World Facts Index > Denmark > Copenhagen
 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 of Denmark
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Location:
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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) |
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Coordinates:
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56 00 N, 10 00 E |
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Area:
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total: 43,094 sq km
water: 700 sq km
note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the
rest of metropolitan Denmark (the Jutland Peninsula, and the major
islands of Sjaelland and Fyn), but excludes the Faroe Islands and
Greenland
land: 42,394 sq km |
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Area comparative:
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slightly less than twice
the size of Massachusetts |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 68 km
border countries: Germany 68 km |
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Coastline:
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7,314 km |
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Maritime claims:
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continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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temperate; humid and
overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers |
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Terrain:
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low and flat to gently
rolling plains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Lammefjord -7 m
highest point: Yding Skovhoej 173 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas,
fish, salt, limestone, stone, gravel and sand |
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Natural hazards:
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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 |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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controls Danish Straits
(Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about
one-quarter of the population lives in greater Copenhagen
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Population of Denmark
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Population:
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5,484,723 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 18.7% (male 523,257/female 496,697)
15-64 years: 66.1% (male 1,815,240/female 1,787,406)
65 years and over: 15.2% (male 355,656/female 472,405) |
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Median age:
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39.8 years |
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Growth rate:
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0.33% |
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Infant mortality:
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4.51 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 77.79 years
male: 75.49 years
female: 80.22 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.74 children born/woman |
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Nationality:
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noun: Dane(s)
adjective: Danish |
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Ethnic groups:
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Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German,
Turkish, Iranian, Somali |
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Religions:
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Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Protestant
and Roman Catholic 3%, Muslim 2% |
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Languages:
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Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit
dialect), German (small minority)
note: English is the predominant second language |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 100%
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Government
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Kingdom of
Denmark
local short form: Danmark
local long form: Kongeriget Danmark |
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Government type:
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constitutional monarchy |
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Capital:
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Copenhagen |
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Administrative divisions:
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metropolitan Denmark - 14 counties (amter,
singular - amt) and 2 boroughs* (amtskommuner, singular - amtskomunes); Arhus, Bornholm,
Fredericksberg*, Frederiksborg, Fyn, Kobenhavn, Kobenhavns*, Nordjylland, Ribe,
Ringkobing, Roskilde, Sonderjylland, Storstrom, Vejle, Vestsjalland, Viborg
note: see separate entries for the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which are part of
the Kingdom of Denmark and are self-governing overseas administrative divisions |
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Independence:
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first organized as a unified state in 10th
century; in 1849 became a constitutional monarchy |
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National holiday:
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none designated; Constitution Day, 5 June
is generally viewed as the National Day |
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Constitution:
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1849 was the original constitution; there
was a major overhaul 5 June 1953, allowing for a unicameral legislature and a female chief
of state |
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Legal system:
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civil law system; judicial review of
legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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: 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 |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral People's Assembly or Folketinget (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) |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the
monarch for life) |
Economy
The Danish economy has in recent years undergone strong
expansion fueled primarily by private consumption growth, but also supported by
exports and investments. This thoroughly modern market economy features
high-tech agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, extensive
government welfare measures, comfortable living standards, a stable currency,
and high dependence on foreign trade. Unemployment is low and capacity
constraints are limiting growth potential. Denmark is a net exporter of food and
energy and enjoys a comfortable balance of payments surplus. Government
objectives include streamlining the bureaucracy and further privatization of
state assets. 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 15 other EU members in the euro. Nonetheless,
the Danish krone remains pegged to the euro. Economic growth gained momentum in
2004 and the upturn continued through 2007. The controversy over caricatures of
the Prophet Muhammad printed in a Danish newspaper in September 2005 led to
boycotts of some Danish exports to the Muslim world, especially exports of dairy
products, but the boycotts did not have a significant impact on the overall
Danish economy. Because of high GDP per capita, welfare benefits, a low Gini
index, and political stability, the Danish living standards are among the
highest in the world. A major long-term issue will be the sharp decline in the
ratio of workers to retirees.
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GDP:
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$203.3 billion (2007 est.) |
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GDP growth rate:
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3.4% |
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GDP per capita:
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$34,600 |
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GDP composition by sector:
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agriculture: 1.8%
industry: 24.6%
services: 73.5% |
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Inflation rate:
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1.8% |
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Labor force:
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2.9 million |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 3%
industry: 21%
services: 76% |
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Unemployment:
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5.7% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $144 billion
expenditures: $135 billion |
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Electricity production by source:
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fossil fuel: 82.7%
hydro: 0.1%
other: 17.3%
nuclear: 0% |
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Industries:
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food processing, machinery and equipment,
textiles and clothing, chemical products, electronics, construction, furniture and other
wood products, shipbuilding, windmills |
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Agriculture:
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barley, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets; pork,
dairy products; fish |
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Exports:
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machinery and instruments, meat and meat
products, dairy products, fish, chemicals, furniture, ships, windmills |
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Export partners:
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Germany 17.6%, Sweden 13.2%, UK 9%, US 6.3%, Netherlands
5.4%, France 5.4%, Norway 5.1% |
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Imports:
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machinery and equipment, raw materials and
semimanufactures for industry, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, consumer goods |
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Import partners:
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Germany 20.7%, Sweden 13.7%, Netherlands 6.7%, Norway
6.3%, UK 6%, China 4.7%, France 4.3%, Italy 4.1% |
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Currency:
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Danish krone (DKK) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
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