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.

Geographic coordinates: 56 00 N 10 00 E

Area
Rank: 134
Land: 42,434 km²
Water: 660 km²
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts

Land boundaries
Border countries: (1) Germany 140 km

Coastline: 7,314 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 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 highest point: Mollehoj/Ejer Bavnehoj 171 m

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

Land use
Permanent crops: 0.09%
Other: 41.91% (2011)

Irrigated land: 4,354 km² (2007)

Total renewable water resources: 6 km³ (2011)

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

Population: 5,569,077 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 115
Growth rate: 0.22% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 178
Below poverty line: 13.4% (2011)

Nationality
Adjective: Danish

Ethnic groups: Scandinavian Inuit Faroese German Turkish Iranian Somali

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

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran (official) 80% Muslim 4% other (denominations of less than 1% each includes Roman Catholic Jehovah's Witness Serbian Orthodox Christian Jewish Baptist and Buddhist) 16% (2012 est.)

Age structure
15-24 years: 13.1% (male 371,258/female 355,984)
25-54 years: 39.2% (male 1,087,993/female 1,093,545)
55-64 years: 12.4% (male 343,685/female 347,732)
65 years and over: 18% (male 457,175/female 565,908) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 27.1 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 28.5 %
Potential support ratio: 3.5 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 40.7 years
Female: 42.5 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.22% (2014 est.)
Rank: 178

Birth rate: 10.22 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 190

Death rate: 10.23 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 46

Net migration rate: 2.25 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 43

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 0.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: COPENHAGEN (capital) 1.206 million (2011)

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 signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 29.1 (2012 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 197
Male: 4.17 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.02 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 47
Male: 76.68 years
Female: 81.64 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 168

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 3.42 physicians/1000 population (2007)

Hospital bed density: 3.5 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 111
People living with hivaids: 5,300 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 122
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 133

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 18.2% (2008)
Rank: 107

Education expenditures: 8.7% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 8

Literacy
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 16 years
Female: 18 years (2010)

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

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 55 40 N 12 35 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions: metropolitan Denmark - 5 regions (regioner singular - region); Hovedstaden (Capital) Midtjylland (Central Jutland) Nordjylland (North Jutland) Sjaelland (Zealand) Syddanmark (Southern Denmark)

Independence: ca. 965 (unified and Christianized under HARALD I Gormson); 5 June 1849 (became a constitutional monarchy)

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

Constitution: previous 1665; latest adopted 5 June 1849; amended several times last in 2009 (2009)

Legal system: civil law; judicial review of legislative acts

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister Helle THORNING-SCHMIDT (since 3 October 2011)
Cabinet: Council of State appointed by the monarch
Elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch

Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly or Folketing (179 seats including 2 from Greenland and 2 from the Faroe Islands; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms unless the Folketing is dissolved earlier)
Elections: last held on 15 September 2011 (next to be held by September 2015)
Election results: percent of vote by party - V 26.7% SDP 24.9% DF 12.3% SLP 9.5% SF 9.2% O 6.7% LA 5% C 4.9% other 0.8%; seats by party - V 47 SDP 44 DF 22 SLP 17 SF 16 O 12 LA 9 C 8; note - does not include the two seats from Greenland and the two seats from the Faroe Islands

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the monarch upon the recommendation of the Minister of Justice with the advice of the Judicial Appointments Council a 6-member independent body of judges and lawyers; judges appointed for life with retirement at age 70
Subordinate courts: Special Court of Indictment and Revision; 2 High Courts; Maritime and Commercial Court; county courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member) AfDB (nonregional member) Arctic Council Australia Group BIS CBSS CD CE CERN EAPC EBRD EIB EITI (implementing country) ESA EU FAO FATF G-9 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IGAD (partners) IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MINUSMA NATO NC NEA NIB NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE Paris Club PCA Schengen Convention UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMIL UNMISS UNRWA UNTSO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
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 consulate general: Chicago New York
From the us embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24 2,100 Copenhagen 0
From the us mailing address: Unit 5,280 DPO AE 9,716
From the us telephone: [45] 33 41 71 00
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; the banner is referred to as the Dannebrog (Danish flag) and is one of the oldest national flags in the world; traditions as to the origin of the flag design vary but the best known is a legend that the banner fell from the sky during an early-13th century battle; caught up by the Danish king before it ever touched the earth this heavenly talisman inspired the royal army to victory; in actuality the flag may derive from a crusade banner or ensign

National symbols: lion; mute swan

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Adam Gottlob OEHLENSCHLAGER/Hans Ernst KROYER; Johannes EWALD/unknown

Economy overview: This thoroughly modern market economy features a high-tech agricultural sector state-of-the-art industry with world-leading firms in pharmaceuticals maritime shipping and renewable energy and a high dependence on foreign trade. Denmark is a member of the European Union (EU); Danish legislation and regulations conform to EU standards on almost all issues. Danes enjoy a high standard of living and the Danish economy is characterized by extensive government welfare measures and an equitable distribution of income. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and enjoys a comfortable balance of payments surplus but depends on imports of raw materials for the manufacturing sector. Within the EU Denmark is among the strongest supporters of trade liberalization. After a long consumption-driven upswing Denmark's economy began slowing in 2007 with the end of a housing boom. Housing prices dropped markedly in 2008-09 and following a short respite in 2010 have since continued to decline. Household indebtedness is still relatively high at more than 275% of gross disposable income in the first half of 2013. The global financial crisis has exacerbated this cyclical slowdown through increased borrowing costs and lower export demand consumer confidence and investment. Denmark made a modest recovery in 2010 in part because of increased government spending; however the country experienced a technical recession in late 2010-early 2011. Historically low levels of unemployment rose sharply with the recession and have remained at about 6% in 2010-13 based on the national measure about two-thirds average EU unemployment. An impending decline in the ratio of workers to retirees will be a major long-term issue. Denmark maintained a healthy budget surplus for many years up to 2008 but the budget balance swung into deficit in 2009 where it remains. In spite of the deficits the new coalition government delivered a modest stimulus to the economy in 2012. Nonetheless Denmark's fiscal position remains among the strongest in the EU with public debt at about 46% of GDP in 2013. Despite previously meeting the criteria to join the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) so far Denmark has decided not to join although the Danish krone remains pegged to the euro.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 55

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 195

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 32

Gross national saving:
Rank: 54

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 28.8%
Investment in fixed capital: 17.7%
Investment in inventories: 0.2%
Exports of goods and services: 53.4%
Imports of goods and services: -49.2%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 21.7%
Services: 76.8% (2013 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 pharmaceuticals medical equipment

Industrial production growth rate: 1.1% (2013 est.)
Rank: 143

Labor force: 2.795 million (2013 est.)
Rank: 106
By occupation industry: 20.3%
By occupation services: 77.1% (2011 est.)

Unemployment rate: 6% (2012 est.)
Rank: 59

Population below poverty line: 13.4% (2011)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 28.7% (2007)

Distribution of family income gini index: 24.7 (1992)
Rank: 137

Budget
Expenditures: $189.7 billion (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 103

Taxes and other revenues: 55.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 8

Public debt: 45.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 75

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.4% (2012 est.)
Rank: 18

Central bank discount rate: 0.75% (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 133

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 3.6% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 162

Stock of narrow money: $150.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 26

Stock of broad money: $174.3 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 42

Stock of domestic credit: $664.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 22

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 31

Current account balance: $17.44 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 16

Exports: $104.9 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 37
Commodities: machinery and instruments meat and meat products dairy products fish pharmaceuticals furniture windmills
Partners: Germany 15.9% Sweden 13.5% UK 9.6% US 6.6% Norway 6.3% Netherlands 4.6% (2012)

Imports: $96.77 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 35
Commodities: machinery and equipment raw materials and semimanufactures for industry chemicals grain and foodstuffs consumer goods
Partners: Germany 21.2% Sweden 13.5% Netherlands 7.5% China 6.4% Norway 6.3% UK 5.6% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $89.7 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 24

Debt external: $571.4 billion (31 December 2011)
Rank: 24

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $147.1 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 31

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $241.7 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 21

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 33.71 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 63
Consumption: 33.56 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 60
Exports: 10.71 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 20
Imports: 15.92 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 13
Installed generating capacity: 13.71 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 48
Generation sources fossil fuels: 63% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 129
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 75
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 150
Generation sources other renewable sources: 36.9% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 2

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 207,400 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 39
Crude oil exports: 155,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 32
Crude oil imports: 55,010 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 54
Crude oil proven reserves: 805 million bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 43

Refined petroleum
Products production: 145,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 62
Products consumption: 160,200 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 64
Products exports: 104,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 43
Products imports: 124,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 45

Natural gas
Production: 6.412 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 50
Consumption: 4.994 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 63
Exports: 2.983 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 39
Imports: 254 million m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 68
Proven reserves: 42.98 billion m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 67

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 46.66 million Mt (2011 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 2.431 million (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 53
Mobile cellular: 6.6 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 97

Telephone system
Domestic: buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form trunk network multiple cellular mobile communications systems
International: country code - 45; a series of fiber-optic submarine cables link Denmark with Canada Faroe Islands Germany Iceland Netherlands Norway Poland Russia Sweden and UK; satellite earth stations - 18 (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 (2011)

Broadcast media: strong public-sector TV presence with state-owned Danmarks Radio (DR) operating 4 channels and publicly owned TV2 operating roughly a half dozen channels; broadcasts of privately owned stations are available via satellite and cable feed; DR operates 4 nationwide FM radio stations 15 digital audio broadcasting stations and about 15 web-based radio stations; approximately 250 commercial and community radio stations (2007)

Internet
Country code: .dk
Hosts: 4.297 million (2012)
Hosts rank: 25
Users: 4.75 million (2009)
Users rank: 48

Military expenditures:
Rank: 71

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary 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; women eligible to volunteer for military service (2012)

Airports: 80 (2013)
Rank: 68
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 12
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways: 47 (2013)

Pipelines: condensate 11 km; gas 4,377 km; oil 647 km; oil/gas/water 2 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 62
Standard gauge: 2,667 km 1.435-m gauge (640 km electrified) (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 63
Paved: 73,929 km (includes 1143 km of expressways) (2012)

Waterways: 400 km (2010)
Rank: 88

Merchant marine
Rank: 27
By type: bulk carrier 4 cargo 48 carrier 1 chemical tanker 125 container 94 liquefied gas 4 passenger 1 passenger/cargo 40 petroleum tanker 36 refrigerated cargo 3 roll on/roll off 8 specialized tanker 3
Foreign owned: 27 (Germany 9 Greenland 1 Norway 2 Sweden 15)
Registered in other countries: 582 (Antigua and Barbuda 20 Bahamas 69 Belgium 4 Brazil 3 Curacao 1 Cyprus 6 Egypt 1 France 11 Gibraltar 7 Hong Kong 42 Isle of Man 30 Italy 4 Jamaica 1 Liberia 8 Lithuania 8 Luxembourg 1 Malaysia 1 Malta 34 Marshall Islands 7 Moldova 1 Netherlands 27 Norway 7 Panama 41 Philippines 2 Portugal 4 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9 Singapore 149 Sweden 4 UK 43 Uruguay 1 US 31 Venezuela 1 unknown 4) (2010)

Ports and terminals
River port: Aalborg (Langerak)
Dry bulk cargo port: Ensted (coal)
Cruise port: Copenhagen

Disputes international: 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; sovereignty dispute with Canada over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland; Denmark (Greenland) and Norway have made submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) and Russia is collecting additional data to augment its 2001 CLCS submission