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.

Geographic coordinates: 56 00 N 10 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts

Coastline: 7,314 km

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

Terrain: low and flat to gently rolling plains

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

Irrigated land: 4,350 km² (1993 est.)

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

Population: 5,336,394 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 0.31% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Ethnic groups: Scandinavian Inuit Faroese German

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

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 97% other Protestant and Roman Catholic other

Population growth rate: 0.31% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 12.16 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 11 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.95 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

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

Infant mortality rate: 5.11 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Copenhagen

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

Independence: first organized as a unified state in 10th century; 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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

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)

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

Political parties and leaders: Center Democratic Party [Mimi JAKOBSEN]; Christian People's Party [Jann SJURSEN]; Conservative Party [Bendt BENDTSEN]; Conservative People's Party [Pia Christmas MOLLER]; Danish People's Party [Pia KJAERSGAARD]; Liberal Party [Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN]; Progress Party [Aage BRUSGAARD]; Radical Liberal Party [Marianne JELVED]; Social Democratic Party [Poul Nyrup RASMUSSEN]; Social Liberal Party [Johannes LEBECH]; Socialist People's Party [Holger K. NIELSEN]; Unity Party [no leader]

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

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

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.

Real gdp growth rate: 1.3% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $23,800 (1999 est.)

Agriculture products: grain potatoes rape sugar beets; beef 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: 1.5% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 2.896 million
By occupation services: 71%
By occupation industry: 25%
By occupation agriculture: 4% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: 5.7% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.5% (1999 est.)

Exports: $49.5 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: machinery and instruments meat and meat products fuels dairy products ships fish chemicals
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)

Imports: $43.9 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: machinery and equipment petroleum chemicals grain and foodstuffs textiles paper
Partners: EU 72.5% (Germany 22.5% Sweden 12.9% UK 7.9% France 5.9%) Norway 4.6% US 4.1% (1998)

Debt external: $44 billion (1996 est.)

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)

Electricity
Production: 40.277 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 33.037 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 7.1 billion kWh (1998)
Imports: 2.68 billion kWh (1998)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 3.203 million (1995)
Mobile cellular: 1.347 million (1999)

Telephone system: excellent telephone and telegraph services

Internet
Service providers isps: 12 (1999)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $2.822 billion (FY98)
Percent of gdp: 1.7% (FY98)

Airports: 118 (1999 est.)

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

Waterways: 417 km

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)