ARCHIVE // DK // 2000
Denmark
2000 Edition — sovereign
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Communications
Internet users
(Internet Service Providers (ISPs))
[time series]
12 (1999)
Broadcast media
(Radio broadcast stations)
[time series]
AM 2, FM 355, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios
[time series]
6.02 million (1997)
Telecommunication systems
(Telephone system)
[time series]
excellent telephone and telegraph services domestic: buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form trunk network, 4 cellular radio communications systems international: 18 submarine fiber-optic cables linking Denmark with Norway, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Germany, 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
Telephones - fixed lines
(Telephones - main lines in use)
[time series]
3.203 million (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
1.347 million (1999)
Broadcast media
(Television broadcast stations)
[time series]
42 (plus 44 repeaters) (September 1995)
Televisions
[time series]
3.121 million (1997)
Economy
Agricultural products
(Agriculture - products)
[time series]
grain, potatoes, rape, sugar beets; beef, dairy products; fish
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $59.7 billion expenditures: $57.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Exchange rates
(Currency)
[time series]
1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 oere
Debt - external
[time series]
$44 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid
(Economic aid - donor)
[time series]
ODA, $1.6 billion (1997)
Economic overview
(Economy - overview)
[time series]
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 is concentrating on reducing the 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 tax rates while maintaining overall tax revenues; boosted industrial competitiveness through labor market and tax reforms; increased research and development funds; and improved welfare services for the neediest while cutting paperwork and delays. Denmark chose not to join the 11 other EU members who launched the euro on 1 January 1999.
Electricity - consumption
[time series]
33.037 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports
[time series]
7.1 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports
[time series]
2.68 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production
[time series]
40.277 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source
[time series]
fossil fuel: 90.8% hydro: 0.07% nuclear: 0% other: 9.13% (1998)
Exchange rates
[time series]
Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 - 7.336 (January 2000), 6.976 (1999), 6.701 (1998), 6.604 (1997), 5.799 (1996), 5.602 (1995)
Exports
[time series]
$49.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999)
Exports - commodities
[time series]
machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, fuels, dairy products, ships, fish, chemicals
Exports - partners
[time series]
EU 66.6% (Germany 21.4%, Sweden 11.2%, UK 9.2%, France 5.3%, Netherlands 4.5%), Norway 6.0%, US 4.7% (1998)
Fiscal year
[time series]
calendar year
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
(GDP)
[time series]
purchasing power parity - $127.7 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
(GDP - composition by sector)
[time series]
agriculture: 4% industry: 27% services: 69% (1997)
Real GDP per capita
(GDP - per capita)
[time series]
purchasing power parity - $23,800 (1999 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
(GDP - real growth rate)
[time series]
1.3% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 20.5% (1992)
Imports
[time series]
$43.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999)
Imports - commodities
[time series]
machinery and equipment, petroleum, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, textiles, paper
Imports - partners
[time series]
EU 72.5% (Germany 22.5%, Sweden 12.9%, UK 7.9%, France 5.9%), Norway 4.6%, US 4.1% (1998)
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
1.5% (1999 est.)
Industries
[time series]
food processing, machinery and equipment, textiles and clothing, chemical products, electronics, construction, furniture, and other wood products, shipbuilding
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
2.5% (1999 est.)
Labor force
[time series]
2.896 million
Labor force - by occupation
[time series]
services 71%, industry 25%, agriculture 4% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line
[time series]
NA%
Unemployment rate
[time series]
5.7% (1999 est.)
Geography
Area
[time series]
total: 43,094 sq km land: 42,394 sq km water: 700 sq km note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark, but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland
Area - comparative
[time series]
slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts
Climate
[time series]
temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers
Coastline
[time series]
7,314 km
Elevation
(Elevation extremes)
[time series]
lowest point: Lammefjord -7 m highest point: Ejer Bavnehoj 173 m
Environment - current issues
[time series]
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
International environmental agreements
(Environment - international agreements)
[time series]
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, 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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
56 00 N, 10 00 E
Geography - note
[time series]
controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in Copenhagen
Irrigated land
[time series]
4,350 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 68 km border countries: Germany 68 km
Land use
[time series]
arable land: 60% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 10% other: 25% (1993 est.)
Location
[time series]
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany
Map references
[time series]
Europe
Maritime claims
[time series]
contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards
[time series]
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
Natural resources
[time series]
petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, stone, gravel and sand
Terrain
[time series]
low and flat to gently rolling plains
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
metropolitan Denmark - 14 counties (amter, singular - amt) and 2 kommunes*; Arhus, Bornholm, Fredericksberg*, Frederiksborg, Fyn, Kobenhavn, Kobenhavns*, Nordjylland, Ribe, Ringkobing, Roskilde, Sonderjylland, Storstrom, Vejle, Vestsjalland, Viborg note: in addition there are 275 local kommunes not considered first-order administrative units; see separate entries for the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which are part of the Kingdom of Denmark and are self-governing administrative divisions
Capital
[time series]
Copenhagen
Constitution
[time series]
1849 was the original constitution; there was a major overhaul 5 June 1953, allowing for a unicameral legislature and a female chief of state
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark conventional short form: Denmark local long form: Kongeriget Danmark local short form: Danmark
Data code
[time series]
DA
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Edward E. ELSON embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen mailing address: PSC 73, APO AE 09716 telephone: [45] 35 55 31 44 FAX: [45] 35 43 02 23
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
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
Executive branch
[time series]
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 Poul Nyrup RASMUSSEN (since 25 January 1993) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
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
Government type
[time series]
constitutional monarchy
Independence
[time series]
first organized as a unified state in 10th century; in 1849 became a constitutional monarchy
International organization participation
[time series]
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, 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, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Judicial branch
[time series]
Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the monarch for life
Legal system
[time series]
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch
[time series]
unicameral Parliament or Folketing (179 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 11 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - progovernment parties: Social Democratic Party 65, Socialist People's Party 13, Radical Liberal Party 7, Unity Party 5; opposition: Liberal Party 43, Conservative Party 17, Danish People's Party 13, Center Democratic Party 8, Christian People's Party 4, Progress Party 4
National holiday
[time series]
Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
Center Democratic Party [Mimi JAKOBSEN]; Christian People's Party [Jann SJURSEN]; Conservative Party [Bendt BENDTSEN]; Conservative People's Party [Pia Christmas MOLLER]; Danish People's Party [Pia KJAERSGAARD]; Liberal Party [Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN]; Progress Party [Aage BRUSGAARD]; Radical Liberal Party [Marianne JELVED]; Social Democratic Party [Poul Nyrup RASMUSSEN]; Social Liberal Party [Johannes LEBECH]; Socialist People's Party [Holger K. NIELSEN]; Unity Party [no leader]
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background
[time series]
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 political and economic integration of Europe. So far, however, the country has opted out of some aspects of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the new joint monetary system.
Military
Military and security forces
(Military branches)
[time series]
Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish Air Force, Home Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure
[time series]
$2.822 billion (FY98)
Military expenditures
(Military expenditures - percent of GDP)
[time series]
1.7% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability
[time series]
males age 15-49: 1,299,250 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service
[time series]
males age 15-49: 1,113,378 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - military age
[time series]
20 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually
[time series]
males: 30,471 (2000 est.)
People
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 18% (male 505,820; female 479,815) 15-64 years: 67% (male 1,802,665; female 1,755,633) 65 years and over: 15% (male 330,055; female 462,406) (2000 est.)
Birth rate
[time series]
12.16 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate
[time series]
11 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Ethnic groups
[time series]
Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
5.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Languages
[time series]
Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority) note: English is the predominant second language
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 76.54 years male: 73.95 years female: 79.27 years (2000 est.)
Literacy
[time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA%
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Dane(s) adjective: Danish
Net migration rate
[time series]
1.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Population
[time series]
5,336,394 (July 2000 est.)
Population growth rate
[time series]
0.31% (2000 est.)
Religions
[time series]
Evangelical Lutheran 97%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic, other
Sex ratio
[time series]
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 (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
1.73 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
[time series]
Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Iceland, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area) [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
118 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
[time series]
total: 28 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 under 914 m: 3 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
[time series]
total: 90 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 82 (1999 est.)
Roadways
(Highways)
[time series]
total: 71,437 km paved: 71,437 km (including 843 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1998 est.)
Merchant marine
[time series]
total: 336 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,190,227 GRT/6,815,128 DWT ships by type: bulk 12, cargo 132, chemical tanker 22, container 70, liquified gas 26, livestock carrier 6, petroleum tanker 24, rail car carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 13, roll-on/roll-off 19, short-sea passenger 8, specialized tanker 3 (1999 est.) 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 (1998 est.)
Pipelines
[time series]
crude oil 110 km; petroleum products 578 km; natural gas 700 km
Ports
(Ports and harbors)
[time series]
Alborg, Arhus, Copenhagen, Esbjerg, Fredericia, Grena, Koge, Odense, Struer
Railways
[time series]
total: 2,859 km (508 km privately owned and operated) standard gauge: 2,859 km 1.435-m gauge (600 km electrified; 760 km double track) (1998)
Waterways
[time series]
417 km