Denmark

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.

• temperate;
• humid and overcast;
• mild, windy winters and cool summers

• 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

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.75 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

noun:

Dane(s)

adjective:

Danish

conventional long form:

Kingdom of Denmark

conventional short form:

Denmark

local long form:

Kongeriget Danmark

local short form:

Danmark

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

chief of state:

Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the monarch (born 26 May 1968)

head of government:

Prime Minister Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN (since 27 November 2001)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by parliament

elections:

• none;
• the monarch is hereditary;
• following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch

• Center Democratic Party [Mimi JAKOBSEN];
• Christian Democrats (was Christian People's Party) [Marianne KARLSMOSE];
• Conservative Party (sometimes known as Conservative People's Party) [Bendt BENDTSEN];
• Danish People's Party [Pia KJAERSGAARD];
• Liberal Party [Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN];
• Social Democratic Party [Helle THORNING-SCHMIDT];
• Social Liberal Party (sometimes called the Radical Left) [Marianne JELVED, leader; Soren BALD, chairman];
• Socialist People's Party [Villy SOEVNDAL];
• Red-Green Unity List (bloc includes Left Socialist Party, Communist Party of Denmark, Socialist Workers' Party) [collective leadership]

AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

chief of mission:

Ambassador Friis PETERSEN

chancery:

3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 234-4300

FAX:

[1] (202) 328-1470

consulate(s) general:

Chicago and New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Sally M. LIGHT

embassy:

Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen

mailing address:

PSC 73, APO AE 09716

telephone:

[45] 35 55 31 44

FAX:

[45] 35 43 02 23

• 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

lowest 10%:

2%

highest 10%:

24% (2000 est.)

• barley, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets;
• pork, dairy products;
• fish

general assessment:

excellent telephone and telegraph services

domestic:

buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form trunk network, 4 cellular mobile communications systems

international:

• country code - 45;
• 18 submarine fiber-optic cables linking Denmark with Canada, Faroe Islands, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and UK;
• satellite earth stations - 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 (1997)

total:

2,628 km

standard gauge:

2,628 km 1.435-m gauge (595 km electrified) (2004)

total:

71,847 km

paved:

71,847 km (including 918 km of expressways)

unpaved:

0 km (2002)

• condensate 12 km;
• gas 3,892 km;
• oil 455 km;
• oil/gas/water 2 km;
• unknown (oil/water) 64 km (2004)

• 18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer 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 (2004)

• Iceland disputes the Faroe Islands' fisheries median line;
• 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;
• uncontested sovereignty dispute with Canada over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland