Denmark

constitutional monarchyIndependence became a constitutional monarchy in 1849

Denmark as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 73 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

Populationas each edition published it

5.16 million July 1992 · 5.13m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.23% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 39.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 75.51 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.7 children per woman 1992 · 1.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 6 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $18,200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 1% in 1993

Geography

13 fields

Total area

43,070km2

Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Massachusetts

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

Germany 68 km

Land area

42,370 km2; includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark, but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland

Disputes

Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Iceland, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area);
Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims between Greenland and Jan Mayen

Climate

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

Natural resources

crude oil, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone

Land use

arable land 61%;
permanent crops NEGL%;
meadows and pastures 6%;
forest and woodland 12%;
other 21%;
includes irrigated 9%

Note

controls Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas

People

14 fields

Population

5,163,955

(July 1992), growth rate 0.2% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

13Death

12Net migration

Religions(1988)

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

Literacy

99%

(male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)

Languages

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

Labor force

2,581,400;
private services 36.4%;
government services 30.2%;
manufacturing and mining 20%;
construction 6.8%;
agriculture, forestry, and fishing 5.9%;
electricity/gas/water 0.7% (1990)

Government

Constitutional monarchy

18 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%

Long-form name

Kingdom of Denmark

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

became a constitutional monarchy in 1849

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)

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 January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the Queen (born 26 May 1968)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister Poul SCHLUTER (since 10 September 1982)

Political parties and leaders

Social Democratic Party, Paul Nyrup RASMUSSEN;
Conservative Party, Poul SCHLUTER;
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, Jam SJURSEN;
Left Socialist Party, Elizabeth BRUN-OLESEN;
Justice Party, Poul Gerhard KRISTIANSEN;
Socialist Workers Party, leader NA;
Communist Workers' Party (KAP), leader NA;
Common Course, Preben Meller HANSEN;
Green Party, Inger BORLEHMANN

Suffrage

universal at age 21

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

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, 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, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WM, ZC

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Peter Pedersen DYVIG;
Chancery at 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008;
telephone (202) 234-4300;
there are Danish Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

US:: Ambassador Richard B. STONE;
Embassy at Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen O (mailing address is 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 (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.

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

2.4%

(1991)

Unemployment rate

10.6%

(1991)

External debt

$45billion

(1991)

Budget

Revenues

$44.1 billionExpenditures

$50 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA billion (1991 est.)

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 probably will continue its successful economic recovery in 1992 with tight fiscal and monetary policies and export- oriented growth.

Prime Minister Schluter's main priorities are to maintain a current account surplus in order to pay off extensive external debt and to continue to freeze public-sector expenditures in order to reduce the budget deficit. The rate of growth by 1993 - boosted by increased investment and domestic demand - may be sufficient to start to cut Denmark's high unemployment rate, which is expected to remain at about 11% in 1992.

Low inflation, low wage increases, and the current account surplus put Denmark in a good competitive position for the EC's anticipated single market, although Denmark must cut its VAT and income taxes.

GDP

purchasing power equivalent - $91.1 billion, per capita $17,700; real growth rate 2.0% (1991)

Exports

$37.8 billion (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities:: meat and meat products, dairy products, transport equipment (shipbuilding), fish, chemicals, industrial machinery
partners:: EC 54.2% (Germany 22.5%, UK 10.3%, France 5.9%), Sweden 11.5%, Norway 5.8%, US 5.0%, Japan 3.6% (1991)

Imports

$31.6 billion (c.i.f., 1991)

commodities:: petroleum, machinery and equipment, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, textiles, paper
partners:: EC 52.8% (Germany 22.5%, UK 8.1%), Sweden 10.8%, US 6.3% (1991)

Industrial production

growth rate 0% (1991 est.)

Electricity

11,215,000 kW capacity; 31,000 million kWh produced, 6,030 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 4.5% of GDP and employs 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

Danish krone (plural - kroner); 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 re

Exchange rates

Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 - 6.116 (January 1992), 6.396 (1991), 6.189 (1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Airports, 121 total, 108 usable

permanent-surface runways

27runways | over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

9runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

66,482Inland waterways

417

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

Railroads

2,675 km 1.435-meter standard gauge;
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

317 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,367,063 GRT/7,921,891 DWT;
includes 13 short-sea passenger, 94 cargo, 21 refrigerated cargo, 38 container, 39 roll-on/roll-off, 1 railcar carrier, 42 petroleum tanker, 14 chemical tanker, 33 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