Denmark

Kongeriget Danmark

constitutional monarchyIndependence 10th century first organized as a unified state

Denmark as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 98 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
Position56 00 N, 10 00 E
Area43,094 sq km
LocationNorthern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea,
1997

Every edition of Denmark

Populationas each edition published it
5.31 million July 1997 est. · 5.13m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.59% 1997 est. · 0.23% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 39.1 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
76.1 years 1997 est. · 75.51 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.75 children per woman 1997 est. · 1.6 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
5.2 deaths per 1,000 live births 1997 est. · 6 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$22,700 1996 est. · $18,200 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
2% 1996 est. · 1% in 1993

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 43,094 sq km

arable land 60%permanent crops 0%permanent pastures 5%forests and woodland 10%other 25% (1993 est.)irrigated 4,350 sq km (1993 est.)
Area
43,094sq km
land: 42,394 sq kmwater: 700 sq kmnote: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark, but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenlandslightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts
Coastline
7,314km
contiguous zone: 4 nmcontinental shelf : 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea : 3 nm
Highest point
173m
Ejer Bavnehojlowest point: Lammefjord -7 m
Land boundaries
68km
border countries : Germany 68 km

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

56 00 N, 10 00 E

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, stone, gravel and sand

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-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea

Geography - note

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

People

15 fields
Population
5,305,048
(July 1997 est.)growth rate: 0.59% (1997 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1997 est.)

Birth
12.78Death
11.22Net migration
4.32

Religions(1988)

Evangelical Lutheran 91%other Protestant and Roman Catholic 2%other 7% (1988)
Literacy
99%
(1980 est.)definition: age 15 and over can read and writemale : NA%female: NA%

Age structure

0-14 years : 18% (male 487,731; female 463,444)

15-64 years:
67% (male 1,801,904; female 1,754,435)
65 years and over:
15% (male 330,143; female 467,391) (July 1997 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.71 male(s)/female
total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate

5.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:
76.1 years
male:
73.44 years
female:
78.9 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.75 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Dane(s)
adjective:
Danish

Ethnic groups

Scandinavian, Eskimo, Faroese, German

Languages

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

Government

Constitutional monarchy; Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972); Prime Minister Poul Nyrup RASMUSSEN (since 25 January 1993)

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

34.6%
Social Democrats 34.6%Liberals 23.3%Conservatives 15.0%Socialist People's Party 7.3%Progress Party 6.4%Social Liberals 4.6%Unity List 3.1%Center Democrats 2.8%Christian People's Party 1.8%last held 21 September 1994 (next to be held not later than September 1998)

Parliament or Folketing, 179 seats, elected 21 September 1994one dot, one seat

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

Percent of vote

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

Country name

conventional long form :
Kingdom of Denmark
conventional short form:
Denmark
local long form:
Kongeriget Danmark
local short form:
Danmark

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Administrative divisions

  • metropolitan Denmark - 14 counties (amter, singular - amt) and 1 city* (stad);
  • Arhus, Bornholms, Frederiksborg, Fyns, Kobenhavns, Nordjyllands, Ribe, Ringkobing, Roskilde, Sonderjyllands, Staden Kobenhavn*, Storstroms, Vejle, Vestsjaellands, Viborg

note : there is one other city, Fredericksberg, mentioned by some sources, but the US government has not recognized it as a first-order administrative division;

see separate entries for the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which are part of the Danish realm and self-governing administrative divisions

Independence

10th century first organized as a unified state; in 1849 became a constitutional monarchy

National holiday

Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)

Constitution

1849 was the original constitution; there was a major overhaul 5 June 1953, allowing for a unicameral legislature and a female chief of state

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 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 25 January 1993)
cabinet :
Cabinet appointed by the queen
elections:
  • none;
  • the queen is a constitutional monarch;
  • prime minister appointed by the queen

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament or Folketing (179 seats; members are elected on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

elections:
last held 21 September 1994 (next to be held not later than September 1998)
election results:
  • percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 34.6%, Liberals 23.3%, Conservatives 15.0%, Socialist People's Party 7.3%, Progress Party 6.4%, Social Liberals 4.6%, Unity List 3.1%, Center Democrats 2.8%, Christian People's Party 1.8%;
  • seats by party - Social Democrats 63, Liberals 44, Conservatives 28, Socialist People's Party 13, Progress Party 11, Social Liberals 8, Unity List 6, Center Democrats 5, independent 1;
  • note - Progress Party split up in spring
of 1995:
Progress Party retained 7 seats, Danish People's Party 4 seats

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the monarch for life

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 [Kirsten JAKOBSEN];
  • Center Democratic Party [Mimi JAKOBSEN];
  • Social Liberal Party [Marianne JELVED];
  • Unity Party [none];
  • Danish People's Party [Pia KJAERSGAARD]

International organization participation

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission :
Ambassador Knud-Erik TYGESEN
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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission :
Ambassador Edward E. ELSON
embassy:
Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen
mailing address:
PSC 73, APO AE 09716
telephone:
[45] (31) 42 31 44

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, and that design element of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden

Economy

22 fields
Real growth rate
2%
(1996 est.)industrial production growth: 3.4% (1996)
Unemployment rate
8.2%
(November 1996)
Labor force
2,895,950
by occupation: private services 40%, government services 30%, manufacturing and mining 19%, construction 6%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 5% (1995)

GDP - composition by sector(1995)

agriculture 4%industry 27%services 69% (1995)

Budget

Revenues
$62.1 billionExpenditures
$66.4 billion (1996 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Economy - overview

This thoroughly modern market 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 a net exporter of food. The center-left coalition government will concentrate on reducing the persistently 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.

The coalition also vows to maintain a stable currency. The coalition has lowered marginal income taxes while maintaining overall tax revenues; boosted industrial competitiveness through labor market and tax reforms and increased research and development funds; and improved welfare services for the neediest while cutting paperwork and delays.

Prime Minister RASMUSSEN's reforms focus on adapting Denmark to the criteria for European integration by 1999; Copenhagen has won from the European Union (EU) the right to opt out of the European Monetary Union (EMU). Denmark is, in fact, one of the few EU countries likely to fit into the EMU on time.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $118.2 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $22,700 (1996 est.)

Industries

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

Electricity - capacity

9.458 million kW 000 kW

Electricity - production

34.6 billion kWh

Agriculture - products

  • grain, potatoes, rape, sugar beets;
  • meat, dairy products;
  • fish

Exports

total value:
$47.6 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities:
machinery and instruments 25%, meat and meat products, fuels, dairy products, ships, fish, chemicals
partners :
Germany 22.5%, Sweden 9.7%, UK 7.9%, Norway 5.9%, France 5.4%, Netherlands 4.4%, US 4.0% (1995)

Imports

total value:
$42.4 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
commodities:
machinery and equipment, petroleum 25%, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, textiles, paper
partners :
Germany 21.7%, Sweden 11.7%, Netherlands 7.0%, UK 6.6%, France 5.2%, Norway 4.9%, US 4.7%, Japan 3.5%, FSU 1.7% (1995)

Debt - external

$44 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid

donor: ODA, $1.34 billion (1993)

Currency

1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 oere

Exchange rates

Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 - 6.117 (January 1997), 5.799 (1996), 5.602 (1995), 6.361 (1994), 6.484 (1993), 6.036 (1992)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields
Fixed lines
4.025 million
(1995 est.), of which 822,000 are mobile telephones

Telephone system

excellent telephone and telegraph services

domestic:
buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form trunk network, four cellular radio communications systems
international:
  • 18 submarine optical fiber cables linking Denmark with Norway, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, UK, Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Canada;
  • 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 world-wide Inmarsat access

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0

Televisions

3 million (1996 est.)

Transportation

9 fields

Merchant marine, 328 ships by typeships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,180,729 GRT/7,400,870 DWT

bulk 15cargo 114chemical tanker 20container 68liquefied gas tanker 25livestock carrier 6oil tanker 29railcar carrier 1refrigerated cargo 16roll-on/roll-off cargo 24short-sea passenger 9specialized tanker 1note: 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 (1996 est.)

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m
77
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m : 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 13

Networkskm

Railways
2,848Waterways
417
Railways: (499 km privately owned and operated) · standard gauge: 2,848 km 1.435-m gauge (326 km electrified; 760 km double track) (1995)

Railways

total:
2,848 km (499 km privately owned and operated)
standard gauge:
2,848 km 1.435-m gauge (326 km electrified; 760 km double track) (1995)

Highways

total :
71,420 km
paved:
71,420 km (including 830 km of expressways)
unpaved:
0 km (1995 est.)

Pipelines

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

Ports and harbors

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

Airports

109 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total : 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 6 (1996 est.)

Military

Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish | Air Force, Home Guard

7 fields

Military branches

Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish Air Force, Home Guard

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,333,279 (1997 est.)

Transnational Issues

1 field

Disputes - international

Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Iceland, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area) DJIBOUTI

Central Intelligence Agency. “Denmark.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/denmark/1997.

How to cite ← 1996 edition 1998 edition →