Denmark

Kingdom of DenmarkKongeriget Danmark

constitutional monarchyIndependence 1849 (became a constitutional monarchy)

Denmark as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 77 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalCopenhagen

Area43,070 km2

LocationNorthwestern Europe, bordering the North Sea on a peninsula north of Germany

Populationas each edition published it

5.18 million July 1993 est. · 5.13m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.23% 1993 est. · 0.64% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 39.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

75.51 years 1993 est. · 82.1 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.68 children per woman 1993 est. · 1.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

7.1 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 6 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$18,200 1992 · $73,700 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

1% 1992 · 3.7% in 2025

Geography

Northwestern Europe, bordering the North Sea on a peninsula north of Germany

14 fields

Land useshare of 43,070 km2

arable land 61%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 6%forest and woodland 12%other 21%irrigated 4,300 km2 (1989 est.)

Area

43,070km2

land area: 42,370 km2comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Massachusettsnote: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark, but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland

Coastline

3,379km

contiguous zone: 4 nmcontinental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitationexclusive fishing zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 3 nm

Land boundaries

68km

total · Germany 68 km

Location

Northwestern Europe, bordering the North Sea on a peninsula north of Germany

Map references

Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

International disputes

Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Iceland, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area);
dispute between Denmark and Norway over maritime boundary in Arctic Ocean between Greenland and Jan Mayen is before the International Court of Justice

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

Environment

air and water pollution

Note

controls Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas

People

14 fields

Population

5,175,922

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 0.23% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

12.5Death

11.42Net migration

1.24

Religions(1988)

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

Labor force

2,553,900

by occupation: private services 37.1%, government services 30.4%, manufacturing and mining 20%, construction 6.3%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 5.6%, electricity/gas/water 0.6% (1991)

Literacy

15and over can read and write

age · (1980)total population: 99%male: NA%female: NA%

Infant mortality rate

7.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 75.51 years
male:: 72.63 years
female:: 78.56 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.68 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Dane(s) adjective:: Danish

Ethnic divisions

Scandinavian, Eskimo, Faroese, German

Languages

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

Government

Constitutional monarchy

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

37.4%

Social Democratic Party 37.4%Conservative Party 16.0%Liberal 15.8%Socialist People's Party 8.3%Progress Party 6.4%Center Democratic Party 5.1%Radical Liberal Party 3.5%Christian People's Party 2.3%other 5.2%

Names

conventional long form:: Kingdom of Denmark
conventional short form:: Denmark
local long form:: Kongeriget Danmark
local short form:: Danmark

Digraph

Type

constitutional monarchy

Capital

Copenhagen

Administrative divisions

metropolitan Denmark - 14 counties (amter, singular - amt) and 1 city*, (stad);
Arhus, Bornholm, Ringkbing, Roskilde, Snderjylland, Staden Kbenhavn*, Storstrm, 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

1849 (became a constitutional monarchy)

Constitution

5 June 1953

Legal system

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

National holiday

Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)

Political parties and leaders

Social Democratic Party, Poul Nyrup RASMUSSEN;
Conservative Party, Poul SCHLUETER;
Liberal Party, Uffe ELLEMANN-JENSEN;
Socialist People's Party, Holger K. NIELSEN;
Progress Party, Pia KJAERSGAARD;
Center Democratic Party, Mimi Stilling JAKOBSEN;
Radical Liberal Party, Marianne JELVED;
Christian People's Party, Jann SJURSEN;
Common Course, Preben Moller HANSEN;
Danish Workers' Party

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Elections

Parliament:: last held 12 December 1990 (next to be held by December 1994);
results - Social Democratic Party 37.4%, Conservative Party 16.0%, Liberal 15.8%, Socialist People's Party 8.3%, Progress Party 6.4%, Center Democratic Party 5.1%, Radical Liberal Party 3.5%, Christian People's Party 2.3%, other 5.2%;
seats - (179 total; includes 2 from Greenland and 2 from the Faroe Islands) Social Democratic 69, Conservative 30, Liberal 29, Socialist People's 15, Progress Party 12, Center Democratic 9, Radical Liberal 7, Christian People's 4

Executive branch

monarch, heir apparent, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral parliament (Folketing)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State:: Queen MARGRETHE II (since NA 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 NA January 1993)

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G-9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Peter Pedersen DYVIG
chancery:: 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: (202) 234-4300
FAX:: (202) 328-1470 consulates general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Richard B. STONE
embassy:: Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen O
mailing address:: APO AE 09716
telephone:: [45] (31) 42-31-44
FAX:: [45] (35) 43-0223

Flag

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

This modern 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.

18 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$18,200

(1992)

Real growth rate

(1992)industrial production growth: growth rate 1.9% (1992)

Inflation, consumer prices

1.5%

(1992)

Unemployment rate

11.4%

(1992)

Budget

Revenues

$48.8 billionExpenditures

$55.3 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

Overview

This modern 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's new center-left coalition government will concentrate on reducing the persistent 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.

In the face of recent international market pressure on the Danish krone, the coalition has also vowed to maintain a stable currency. The coalition hopes to lower marginal income taxes while maintaining overall tax revenues; boost industrial competitiveness through labor market and tax reforms and increased research and development funds;

and improve welfare services for the neediest while cutting paperwork and delays. Prime Minister RASMUSSEN's reforms will focus on adapting Denmark to EC's economic and monetary union (EMU) criteria by 1999, although Copenhagen won from the EC the right to opt out of the EMU if a national referendum rejects it.

Denmark is, in fact, one of the few EC countries likely to fit into the EMU on time. Denmark is weathering the current worldwide slump better than many West European countries. As the EC's single market (formally established on 1 January 1993) gets underway, Danish economic growth is expected to pickup to around 2% in 1993.

Expected Danish approval of the Maastricht treaty on EC political and economic union in May 1993 would almost certainly reverse the drop in investment, further boosting growth. The current account surplus remains strong as limitations on wage increases and low inflation - expected to be around 1% in 1993 - improve export competitiveness. Although unemployment is high, it remains stable compared to most European countries.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $94.2 billion (1992)

Exports

$37.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992)

commodities:: meat and meat products, dairy products, transport equipment (shipbuilding), fish, chemicals, industrial machinery
partners:: EC 54.3% (Germany 23.6%, UK 10.1%, France 5.7%), Sweden 10.5%, Norway 5.8%, US 4.9%, Japan 3.6% (1992)

Imports

$30.3 billion (c.i.f., 1992)

commodities:: petroleum, machinery and equipment, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, textiles, paper
partners:: EC 53.4% (Germany 23.1%, UK 8.2%, France 5.6%), Sweden 10.8%, Norway 5.4%, US 5.7%, Japan 4.1% (1992)

External debt

$40 billion (1992 est.)

Electricity

11,215,000 kW capacity; 34,170 million kWh produced, 6,610 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 4% of GDP and employs 5.6% of labor force (includes fishing and forestry);
farm products account for nearly 15% of export revenues;
principal products - meat, dairy, grain, potatoes, rape, sugar beets, fish;
self-sufficient in food production

Economic aid

donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89) $5.9 billion

Currency

1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 re

Exchange rates

Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 - 6.236 (January 1993), 6.036 (1992), 6.396 (1991), 6.189 (1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Networkskm

Highways

66,482Inland waterways

417

Highways: ; 64,551 km concrete, bitumen, or stone block; 1,931 km gravel, crushed stone, improved earth

Railroads

2,770 km;
Danish State Railways (DSB) operate 2,120 km (1,999 km rail line and 121 km rail ferry services);
188 km electrified, 730 km double tracked;
650 km of standard-gauge lines are privately owned and operated

Highways

66,482 km total;
64,551 km concrete, bitumen, or stone block;
1,931 km gravel, crushed stone, improved earth

Pipelines

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

Ports

Alborg, Arhus, Copenhagen, Esbjerg, Fredericia; numerous secondary and minor ports

Merchant marine

328 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,043,277 GRT/7,230,634 DWT;
includes 13 short-sea passenger, 102 cargo, 19 refrigerated cargo, 47 container, 37 roll-on/roll-off, 1 railcar carrier, 33 oil tanker, 18 chemical tanker, 36 liquefied gas, 4 livestock carrier, 17 bulk, 1 combination bulk;
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;
by the end of 1990, 258 of the Danish-flag ships belonged to the DIS