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.

Land boundaries: 68 km with FRG

Coastline: 3,379 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 4 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing 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

Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone

Land use: 61% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 6% meadows and pastures; 12% forest and woodland; 21% other; includes 9% irrigated

Geography
Note: controls Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas

Population: 5,129,659 (July 1989), growth rate 0.1% (1989)

Nationality: noun - Dane(s; adjective - Danish

Ethnic groups: Scandinavian, Eskimo, Faroese, German

Languages: Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Eskimo dialect; small German-speaking minority

Religions: 97% Evangelical Lutheran, 2% other Protestant and Roman Catholic, 1% other

Birth rate: 11 births/1000 population (1989)

Death rate: 11 deaths/1000 population (1989)

Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1000 population (1989)

Environment
Current issues: air and water pollution

Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1000 live births (1989)

Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 79 years female (1989)

Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1989)

Literacy: 99%

Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Copenhagen

Administrative divisions: metropolitan Denmark - 14 counties (amter, singular - amt) and 1 city* (stad; Arhus, Bornholm, Frederiksborg, Fyn, Kobenhavn, Nordjylland, Ribe, Ringkobing, Roskilde, Sonderjylland, Staden Kobenhavn*, Storstrom, Vejle, Vestsjaelland, Viborg; note - see separate entries for the Faroe Islands and Greenland which are part of the Danish realm and self-governing administrative divisions

Independence: became a constitutional monarchy in 1849

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

Constitution: 5 June 1953

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

Suffrage: universal over age 21

Executive branch: Chief of State - Queen MARGRETHE II (since January 1972; Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the Queen (born 26 May 1968; Head of Government - Prime Minister Poul SCHLUTER (since 10 September 1982)

Legislative branch: Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish Air Force

International organization participation: ADB, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, EMS, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB, Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC - International Wheat Council, NATO, Nordic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Eigil JORGENSEN; Chancery at 3,200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 234-4,300; there are Danish Consulates General at Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York; US - Ambassador Keith L. BROWN; Embassy at Dag Hammarskjold Alle 24, 2,100 Copenhagen O (mailing address is APO New York 9,170; telephone Õ45å (1) 42 31 44

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 all other Scandinavian countries

Economy overview: The highly diversified economy is heavily dependent on foreign trade (including services), which accounts for 40% of GDP. Over the past 30 years manufacturing has gradually replaced agriculture as the most important sector. In 1987 about 60% of total exports came from manufactured products compared to 30% from agriculture.

Agriculture products: highly intensive, specializes in dairying and animal husbandry; main crops - cereals, root crops; food imports - oilseed, grain, animal feedstuffs

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

Industrial production growth rate: - 2.4% (1987)

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: 8.9% (1988)

Budget: revenues $34 billion; expenditures $34 billion, including capital expenditures of $19 billion (1988)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $25.6 billion (f.o.b., 1987)
Commodities: meat and meat products, dairy products, transport equipment, fish, chemicals, industrial machinery
Partners: US 6.9%, FRG, Norway, Sweden, UK, other EC, Japan

Imports: $25.5 billion (c.i.f., 1987)
Commodities: petroleum, machinery and equipment, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, textiles, paper
Partners: US 5.3%, FRG, Netherlands, Sweden, UK, other EC

Debt external: $19.0 billion (December 1988 est.)

Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 - 7.085 (January 1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987), 8.091 (1986), 10.596 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 11,123,000 kW capacity; 30,011 million kWh produced, 5,860 kWh per capita (1988)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $2.352 billion, 7.3% of central government budget (1988 est.)

Airports: 130 total, 114 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; 9 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

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

Waterways: 417 km

Merchant marine: 223 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,123,748 GRT/6,248,626 DWT; includes 11 short-sea passenger, 71 cargo, 12 refrigerated cargo, 25 container, 38 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 railcar carrier, 34 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 9 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 3 livestock carrier, 9 bulk

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)