Map of Denmark | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: Once the seat of rapacious Viking raiders and later a major power in northwestern Europe, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the political and economic integration of Europe. So far, however, they have opted out of some aspects of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty.


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

Geographic coordinates: 56 00 N, 10 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 43,094 km²
Land: 42,394 km²
Water: 700 km²
Note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark, but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts

Land boundaries
Total: 68 km
Border countries: (1) Germany 68 km

Coastline: 7,314 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 4 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm

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

Terrain: low and flat to gently rolling plains

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Lammefjord -7 m
Extremes highest point: Ejer Bavnehoj 173 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, stone, gravel and sand

Land use
Arable land: 60%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 5%
Forests and woodland: 10%
Other: 25% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 4,350 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

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


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Population: 5,305,048 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 0.59% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Dane(s)
Adjective: Danish

Ethnic groups: Scandinavian, Eskimo, Faroese, German

Languages: Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Eskimo dialect), German (small minority)

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 91%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 2%, other 7% (1988)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 18% (male 487,731; female 463,444)
15-64 years: 67% (male 1,801,904; female 1,754,435)
65 years and over: 15% (male 330,143; female 467,391) (July 1997 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.59% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 12.78 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 11.22 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 4.32 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

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 (1997 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 5.2 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.1 years
Male: 73.44 years
Female: 78.9 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.75 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99% (1980 est.)
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark
Conventional short form: Denmark
Local long form: Kongeriget Danmark
Local short form: Danmark

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Copenhagen

Administrative divisions: metropolitan Denmark - 14 counties (amter, singular - amt) and 1 city* (stad); Arhus, Bornholms, Frederiksborg, Fyns, Kobenhavns, Nordjyllands, Ribe, Ringkobing, Roskilde, Sonderjyllands, Staden Kobenhavn*, Storstroms, Vejle, Vestsjaellands, Viborg
Note: there is one other city, Fredericksberg, mentioned by some sources, but the US government has not recognized it as a first-order administrative division; see separate entries for the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which are part of the Danish realm and self-governing administrative divisions

Dependent areas

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

National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)

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

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the queen (born 26 May 1968)
Head of government: Prime Minister Poul Nyrup RASMUSSEN (since 25 January 1993)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the queen
Elections: none; the queen is a constitutional monarch; prime minister appointed by the queen

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Folketing (179 seats; members are elected on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 21 September 1994 (next to be held not later than September 1998)
Election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 34.6%, Liberals 23.3%, Conservatives 15.0%, Socialist People's Party 7.3%, Progress Party 6.4%, Social Liberals 4.6%, Unity List 3.1%, Center Democrats 2.8%, Christian People's Party 1.8%; seats by party - Social Democrats 63, Liberals 44, Conservatives 28, Socialist People's Party 13, Progress Party 11, Social Liberals 8, Unity List 6, Center Democrats 5, independent 1; note - Progress Party split up in spring of 1995:Progress Party retained 7 seats, Danish People's Party 4 seats

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the monarch for life

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, 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, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Knud-Erik TYGESEN
In the us chancery: 3,200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 234-4,300
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 328-1470
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Edward E. ELSON
From the us embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2,100 Copenhagen
From the us mailing address: PSC 73, APO AE 9,716
From the us telephone: [45] (31) 42 31 44
From the us FAX: [45] (35) 43 02 23

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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 will concentrate on reducing the persistently high 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 taxes while maintaining overall tax revenues; boosted industrial competitiveness through labor market and tax reforms and increased research and development funds; and improved welfare services for the neediest while cutting paperwork and delays. Prime Minister RASMUSSEN's reforms focus on adapting Denmark to the criteria for European integration by 1999; Copenhagen has won from the European Union (EU) the right to opt out of the European Monetary Union (EMU). Denmark is, in fact, one of the few EU countries likely to fit into the EMU on time.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4%
Industry: 27%
Services: 69% (1995)

Agriculture products: grain, potatoes, rape, sugar beets; meat, dairy products; fish

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

Industrial production growth rate: 3.4% (1996)

Labor force
Total: 2,895,950
By occupation private services: 40%
By occupation government services: 30%
By occupation manufacturing and mining: 19%
By occupation construction: 6%
By occupation agriculture forestry and fishing: 5% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 8.2% (November 1996)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $62.1 billion
Expenditures: $66.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1996 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports
Total value: $47.6 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodities: machinery and instruments 25%, meat and meat products, fuels, dairy products, ships, fish, chemicals
Partners: Germany 22.5%, Sweden 9.7%, UK 7.9%, Norway 5.9%, France 5.4%, Netherlands 4.4%, US 4.0% (1995)

Imports
Total value: $42.4 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment, petroleum 25%, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, textiles, paper
Partners: Germany 21.7%, Sweden 11.7%, Netherlands 7.0%, UK 6.6%, France 5.2%, Norway 4.9%, US 4.7%, Japan 3.5%, FSU 1.7% (1995)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $44 billion (1996 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 - 6.117 (January 1997), 5.799 (1996), 5.602 (1995), 6.361 (1994), 6.484 (1993), 6.036 (1992)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 34.6 billion kWh

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 6,411 kWh (1995)

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system: excellent telephone and telegraph services
Domestic: buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form trunk network, four cellular radio communications systems
International: 18 submarine optical fiber cables linking Denmark with Norway, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Germany, the 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

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $2.9 billion (1997 est.)
Percent of gdp: 1.6% (1997 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 109 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 102
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 13
With paved runways under 914 m: 77 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 7
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6 (1996 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 102
Over 3047 m: 2
2438 to 3047 m: 7
15-24 to 2437 m: 3
914 to 1523 m: 13
Under 914 m: 77 (1996 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways
Total: 7
15-24 to 2437 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 6 (1996 est.)

Heliports

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

Railways
Total: 2,848 km (499 km privately owned and operated)
Standard gauge: 2,848 km 1.435-m gauge (326 km electrified; 760 km double track) (1995)

Roadways

Waterways: 417 km

Merchant marine
Total: 328 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,180,729 GRT/7,400,870 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 15, cargo 114, chemical tanker 20, container 68, liquefied gas tanker 25, livestock carrier 6, oil tanker 29, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 16, roll-on/roll-off cargo 24, short-sea passenger 9, specialized tanker 1
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 (1996 est.)

Ports and terminals


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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)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs