Denmark
Kingdom of DenmarkKongeriget Danmark
constitutional monarchy
Denmark as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 136 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes two major islands (Sjaelland and Fyn)
20 fieldsLand useshare of 43,094 sq km
Note
Location
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes two major islands (Sjaelland and Fyn)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 0.67 cu km/yr (32%/26%/42%)
- per capita:
- 123 cu m/yr (2002)
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
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
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in greater Copenhagen
People
22 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.78 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Languages
Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority) note: English is the predominant second language
Government
Constitutional monarchy; Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972); Prime Minister Lars Lokke RASMUSSEN (since 5 April 2009)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
People's Assembly or Folketing, 175 seats, elected 13 November 2007one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Kingdom of Denmark
- conventional short form:
- Denmark
- local long form:
- Kongeriget Danmark
- local short form:
- Danmark
Capital
- 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
note: applies to continental Denmark only, not to its North Atlantic components
Administrative divisions
metropolitan Denmark - 5 regions (regioner, singular - region); Hovedstaden, Midtjylland, Nordjylland, Sjaelland, Syddanmark note: an extensive local government reform merged 271 municipalities into 98 and 13 counties into five regions, effective 1 January 2007
Independence
first organized as a unified state in 10th century; in 1849 became a constitutional monarchy
National holiday
none designated; Constitution Day, 5 June (1849) is generally viewed as the National Day
Constitution
5 June 1953; note - constitution allowed for a unicameral legislature and a female chief of state
Legal system
- civil law system;
- judicial review of legislative acts;
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Executive branch
- 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 Lars Lokke RASMUSSEN (since 5 April 2009)
- cabinet:
- Council of State appointed by the monarch
- elections:
- 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
Legislative branch
unicameral People's Assembly or Folketing (179 seats, including 2 from Greenland and 2 from the Faroe Islands; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms unless the Folketing is dissolved earlier)
- elections:
- last held 13 November 2007 (next to be held in 2011)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - Liberal Party 26.2%, Social Democrats 25.5%, Danish People's Party 13.9%, Socialist People's Party 13.0%, Conservative People's Party 10.4%, Social Liberal Party 5.1%, New Alliance 2.8%, Red-Green Unity List 2.2%, other 0.9%;
- seats by party - Liberal Party 46, Social Democrats 45, Danish People's Party 25, Socialist People's Party 23, Conservative People's Party 18, Social Liberal Party 9, New Alliance 5, Red-Green Alliance 4;
- note - does not include the two seats from Greenland and the two seats from the Faroe Islands
Political parties and leaders
- Christian Democrats [Bjarne Hartung KIRKEGAARD] (was Christian People's Party);
- Conservative Party [Lene ESPERSEN] (sometimes known as Conservative People's Party);
- Danish People's Party [Pia KJAERSGAARD];
- Liberal Party [Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN];
- Liberal Alliance [Naser KHADER](formerly known as New Alliance);
- Red-Green Unity List (Alliance) [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]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Danish Free Press Society (freedom of speech); Danish National Socialist Movement or DNSB [Jonni HANSEN] (neo-Nazi organization); other: human rights groups
International organization participation
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, 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, MONUC, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
- 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
Diplomatic representation from the US
- 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
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
note: the shifted design element was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden
Economy
51 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2008 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
This thoroughly modern market economy features high-tech agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures, an equitable distribution of income, comfortable living standards, a stable currency, a stable political system, and high dependence on foreign trade.
Unemployment is low and capacity constraints limit growth potential. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and enjoys a comfortable balance of payments surplus. The government has been successful in meeting, and even exceeding, the economic convergence criteria for participating in the third phase (a common European currency) of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), but so far Denmark has decided not to join 16 other EU members in the euro.
Nonetheless, the Danish krone remains pegged to the euro. Denmark's fiscal position is among the strongest in the EU. Economic growth gained momentum in 2004 and the upturn continued through 2006. After a long consumption-driven upswing, Denmark's economy began slowing in early 2007 with the end of a housing boom.
This cyclical slowdown has been exacerbated by the global financial crisis through increased borrowing costs and lower export demand, consumer confidence, and investment. The slowing global economy cut GDP by 1.2% in 2008. A major long-term issue will be the sharp decline in the ratio of workers to retirees.
Distribution of family income - Gini index
24 (2005) · 24.7 (1992) country comparison to the world: 132
Central bank discount rate
3.5% (31 December 2008) · 4% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 126
Stock of money
$143 billion (31 December 2008) · $148.7 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 9
Stock of quasi money
$95.82 billion (31 December 2008) · $81.64 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 23
Stock of domestic credit
$695.8 billion (31 December 2008) · $684.7 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 16
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
Natural gas - proved reserves
61.3 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Current account balance
$6.938 billion (2008 est.) · $2.378 billion (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Exports - commodities
machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products, fish, pharmaceuticals, furniture, windmills
Imports - commodities
machinery and equipment, raw materials and semimanufactures for industry, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, consumer goods
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$42.32 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $34.32 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Debt - external
$588.8 billion (31 December 2008) · $567.4 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 18
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$142.7 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $131.3 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$181.9 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $153.3 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
Exchange rates
Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - 5.0236 (2008 est.), 5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- excellent telephone and telegraph services
- 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 (2008)
Transportation
9 fieldsMerchant marine, 327 ships by type
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Defense Command: Army Operational Command, Admiral Danish Fleet, Island Command Greenland, Tactical Air Command, Home Guard (2008)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Defense Command: Army Operational Command, Admiral Danish Fleet, Island Command Greenland, Tactical Air Command, Home Guard (2008)
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 (2004)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 1,235,067
- females age 16-49:
- 1,215,418 (2008 est.)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - 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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Denmark.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/denmark/2009.