Map of Denmark | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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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 general political and economic integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973. However the country has opted out of certain elements of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty including the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) European defense cooperation and issues concerning certain justice and home affairs.


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Location: Northern Europe bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes two major islands (Sjaelland and Fyn)

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 (the Jutland Peninsula, and the major islands of Sjaelland and Fyn), 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
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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: Yding Skovhoej 173 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 54.02%
Permanent crops: 0.19%
Other: 45.79% (2001)

Irrigated land: 4,760 km² (1998 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 greater Copenhagen


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Population: 5,432,335 (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: 0.34% (2005 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: Dane
Adjective: Danish

Ethnic groups: Scandinavian Inuit Faroese German Turkish Iranian Somali

Languages
Note: English is the predominant second language

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 95% other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3% Muslim 2%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 18.8% (male 524,250/female 497,683)
15-64 years: 66.1% (male 1,811,787/female 1,780,907)
65 years and over: 15.1% (male 349,458/female 468,250) (2005 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 39.47 years
Male: 38.55 years
Female: 40.4 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.34% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 11.36 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 10.43 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.53 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 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
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2005 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.56 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 4.59 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.53 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.62 years
Male: 75.34 years
Female: 80.03 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.74 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 5,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.)

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: 100%
Male: 100%
Female: 100%

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
Note: since 2005 Bornholm may have become a borough; in the future the counties may be replaced by regions; see separate entries for the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which are part of the Kingdom of Denmark and are self-governing overseas administrative divisions

Dependent areas

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

National holiday: none designated; Constitution Day 5 June (1849) is generally viewed as the National Day

Constitution: 5 June 1849 adoption of original constitution; a major overhaul of 5 June 1953 allowed 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 monarch (born 26 May 1968)
Head of government: Prime Minister Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN (since 27 November 2001)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by parliament
Elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009)
Election results: percent of vote by party - Liberal Party 29%, Social Democrats 25.9%, Danish People's Party 13.2%, Conservative Party 10.3%, Social Liberal Party 9.2%, Socialist People's Party 6%, Unity List 3.4%; seats by party - Liberal Party 52, Social Democrats 47, Danish People's Party 24, Conservative Party 18, Social Liberal Party 17, Socialist People's Party 11, Unity List 6; note - does not include the 2 seats from Greenland and the 2 seats from the Faroe Islands

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

Political parties and leaders: Center Democratic Party [Mimi JAKOBSEN]; Christian Democrats (was Christian People's Party) [Marianne KARLSMOSE]; Conservative Party (sometimes known as Conservative People's Party) [Bendt BENDTSEN]; Danish People's Party [Pia KJAERSGAARD]; Liberal Party [Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN]; Social Democratic Party [Helle THORNING-SCHMIDT]; Social Liberal Party (sometimes called the Radical Left) [Marianne JELVED leader; Soren BALD chairman]; Socialist People's Party [Villy SOEVNDAL]; Red-Green Unity List (bloc includes Left Socialist Party Communist Party of Denmark Socialist Workers' Party) [collective leadership]

International organization participation: AfDB AsDB Australia Group BIS CBSS CE CERN EAPC EBRD EIB ESA EU FAO G- 9 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU MIGA MONUC NATO NC NEA NIB NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE Paris Club PCA UN UN Security Council (temporary) UNAMSIL UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMEE UNMIK UNMIL UNMISET UNMOGIP UNOMIG UNTSO UPU WCO WEU (observer) WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Friis PETERSEN
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 and New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Sally M. LIGHT
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] 35 55 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 a stable currency and high dependence on foreign trade. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and enjoys a comfortable balance of payments surplus. Government objectives include streamlining the bureaucracy and further privatization of state assets. The government has been successful in meeting and even exceeding the economic convergence criteria for participating in the third phase (a common European currency) of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) but Denmark has decided not to join 12 other EU members in the euro; even so the Danish krone remains pegged to the euro. Growth in 2004 was sluggish yet above the scanty 0.3% of 2003. Because of high GDP per capita welfare benefits a low Gini index and political stability the Danish people enjoy living standards topped by no other nation. A major long-term issue will be the sharp decline in the ratio of workers to retirees.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $174.4 billion (2004 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 2.1% (2004 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $32,200 (2004 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.2%
Industry: 25.5%
Services: 72.3% (2004 est.)

Agriculture products: barley wheat potatoes sugar beets; pork dairy products; fish

Industries: iron steel nonferrous metals chemicals food processing machinery and transportation equipment textiles and clothing electronics construction furniture and other wood products shipbuilding and refurbishment windmills

Industrial production growth rate: 1.7% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 2.87 million (2004 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 4%
By occupation industry: 17%
By occupation services: 79% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate: 6.2% (2004 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2%
Highest 10: 24% (2000 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 24.7 (1992)

Budget
Revenues: $136.1 billion
Expenditures: $133.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $500 million (2004 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 42.5% of GDP (2004 est.)

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.4% (2004 est.)

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: $6.529 billion (2004 est.)

Exports: $73.06 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: machinery and instruments meat and meat products dairy products fish chemicals furniture ships windmills
Partners: Germany 18% Sweden 13.2% UK 8.7% US 5.8% Netherlands 5.5% Norway 5.4% France 5% (2004)

Imports: $63.45 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment raw materials and semimanufactures for industry chemicals grain and foodstuffs consumer goods
Partners: Germany 22.3% Sweden 13.5% Netherlands 6.8% UK 6.1% France 4.5% Norway 4.5% Italy 4.1% China 4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $37.98 billion (2003)

Debt external: $21.7 billion (2000)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.9911 (2004) 6.5877 (2003) 7.8947 (2002) 8.3228 (2001) 8.0831 (2000)


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Electricity
Production: 36.38 billion kWh (2002)
Consumption: 31.63 billion kWh (2002)
Exports: 11.1 billion kWh (2002)
Imports: 8.9 billion kWh (2002)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 8.38 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 5.28 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 3.1 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 81.98 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 3,610,100 (2003)
Mobile cellular: 4,785,300 (2003)

Telephone system
General assessment: excellent telephone and telegraph services
Domestic: buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form trunk network, 4 cellular mobile communications systems
International: country code - 45; 18 submarine fiber-optic cables linking Denmark with Canada, Faroe Islands, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and UK; 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 worldwide Inmarsat access (1997)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .dk
Hosts: 1,219,925 (2004)
Users: 2.756 million (2002)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $3,272 million (2003)
Percent of gdp: 1.5% (2004)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer military service; conscripts serve an initial training period that varies from 4 to 12 months according to specialization; reservists are assigned to mobilization units following completion of their conscript service (2004)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 97 (2004 est.)
With paved runways total: 28
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 12
With paved runways under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 69
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 63 (2004 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: condensate 12 km; gas 3,892 km; oil 455 km; oil/gas/water 2 km; unknown (oil/water) 64 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 2,628 km
Standard gauge: 2,628 km 1.435-m gauge (595 km electrified) (2004)

Roadways

Waterways: 417 km (2001)

Merchant marine
Total: 287 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,952,473 GRT/9,030,444 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 67, chemical tanker 40, container 79, liquefied gas 10, livestock carrier 2, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 42, petroleum tanker 25, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 8, specialized tanker 4
Foreign owned: 23 (Bahamas 14, France 1, Greece 1, Greenland 1, Norway 2, Sweden 2, UAE 1, Vietnam 1)
Registered in other countries: 487 (2005)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Iceland disputes the Faroe Islands' fisheries median line; Iceland the UK and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm; Faroese continue to study proposals for full independence; uncontested sovereignty dispute with Canada over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs