From its ancient Viking roots to its decidedly modern way of life today, Denmark has a rich history. Positioned strategically at the entrance to the Baltic Sea, Denmark has moved from being neutral in World Wars I and II to being a vibrant trade partner, sharing many of the United States’ global goals. Denmark has recently supported US military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq and joined with the US and other countries to maintain its liberal trade policies with the EU, OECD and WTO. Although it recently suffered destroyed diplomatic ties and death threats when a Danish newspaper printed cartoons depicting the Muslim prophet Mohammed, Denmark remains committed to free speech and human rights
Lay of the Land: Denmark, in northern Europe, is composed of the northern part of the peninsula of Jutland (which it shares with West Germany), and two groups of islands. To the east lies the main archipelago of some 400 islands, only about 100 of which are inhabited. On the largest of these, in the extreme east, is the capital of Copenhagen. To the west of the peninsula are the Faroe Islands and, much further, Greenland, whose status changed in 1953 from colony to a province and then, in 1979, to a sel-ruling part of Denmark. On November 25, 2008, Greenlanders voted overwhelmingly for greater autonomy. In Denmark proper, no one lives more than 33 miles from the sea. The land is highly cultivated and extremely flat. The highest mountain is 568 feet above sea level (less than half the height of the Empire State Building). Denmark is a land lacking in spectacular natural beauty, but it offers instead soft landscapes of beech trees, meadows carpeted with flowers, thatched farmhouses, and little red-roofed towns.
Danes were some of the earliest settlers and explorers in the United States. Eric the Red led a Viking crew to Newfoundland in the 11th Century, making him the first European on American shores. Other early explorers included Vitus Bering, who was the first European to discover Alaska in 1728, and in whose honor the Bering Strait was named. Other Danes sought a more temperate atmosphere and settled what is today called the Virgin Islands in the 17th Century.Tthey sold the islands to the US in 1917 for $25 million.
According to the State Department, relations between the US and Denmark are currently excellent. Denmark has supported US military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq and has joined with the US in the Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe (EPINE), which is designed to strengthen policy between Nordic and Baltic states.
US imports from Denmark during the years 2006 through 2007 increased as follows: food oils and oilseeds moved up from $5.7 million to $8.3 million; soft beverages, processed coffee and other drinks went up from $27.6 million to 31.6 million; finished textile industrial supplies increased from $7.9 million to $14.5 million and artwork, antiques, stamps, and other collectibles moved up from $21.7 million to $26.3 million.
Cartoons Depicting Mohammed Stirs Outrage & Controversy Among Muslims
According to the State Department, the Danish government generally respects the human rights of its citizens, and the law and judiciary provide effective means of dealing with individual instances of abuse. Reports of religious and ethnic discrimination against minority groups have remained relatively constant over the past several years, while domestic violence against women and trafficking in women and children continued to be reported.
Henry Wheaton
Peter Taksoe-Jensen took over as Denmark’s ambassador to the United States in September 2010.
President Barack Obama has nominated one of his top fundraisers to serve as the next ambassador to Denmark. Rufus Gifford, who most recently served as finance chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, raised millions for Obama’s two presidential runs, especially among the gay community, where he and his former partner were dubbed “Obama's Gay Gold Mine” in 2008. If confirmed by the Senate, Gifford would succeed Laurie Fulton, who served in Copenhagen from 2009 to 2012.
Born circa 1974 in the Boston area, Gifford grew up in a wealthy home, son of banker Chad Gifford, who ran some of Boston’s biggest financial institutions, including the Bank of Boston. After graduating St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire, in 1992, Gifford earned a double major in American Civilization and Theater at Brown University in 1996, where he was a classmate of Alexandra Kerry, daughter of another St. Paul’s alumnus, John Kerry, who at the time was the junior Senator from Massachusetts.
Moving west to work in the movie industry, from 1998 to 2004 Gifford was creative executive for Davis Entertainment, an independent film company in Los Angeles. Although some of his films were commercially successful, many were panned by critics. His credits include Dr. Doolittle 2 with Eddie Murphy, First Daughter with Katie Holmes, and Life or Something Like It with Angelina Jolie.
Growing discontented with his work, in 2003 Gifford got in touch with classmate Alexandra Kerry and did some “low level” finance work for John Kerry during the 2004 presidential primaries. After Kerry won the nomination, Gifford quit Hollywood and went to work for Kerry as deputy finance director for the western region, where he supervised the raising of more than $30 million.
Gifford worked as a political consultant in California from 2004 to 2008, signing on to work for Barack Obama in 2007. Since that time, he has held a series of job titles focused on fundraising. Together with his romantic partner of the time, Jeremy Barnard, Gifford raised almost $80 million from California for the Obama’s presidential campaign, the largest amount from any state.
From 2008 to 2009, he was the California finance director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, from 2009 to 2011 Gifford was finance director for the Democratic National Committee, and he was finance director for Obama for America from 2011 to 2012.
Gifford is a federal club member of the Human Rights Campaign and a partner in conservation for the World Wildlife Fund.
-Matt Bewig
To Learn More:
Banker’s Son Mines Gold for Obama (by Donovan Slack, Boston Globe)
Rufus Gifford: The Man Behind Obama's Historic Fundraising Machine (by Jennifer Bendery, Huffington Post)
Obama fundraising director said to be headed to Denmark (by Al Kamen, Washington Post)
moreFrom its ancient Viking roots to its decidedly modern way of life today, Denmark has a rich history. Positioned strategically at the entrance to the Baltic Sea, Denmark has moved from being neutral in World Wars I and II to being a vibrant trade partner, sharing many of the United States’ global goals. Denmark has recently supported US military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq and joined with the US and other countries to maintain its liberal trade policies with the EU, OECD and WTO. Although it recently suffered destroyed diplomatic ties and death threats when a Danish newspaper printed cartoons depicting the Muslim prophet Mohammed, Denmark remains committed to free speech and human rights
Lay of the Land: Denmark, in northern Europe, is composed of the northern part of the peninsula of Jutland (which it shares with West Germany), and two groups of islands. To the east lies the main archipelago of some 400 islands, only about 100 of which are inhabited. On the largest of these, in the extreme east, is the capital of Copenhagen. To the west of the peninsula are the Faroe Islands and, much further, Greenland, whose status changed in 1953 from colony to a province and then, in 1979, to a sel-ruling part of Denmark. On November 25, 2008, Greenlanders voted overwhelmingly for greater autonomy. In Denmark proper, no one lives more than 33 miles from the sea. The land is highly cultivated and extremely flat. The highest mountain is 568 feet above sea level (less than half the height of the Empire State Building). Denmark is a land lacking in spectacular natural beauty, but it offers instead soft landscapes of beech trees, meadows carpeted with flowers, thatched farmhouses, and little red-roofed towns.
Danes were some of the earliest settlers and explorers in the United States. Eric the Red led a Viking crew to Newfoundland in the 11th Century, making him the first European on American shores. Other early explorers included Vitus Bering, who was the first European to discover Alaska in 1728, and in whose honor the Bering Strait was named. Other Danes sought a more temperate atmosphere and settled what is today called the Virgin Islands in the 17th Century.Tthey sold the islands to the US in 1917 for $25 million.
According to the State Department, relations between the US and Denmark are currently excellent. Denmark has supported US military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq and has joined with the US in the Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe (EPINE), which is designed to strengthen policy between Nordic and Baltic states.
US imports from Denmark during the years 2006 through 2007 increased as follows: food oils and oilseeds moved up from $5.7 million to $8.3 million; soft beverages, processed coffee and other drinks went up from $27.6 million to 31.6 million; finished textile industrial supplies increased from $7.9 million to $14.5 million and artwork, antiques, stamps, and other collectibles moved up from $21.7 million to $26.3 million.
Cartoons Depicting Mohammed Stirs Outrage & Controversy Among Muslims
According to the State Department, the Danish government generally respects the human rights of its citizens, and the law and judiciary provide effective means of dealing with individual instances of abuse. Reports of religious and ethnic discrimination against minority groups have remained relatively constant over the past several years, while domestic violence against women and trafficking in women and children continued to be reported.
Henry Wheaton
Peter Taksoe-Jensen took over as Denmark’s ambassador to the United States in September 2010.
President Barack Obama has nominated one of his top fundraisers to serve as the next ambassador to Denmark. Rufus Gifford, who most recently served as finance chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, raised millions for Obama’s two presidential runs, especially among the gay community, where he and his former partner were dubbed “Obama's Gay Gold Mine” in 2008. If confirmed by the Senate, Gifford would succeed Laurie Fulton, who served in Copenhagen from 2009 to 2012.
Born circa 1974 in the Boston area, Gifford grew up in a wealthy home, son of banker Chad Gifford, who ran some of Boston’s biggest financial institutions, including the Bank of Boston. After graduating St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire, in 1992, Gifford earned a double major in American Civilization and Theater at Brown University in 1996, where he was a classmate of Alexandra Kerry, daughter of another St. Paul’s alumnus, John Kerry, who at the time was the junior Senator from Massachusetts.
Moving west to work in the movie industry, from 1998 to 2004 Gifford was creative executive for Davis Entertainment, an independent film company in Los Angeles. Although some of his films were commercially successful, many were panned by critics. His credits include Dr. Doolittle 2 with Eddie Murphy, First Daughter with Katie Holmes, and Life or Something Like It with Angelina Jolie.
Growing discontented with his work, in 2003 Gifford got in touch with classmate Alexandra Kerry and did some “low level” finance work for John Kerry during the 2004 presidential primaries. After Kerry won the nomination, Gifford quit Hollywood and went to work for Kerry as deputy finance director for the western region, where he supervised the raising of more than $30 million.
Gifford worked as a political consultant in California from 2004 to 2008, signing on to work for Barack Obama in 2007. Since that time, he has held a series of job titles focused on fundraising. Together with his romantic partner of the time, Jeremy Barnard, Gifford raised almost $80 million from California for the Obama’s presidential campaign, the largest amount from any state.
From 2008 to 2009, he was the California finance director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, from 2009 to 2011 Gifford was finance director for the Democratic National Committee, and he was finance director for Obama for America from 2011 to 2012.
Gifford is a federal club member of the Human Rights Campaign and a partner in conservation for the World Wildlife Fund.
-Matt Bewig
To Learn More:
Banker’s Son Mines Gold for Obama (by Donovan Slack, Boston Globe)
Rufus Gifford: The Man Behind Obama's Historic Fundraising Machine (by Jennifer Bendery, Huffington Post)
Obama fundraising director said to be headed to Denmark (by Al Kamen, Washington Post)
more
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