they have is 'fancy/special' food
Here in Greenland, we hear those Giant sirens once every week, at noon, depending on where you are it's friday 12:00 or wednesday 12:00. And it would last about 30 secs. It is only scary if it last longer, then we would know it to be seriously wrong somewhere
You should try to look up the klints. Basically they are chalk cliffs and they exist a couple of places in Denmark. There is one of them in particular where a church (Højerup gl. kirke) was build up at the edge but because it is chalk the landscape is ever changing and the seat its until the cliff face so half the church fell into the ocean and the rest is likely to follow. (a shame, the church is from the 12-1300's and it has chalk paintings on the walls, it is quite a nice place).
The annual sound test of sirens takes place on the first Wednesday in may at 12:00 and lasts about 5 min and can be heard up to 10 km away there are about 1078 sirens which are activated simultaneously.
The sirence that you heard in the video, is an "attack" alarm. It's in use when for example an attack from another country happenes (refering to the occupation of Denmark in 1940, WW2, by the Germans), or some kind of radioactive gas emissions etc. It's alerting the country and highly recommend that people stay indoors. It's being tested every year, the first wednesday of may at 12 pm. So it was actually tested two days ago, by the time i'm writing this, and the danes are not scared when it's happening on the right date 😂. If it's another day... ooh boi!
Great video by the way! Keep it up! 😊
The sirens is the first wendsday i may at 12 midday every year but every night the sirens is tested with out sounds
16:20 yes its an annual thing... they are tested every first Wednesday of May and they are sort of a mix between warnings about local catastrophes or in case of invasion (each electronically controlled broadcasting tower can be controlled so its a localized thing or a countrywide thing). Since they are digital they can be "tested" without sound which is done more often than the annual sounds on test.
the sirens are tested sometimes to see if they work, we dont have tornado or earthquake sirens since we dont get that at all, but they test it if we are getting attacked by another country or something. so yeah ive been woken up by the sirens before, but they usually puts a reminder the day before that its coming, its mostly at 12pm. but yeah they are annoying xD. and we get paid for going to school too, many student acutally lives on their own and gets enough money to pay their rent and food for the month, its great that u dont need to live of your parents money to get an education.
The air siren thing is part of disaster warning system. You are supposed to close door and windows and turn on TV or Radio. They are sometimes used for disasters such as chemical fires, where the smoke can be poisonous (we do have a lot pharmaceutical plants, that can develop poisonous gasses). But yearh, they are air raid sirens. Huge towers of mechanical speakers. There aren't really any natural disasters here, only some very windy days and a few floods in Jutland, however they don't use the air sirens for that.
Taxes suck, but we do get free health care (except dentist) and education (even university, people are actually paid to go, however selection of courses are more restricted than in the US). Unemployment benefits is free but somewhat low, so people usually have an insurance type deal called an "A-kasse", where you get somewhat reasonable amount of money for up to 2 year (it takes 2 years to build that up again).
Denmark is expensive, very, so be prepared for that. But the beach is free and people do enjoy the open water. We do care a lot about the environment here, especially the sea, as it is also important for our fishing industry. You will find a lot of sailor culture here embedded in to the mainstream culture.
All in all it is good to live here, but Americans may find it hard to understand. Danes are direct, when we speak, and a Dane will tell you exactly what is wrong, and will not pack it in for a soft blow (better to tell the truth, than let people deceive themselves). Likewise the humor is at times very dark. It is a country that is very different in it's social standards. There is no classes, but this is also something achieved with this social code somewhat similar to "Janteloven." Friendship does take some time to earn, which can be hard for foreigners, however the tip is to join sport clubs and other social activities to meet new people.
Gun laws are a bit overexaggerated here as most people really don't care for having a gun (low crimes, issues with keeping the gun safe from kids and getting an approved locker is often really not worth the hassle). However firearms knowledge is usually somewhat high, as many people have served in the military (draft). Hunting is also a popular sport, so an increasing amount of people own firearms (mostly shotguns and bolt action rifles).
There is a lot of Inter Scandinavian teasing, that is not meant to be taken serious. Our true national concern is Russia and Canada. As that involves the large Arctic area that we have responsibility for, because of Greenland being autonomous part of the kingdom of Denmark. Denmark supplies military protection.
Interesting and gorgeous country! BTW you should react someday to the band VOLA, they are a Progressive metal band from Denmark ✌🏻
Consider them added to the list. Thanks for the recommendation
Hi there, a Dutchman here. Over here in The Netherlands they test the sirene every first Monday of the month at noon. For us a time to set the watches. :)
Thanks for your kind words. Greetings from Denmark.
Wanna just get at the ant thing some 3 years too late. Danish Biologist here, who got trained in the area those ants used got transported from since pesticides are prohibited in that the area. They are specifically Jet ants, though in Denmark called 'Orange ants' not for coloration, but for reasons you'll soon understand. They 'farm' aphids in tree tops, technically making them a pest, but this contributes to their absolute deliciousness (yes, I've eaten many).
When eaten, they taste exactly like citrus candy due to the acid they use when biting and fending off predators. If the ant is going up the tree with their stomach small and empty so they can get honeydew from the aphids, their taste is very lemony and less sweet. Going down the tree, however, they stomachs are full and wider to deliver the honeydew back to the nest, the melt of sugar and acid makes them taste very much like oranges. As such, while knowing very little in specific, I suspect the 'slab of meat' in the restaurant is more likely shredded fruits or the like, as they are a perfect spice up for desserts.
Greetings from Denmark. :) The story about the Law of Jante is a bit funny and sad at the same time. As far as I was told, Aksel Sandemose was a writer. He was also a mean drunk and the more he drank, the more mean he would get. Getting fed up with his behavior, his parents put together these 10 lines, all of them ending with "when you're drunk." Aksel removed the last part and used the rest in his novel about the small town of Jante, where it was impossible to be anonymous, because everybody knew everybody. The 10 lines goes like this:
1. You're not to think you are anything special. (when you're drunk.)
2. You're not to think you are as good as we are.
3. You're not to think you are smarter than we are.
4. You're not to imagine yourself better than we are.
5. You're not to think you know more than we do.
6. You're not to think you are more important than we are.
7. You're not to think you are good at anything.
8. You're not to laugh at us.
9. You're not to think anyone cares about you.
10. You're not to think you can teach us anything.
Actually, those sirens are only tested once a year with sound on, but if there are eg emissions of chemicals, dangerous fires etc. they will lsound, and almost everybody knows that they mean; go inside, close doors and windows, turn off the A/C, if you have one, and turn on the radio for further information .When the danger is over, there will be a different signal telling that
The reason of the alarms: i belive its once a year they test the sirens (if theres war the sirens go off) to make sure they work
Some factual context here:
- Lego is a play on the words "Leg Godt" which translates as play well.
- The highest NATURAL point is roughly 170m high at Møllehøj in Jylland, however the highest point is actually the Great Belt Bridge at 254m above sea level. Yes, you read that correctly... we built a bridge that is 1.5x taller than our contryside because we could :flexes:.
- Btw it is actually 2 seperate bridges with the island of Sprogø joining them together. The eastern bridge is 6.8km long while the western is 6.6km long. At it's opening the eastern bridge was listed as the 2nd tallest suspension bridge in the world being beat only by the Japanese Akashi-Kaikyo bridge which opened two months earlier.
- As for taxes. We get a lot out of those taxes and while most people would love to not have to pay 40% of their income to the government those same people would hate to lose the benefits they gain from it.
Trust is at the front and center of the Danish society, we trust in our politicians to make the right choices for us, we trust in our economy, we trust in our fellow danes, to the point where we leave our babies sleeping peacefully outside of coffee houses while we enjoy a chat with friends. Paying our taxes are a part of this trust system. I am 39 years old, at the age of 34 I decided to change my career path and go back to university, I am now 39 and many steps closer to my dream of becoming a clinical psychologist, studying in Norway, everything paid for with tax money, I even get paid around 700 dollars a month just to be able to manage school. The freedom that Denmark and the nordic model has allowed me to have in my youth I want to repay by finishing my studies and start paying my taxes to the society, so another person can benefit from a system that is designed to catch you when you fall, and get you back on your feet again.
we do pay a high tax, but it includes everything like safe roads, medical bills, medicine (at least most of the cost), school and we even get paid to have children. Denmark is no utopia, but I have travelled a lot and lived abroad for several years, and I can easily say that I am proud and very lucky to be born half danish and in Denmark.
Hi Im from Denmark here. Love your reaction.
Here is some answers to some of your questions.
The Nordman fur christmastree, is kinda pricy when compaired to other treesorts, pricing for a nordman fur at the local treefarm where i live, cost from $30 to $40 depending on size of the tree.
Tho the prices can vary and change from dealer to dealer. But if u want the Nordman fur, you pay more than the other sorts.
The law of jante, is not only danish but nordic, so Sweeden, Norway, Iceland, Faeroisland ect. also have it in their mindset. Its not something we talk about on daily basis, but something we are learned by the way of life.
here is the direct translation of the law of jante
"Don't think you're anything."
"Don't think you're as much as us."
"Don't think you're smarter than us."
"Don't think you're better than us."
"Don't think you know more than us."
"Don't think you're more than us."
"Don't think you're good at anything."
"Don't laugh at us."
"Don't think anyone cares about you."
"Don't think you can teach us anything."
Hygge is also a thing we have in the nordic areas and not only Denmark, but Danish people may be using the word more than others :D
Hygge can be many things, but to describe it the best way, is having a comfy/ good time enjoing time with either friends, family, your significant other, or even alone. For some hygge can be just be watching a movie with a blanket and a pillow, where u tug yourself in and just relax. It can be a sunset at the beach looking over the water where u have a great relaxing feeling. A party or just some family time where you enjoy the company. So hygge is not a thing, its a feeling of manythings combined.
The taxes here in Denmark is high, but honestly i would not give it away for anything. I would even pay more if we got more like free public transport and dental care. So i am happy to pay the amount of taxes we pay.
The siren alarm is very real, May 4th every year the sirens are tested in case of an emergency or attack on our country. Its been like that after WWII. So indeed they are real and they are loud. But its kinda the same as tornado warnings in Miami ect. Even some countries have siren drills more often than we do.
2 bonus facts:
1: Denmark and Sweeden is considered the 2 nations in the world with most wars against eachother, but some say its not.
2: In the year 1658 the water between Denmark and Sweeden froze, and the ice was thick enough to walk all the way across. So Sweedish military walked over the ice and captured some of the Danish areas and islands. Then the danish king made a law that some say still exist today. The law said, if a Sweedish person ever cross the frozen water by foot, all Danes can leagaly beat the sweedish with a stick. but its not being enforced
It's often said that we pay half our wages in taxes. What's rarely mentioned is that our income after taxes is almost as high as in most other countries - but we've paid for healthcare, school etc. - while people in those other countries haven't.
It's not like we get everything for free, but we do get a lot for our taxes, and most people can travel abroad on holidays - we have five weeks of "mandatory" vacation, another week is optional, so it's not like the system bleeds us dry of money.
Hey, Dane here. Sirens all over the country is being tested the first Wednesday in May at noon every year. I think there are sirens in places with a certain population density, so most places has at least 1 siren nearby. These sirens are not only used to warn when the germans invade again, but also in all sort of emergencies, like hazardous fires. The general procedure when hearing a siren is go inside, close doors and windows and turn on the television or radio.
13:00 there is a years wait at least to get a table, the prices starts around $560
The sirens is not just for the war. It's also for emergency, if the air is getting toxid, or other catastrophs.
In Norway most christmas tree sales import Danish trees, not because they're better but because they are about half price compared to our local trees. They sell for about 35-50$ on the Norwegian market.
Regarding the christmas trees, I used to go cut them down with my uncle on the 22nd. They export all the good ones, but we get the blue firn thats left, for roughly 5-10 dollars a piece, if we cut them ourselves :D
Also the sirens are literally war sirens. The prime minester during ww2 said that untill Gorm the old, a statue of a viking warlord, awakens the sirens will sound every year.
Basically if the old gods won't come down to protect us, we have to make due with war sirens and politicians
16:07 We actually had the ‘alarm test’ thing today! (Idk what it’s called in English) we have that every year the first Wednesday of May, and I think it’s just to make sure it works everywhere in the country in case of an emergency 🤷🏼♀️
I know this is not your video - just wanted to correct the otherwise great video from Geography Now.
It’s true that Danish, Norwegian and Swedish is similar. Icelandic is definitely not. They might have the same root. But you definitely can’t understand Icelandic without studying it first :)
And yes they test the sirens every year on the first Wednesday of May at 12. As far as I know they actual test them every week but with no sound.
And yeah we don’t really do natural disasters , so I guess it’s for the Germans (JK I don’t know when we’ll ever use it)
We mostly use in case of toxic smoke from fires. I have heard the warning one when is wad serious.
im from denmark and i love the country and love your video
The siren drill isn't just about the Germans; it's a "an emergency is happening; turn on your radio/tv and find out what it is"-thing. Haven't lived long enough to hear it used in anything but test situations, but since WWII where it usually meant "the RAF are bombing the area" it's just an emergency signal.