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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.
Government
conventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark
conventional short form: Denmark
local long form: Kongeriget Danmark
local short form: Danmark
constitutional monarchy
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
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
ca. 965 (unified and Christianized under HARALD I Gormson); 5 June 1849 (becomes a constitutional monarchy)
none designated; Constitution Day, 5 June (1849) is generally viewed as the National Day
5 June 1953; note - constitution allowed for a unicameral legislature and a female chief of state
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the monarch (born on 26 May 1968)
head of government: Prime Minister Lars Loekke RASMUSSEN (since 5 April 2009)
cabinet: Council of State appointed by the monarch
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elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch
unicameral People’s Assembly or Folketing (179 seats, including 2 from Greenland and 2 from the Faroe Islands; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms unless the Folketing is dissolved earlier)
elections: last held on 13 November 2007 (next to be held by November 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
Supreme Court (judges are appointed for life by the monarch)
Christian Democrats [Bjarne Hartung KIRKEGAARD] (was Christian People’s Party); Conservative People’s Party [Lars BARFOED]; Danish People’s Party [Pia KJAERSGAARD]; Liberal Alliance [Anders SAMUELSEN]; Liberal Party [Lars Loekke RASMUSSEN]; 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]
Confederation of Danish Employers or DA [President Jorn Neergaard LARSEN]; Principal DA member organizations: Confederation of Danish Industries [CEO Karsten DYBVAD]; Confederation of Danish Labor Unions [President Harald BORSTING]; Danish Bankers Association [CEO Joergen HORWITZ]; DaneAge Association [President Bjarne HASTRUP]; Danish Society for Nature Conservation [President Ella Maria BISSCHOP-LARSEN]
other: humanitarian relief; development assistance; human rights NGOs
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, 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, MONUSCO, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
chief of mission: Ambassador Peter TAKSOE-JENSEN
chancery: 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-4300
FAX: [1] (202) 328-1470
consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York
chief of mission: Ambassador Laurie S. FULTON
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
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; in actuality, the flag may derive from a crusade banner or ensign
note: the shifted design element was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden
name: “Der er et yndigt land” (There is a Lovely Land); “Kong Christian” (King Christian)
lyrics/music: Adam Gottlob OEHLENSCHLAGER/Hans Ernst KROYER; Johannes EWALD/unknown
note: Denmark has two national anthems with equal status; “Der er et yndigt land,” adopted 1844, is a national anthem, while “Kong Christian,” adopted 1780, serves as both a national and royal anthem; “Kong Christian” is also known as “Kong Christian stod ved hojen mast” (King Christian Stood by the Lofty Mast) and “Kongesangen” (The King’s Anthem); within Denmark, the royal anthem is played only when royalty is present and is usually followed by the national anthem; when royalty is not present, only the national anthem is performed; outside Denmark, the royal anthem is played, unless the national anthem is requested
Military
Defense Command: Army Operational Command, Admiral Danish Fleet, Arctic Command, Tactical Air Command, Home Guard (2010)
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)
males age 16-49: 1,235,947
females age 16-49: 1,221,386 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 1,013,814
females age 16-49: 1,001,411 (2010 est.)
male: 37,831
female: 35,930 (2010 est.)
1.3% of GDP (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 
114
Transnational Issues
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
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism - 
