Copenhagen is the capital and most populous city of Denmark. The city has a population of 775,033 (as of January 2018), of whom 613,288 live in the Municipality of Copenhagen. The larger urban area has a population of approximately 1.3 million (as of 1 January 2016) within the Capital Region of Denmark, while the Copenhagen metropolitan area has over 2 million inhabitants.
Copenhagen is situated on the eastern coast of the island of Zealand and is separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the strait of Øresund. The Øresund Bridge connects the two cities by rail and road.
Copenhagen is home to the University of Copenhagen, the Technical University of Denmark and Copenhagen Business School.
Since the turn of the 21st century, Copenhagen has seen strong urban and cultural development, facilitated by investment in its institutions and infrastructure. The city is the cultural, economic and governmental centre of Denmark; it is one of the major financial centres of Northern Europe with the Copenhagen Stock Exchange. Copenhagen's economy has seen rapid developments in the service sector, especially through initiatives in information technology, pharmaceuticals and clean technology. Since the completion of the Øresund Bridge, Copenhagen has become increasingly integrated with the Swedish province of Scania and its largest city, Malmö, forming the Øresund Region.
Copenhagen is home to a number of international companies including A.P. Møller-Mærsk, Novo Nordisk, Carlsberg and Novozymes. Shipping is thus an important sector with Maersk, the world's largest shipping company, having its headquarters in Copenhagen.
Life science is a key sector with extensive research and development activities. Medicon Valley is a leading bi-national life sciences cluster in Europe, spanning the Øresund Region. Copenhagen is rich in companies and institutions with a focus on research and development within the field of biotechnology, and the Medicon Valley initiative aims to strengthen this position and to promote cooperation between companies and academia.
Tourism is a major contributor to Copenhagen's economy, attracting visitors due to the city's harbour, cultural attractions (e.g. The Little Mermaid and Tivoli Gardens) and award-winning restaurants (Noma).
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