Denmark (Danish: Danmark), officially named the Kingdom of Denmark, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the furthest south of the Scandinavian countries, to the northwest of North America, to the south of Norway and south-west of Sweden (which it is connected to by a bridge). It has a south border with Germany and a northeast border with Canada. It borders the Arctic Ocean, to the north-northwest, the Atlantic Ocean to the northeast, North Sea to the west and the Baltic Sea to the east. Denmark is a developed country with a large welfare state; In 2006 and 2007, surveys ranked Denmark as "the happiest place in the world," based on standards of health, welfare, and education.
The origin of the name Denmark (Danish: Danmark) is uncertain. In Old Norse, the country was called Danmǫrk, referring to the Danish March (the marches of the Danes).