Denmark

Kingdom of DenmarkKongeriget Danmark

constitutional monarchyIndependence 1849 (became a constitutional monarchy)

Denmark as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 81 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 sq km

LocationNorthern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea,

Populationas each edition published it

5.2 million July 1995 est. · 5.13m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.22% 1995 est. · 0.23% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 39.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

76.11 years 1995 est. · 75.51 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.69 children per woman 1995 est. · 1.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

6.8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 6 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$19,860 1994 est. · $18,200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

4.5% 1994 est. · 1% in 1993

Geography

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, | on a peninsula north of Germany

14 fields

Land useshare of 43,070 sq km

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

Area

43,070sq km

land area: 42,370 sq kmcomparative 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 the depth of exploitationexclusive fishing zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 3 nm

Land boundaries

68km

total · Germany 68 km

Location

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany

Map references

Europe

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)

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

current issues:: air pollution, principally from vehicle emissions;
nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea;
drinking and surface water becoming polluted from animal wastes
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
international agreements:: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling;
signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea

Note

controls Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in Copenhagen

People

15 fields

Population

5,199,437

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 0.22% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

12.38Death

11.14Net migration

0.96

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 est.)total population: 99%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 17% (female 430,598; male 451,993)
15-64 years:: 68% (female 1,731,531; male 1,780,083)
65 years and over:: 15% (female 473,537; male 331,695) (July 1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate

6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 76.11 years
male:: 73.23 years
female:: 79.16 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.69 children born/woman (1995 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; Queen MARGRETHE II (since NA January 1972); Prime Minister Poul Nyrup RASMUSSEN (since NA January 1993)

21 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

34.6%

Social Democrats 34.6%Liberals 23.3%Conservatives 15.0%Social People's Party 7.3%Progress Party 6.4%Radical Liberals 4.6%Unity Party 3.1%Center Democrats 2.8%Christian People's Party 1.8%

Legislature, 179 seatsone dot, one seat

Social Democrats 63Liberals 44Conservatives 28Social People's Party 13Progress Party 11Radical Liberals 8Unity Party 6Center Democrats 5independent 1

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, Frederiksborg, Fyn, Kbenhavn, Nordjylland, Ribe, 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)

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

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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)
cabinet:: Cabinet; appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch

unicameral

Parliament (Folketing)

elections last held 21 September 1994 (next to be held by December 1998);
results - Social Democrats 34.6%, Liberals 23.3%, Conservatives 15.0%, Social People's Party 7.3%, Progress Party 6.4%, Radical Liberals 4.6%, Unity Party 3.1%, Center Democrats 2.8%, Christian People's Party 1.8%;
seats - (179 total) Social Democrats 63, Liberals 44, Conservatives 28, Social People's Party 13, Progress Party 11, Radical Liberals 8, Unity Party 6, Center Democrats 5, independent 1

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

Social Democratic Party, Poul Nyrup RASMUSSEN;
Conservative Party, Hans ENGELL;
Liberal Party, Uffe ELLEMANN-JENSEN;
Socialist People's Party, Holger K. NIELSEN;
Progress Party, Group Chairman Kim BEHNKE and Policy Spokesman Jan Kopke CHRISTENSEN;
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;
Unity Party

Member of

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

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Peter Pedersen DYVIG (Knud-Erik TYGESEN is Ambassador Elect for 1995)
chancery:: 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: [1] (202) 234-4300

FAX

[1] (202) 328-1470; consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Edward E. ELSON
embassy:: Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen O
mailing address:: APO AE 09716
telephone:: [45] (31) 42 31 44

FAX

[45] (35) 43 02 23

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

18 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$19,860

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

4.5%

(1994 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate -2.5% (1993 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

(1994 est.)

Unemployment rate

12.3%

(1994 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$56.5 billionExpenditures

$64.4 billion (1994 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Installed generating capacity, 10,030,000 kW

Electricity production

32 billionElectricity consumption per capita

5,835 (1993)

Overview

This thoroughly 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 is self-sufficient in food production. The 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 the criteria for European integration by 1999; although Copenhagen has won from the European Union (EU) the right to opt out of the European Monetary Union (EMU) if a national referendum rejects it.

Denmark is, in fact, one of the few EU countries likely to fit into the EMU on time. Denmark is weathering the current worldwide slump better than many West European countries. After posting 4.5% real GDP growth in 1994, Copenhagen is predicting a continued strong showing in 1995, with real GDP up by 3.2%. The government expects an upswing in business investment in 1995 to drive economic growth. Although unemployment is high, it remains stable compared to most European countries.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $103 billion (1994 est.)

Exports

$42.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994)

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

$37.1 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)

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

$40.9 billion (1994 est.)

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; principal products - meat, dairy, grain, potatoes, rape, sugar beets, fish

Economic aid

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

Currency

1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 oere

Exchange rates

Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 - 6.034 (January 1995), 6.361 (1994), 6.484 (1993), 6.036 (1992), 6.396 (1991), 6.189 (1990)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 118 in all

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

1,524 to 2,438 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

71,042Railroads

2,838Inland waterways

417

Highways: paved: concrete, asphalt, stone block 71,042 km (696 km of expressways) · Railroads: (494 km privately owned and operated) · standard gauge: 2,838 km 1.435-m gauge (440 km electrified; 760 km double track) (1994)

Railroads

total:: 2,838 km (494 km privately owned and operated)
standard gauge:: 2,838 km 1.435-m gauge (440 km electrified; 760 km double track) (1994)

Highways

total:: 71,042 km
paved:: concrete, asphalt, stone block 71,042 km (696 km of expressways)

Pipelines

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

Ports

Alborg, Arhus, Copenhagen, Esbjerg, Fredericia, Grenaa, Koge, Odense, Struer

Merchant marine

total:: 345 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,005,470 GRT/6,974,750 DWT
ships by type:: bulk 17, cargo 109, chemical tanker 24, combination bulk 1, container 61, liquefied gas tanker 32, livestock carrier 4, oil tanker 32, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 18, roll-on/roll-off cargo 35, short-sea passenger 11

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