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:

1.053 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.014 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.76 male(s)/female

total population:

0.977 male(s)/female (2007 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

name:

Copenhagen

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

• 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:

Council of State appointed by the monarch

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

• Christian Democrats [Bodil KORNBEK] (was Christian People's Party);
• Conservative Party [Bendt BENDTSEN] (sometimes known as Conservative People's Party);
• Danish People's Party [Pia KJAERSGAARD];
• Liberal Party [Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN];
• New Alliance [Naser KHADER];
• Red-Green Unity List [collective leadership] (bloc includes Left Socialist Party, Communist Party of Denmark, Socialist Workers' Party);
• Social Democratic Party [Helle THORNING-SCHMIDT];
• Social Liberal Party [Margrethe VESTAGER];
• Socialist People's Party [Villy SOEVNDAL]

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Friis Arne PETERSEN

chancery:

3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 234-4300

FAX:

[1] (202) 328-1470

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador James P. CAIN

embassy:

Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen

mailing address:

PSC 73, APO AE 09716

telephone:

[45] 33 41 71 00

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

agriculture:

3%

industry:

21%

services:

76% (2004 est.)

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;
• 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 - 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

total:

2,644 km

standard gauge:

2,644 km 1.435-m gauge (636 km electrified) (2007)

total:

72,257 km

paved:

72,257 km (includes 1,032 km of expressways) (2005)

• 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 (2004)

males age 18-49:

1,175,108

females age 18-49:

1,150,627 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

955,168

females age 18-49:

935,643 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

31,317

females age 18-49:

29,558 (2005 est.)

• 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