2000 Edition

Background

Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the political and economic integration of Europe. So far, however, the country has opted out of some aspects of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the new joint monetary system.

Area

land

42,394 sq km

note

includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark, but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland

total

43,094 sq km

water

700 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts

Climate

temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers

Coastline

7,314 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Ejer Bavnehoj 173 m

lowest point

Lammefjord -7 m

Environment - current issues

air pollution, principally from vehicle and power plant emissions; nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea; drinking and surface water becoming polluted from animal wastes and pesticides

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

56 00 N, 10 00 E

Geography - note

controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in Copenhagen

Irrigated land

4,350 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Germany 68 km

total

68 km

Land use

arable land

60%

forests and woodland

10%

other

25% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

5%

Location

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by a system of dikes

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, stone, gravel and sand

Terrain

low and flat to gently rolling plains

Age structure

0-14 years: 18% (male 505,820; female 479,815) 15-64 years: 67% (male 1,802,665; female 1,755,633) 65 years and over: 15% (male 330,055; female 462,406) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

12.16 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

11 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German

Infant mortality rate

5.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority)

note

English is the predominant second language

Life expectancy at birth

female

79.27 years (2000 est.)

male

73.95 years

total population

76.54 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

NA%

male

NA%

total population

100%

Nationality

adjective

Danish

noun

Dane(s)

Net migration rate

1.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

5,336,394 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

0.31% (2000 est.)

Religions

Evangelical Lutheran 97%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic, other

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.73 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

metropolitan Denmark - 14 counties (amter, singular - amt) and 2 kommunes*; Arhus, Bornholm, Fredericksberg*, Frederiksborg, Fyn, Kobenhavn, Kobenhavns*, Nordjylland, Ribe, Ringkobing, Roskilde, Sonderjylland, Storstrom, Vejle, Vestsjalland, Viborg

note

in addition there are 275 local kommunes not considered first-order administrative units; see separate entries for the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which are part of the Kingdom of Denmark and are self-governing administrative divisions

Capital

Copenhagen

Constitution

1849 was the original constitution; there was a major overhaul 5 June 1953, allowing for a unicameral legislature and a female chief of state

Country name

conventional long form

Kingdom of Denmark

conventional short form

Denmark

local long form

Kongeriget Danmark

local short form

Danmark

Data code

DA

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Edward E. ELSON

embassy

Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen

mailing address

PSC 73, APO AE 09716

telephone

35 55 31 44

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Knud-Erik TYGESEN

telephone

(202) 234-4300

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the monarch

chief of state

Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the monarch (born 26 May 1968)

elections

none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch

head of government

Prime Minister Poul Nyrup RASMUSSEN (since 25 January 1993)

FAX

(202) 328-1470

35 43 02 23

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

Flag description

red with a white cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side, and that design element of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

first organized as a unified state in 10th century; in 1849 became a constitutional monarchy

International organization participation

AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the monarch for life

Legal system

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament or Folketing (179 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -

elections

last held 11 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)

progovernment parties

Social Democratic Party 65, Socialist People's Party 13, Radical Liberal Party 7, Unity Party 5; opposition: Liberal Party 43, Conservative Party 17, Danish People's Party 13, Center Democratic Party 8, Christian People's Party 4, Progress Party 4

National holiday

Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)

Political parties and leaders

Center Democratic Party [Mimi JAKOBSEN]; Christian People's Party ; Conservative Party ; Conservative People's Party ; Danish People's Party ; Liberal Party [Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN]; Progress Party ; Radical Liberal Party ; Social Democratic Party ; Social Liberal Party ; Socialist People's Party ; Unity Party

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

grain, potatoes, rape, sugar beets; beef, dairy products; fish

Budget

expenditures

$57.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

revenues

$59.7 billion

Currency

1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 oere

Debt - external

$44 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $1.6 billion (1997)

Economy - overview

This thoroughly modern market economy features high-tech agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures, comfortable living standards, and high dependence on foreign trade. Denmark is a net exporter of food. The center-left coalition government is concentrating on reducing the unemployment rate and the budget deficit as well as following the previous government's policies of maintaining low inflation and a current account surplus. The coalition also vows to maintain a stable currency. The coalition has lowered marginal income tax rates while maintaining overall tax revenues; boosted industrial competitiveness through labor market and tax reforms; increased research and development funds; and improved welfare services for the neediest while cutting paperwork and delays. Denmark chose not to join the 11 other EU members who launched the euro on 1 January 1999.

Electricity - consumption

33.037 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

7.1 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

2.68 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

40.277 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

90.8%

hydro

0.07%

nuclear

0%

other

9.13% (1998)

Exchange rates

Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 - 7.336 (January 2000), 6.976 (1999), 6.701 (1998), 6.604 (1997), 5.799 (1996), 5.602 (1995)

Exports

$49.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities

machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, fuels, dairy products, ships, fish, chemicals

Exports - partners

EU 66.6% (Germany 21.4%, Sweden 11.2%, UK 9.2%, France 5.3%, Netherlands 4.5%), Norway 6.0%, US 4.7% (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $127.7 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

4%

industry

27%

services

69% (1997)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $23,800 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1.3% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 20.5% (1992)

Imports

$43.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, petroleum, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, textiles, paper

Imports - partners

EU 72.5% (Germany 22.5%, Sweden 12.9%, UK 7.9%, France 5.9%), Norway 4.6%, US 4.1% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

1.5% (1999 est.)

Industries

food processing, machinery and equipment, textiles and clothing, chemical products, electronics, construction, furniture, and other wood products, shipbuilding

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.5% (1999 est.)

Labor force

2.896 million

Labor force - by occupation

services 71%, industry 25%, agriculture 4% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

5.7% (1999 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

12 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 355, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

6.02 million (1997)

Telephone system

excellent telephone and telegraph services

domestic

buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form trunk network, 4 cellular radio communications systems

international

18 submarine fiber-optic cables linking Denmark with Norway, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, UK, Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Canada; satellite earth stations - 6 Intelsat, 10 Eutelsat, 1 Orion, 1 Inmarsat (Blaavand-Atlantic-East); note - the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) share the Danish earth station and the Eik, Norway, station for world-wide Inmarsat access

Telephones - main lines in use

3.203 million (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.347 million (1999)

Television broadcast stations

42 (plus 44 repeaters) (September 1995)

Televisions

3.121 million (1997)

Airports

118 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

28 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 3 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

90 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 82 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

71,437 km (including 843 km of expressways)

total

71,437 km

unpaved

0 km (1998 est.)

Merchant marine

note

Denmark has created its own internal register, called the Danish International Ship register (DIS); DIS ships do not have to meet Danish manning regulations, and they amount to a flag of convenience within the Danish register (1998 est.)

ships by type

bulk 12, cargo 132, chemical tanker 22, container 70, liquified gas 26, livestock carrier 6, petroleum tanker 24, rail car carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 13, roll-on/roll-off 19, short-sea passenger 8, specialized tanker 3 (1999 est.)

total

336 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,190,227 GRT/6,815,128 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil 110 km; petroleum products 578 km; natural gas 700 km

Ports and harbors

Alborg, Arhus, Copenhagen, Esbjerg, Fredericia, Grena, Koge, Odense, Struer

Railways

standard gauge

2,859 km 1.435-m gauge (600 km electrified; 760 km double track) (1998)

total

2,859 km (508 km privately owned and operated)

Waterways

417 km

Military branches

Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish Air Force, Home Guard

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$2.822 billion (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.7% (FY98)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,299,250 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,113,378 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

20 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

30,471 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Iceland, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)

DJIBOUTI