Once the seat of rapacious Viking raiders and later a major power in northwestern Europe, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the political and economic integration of Europe. So far, however, they have opted out of some aspects of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty including the new monetary system launched on 1 January 1999.

Geography
One of the smallest countries in Europe, Denmark has the oldest capital city and the oldest flag. The queen, Her Majesty Queen Margrethe 11, is the youngest queen in Europe, yet hers is the oldest lineage, dating from early 900 and Viking king Gorm.

History

Vestiges of its royal past are readily apparent in Denmark's stately castles, gardens, and manor houses. When it was built in 1585, Kronborg Castle, the backdrop for Shakespeare's Hamlet, was the finest castle in northern Europe. Spottrup Castle (1450-1500), with its unique double moat, is one of the most impressive medieval fortresses in Scandinavia. Ledreborg Castle (I 743), set in a 2 00-acre river valley, is known for its magnificent terraced gardens, no mean feat in a country where the land never rises more than 500 feet above sea level.

Danish cities are filled with gracious plazas, statues, fountains, gardens crisscrossed with wide, tree-lined walkways, open-air markets, flower vendors on street corners, museums, galleries, and little cafes offering strong coffee and delectable pastries. In Copenhagen, the traditional changing of the guard ceremony takes place in front of the queen's palace

Danes are friendly ("If you have to throw yourself on the mercy of anyone," it has been said, "let it be a Dane"), English-speaking, and fun-loving. And they come from a great literary and artistic heritage that includes the writers Hans Christian Andersen and Isak Dinesen, the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, the choreographer August Bournonville, and the designer Georg Jensen.

Capital
Along Strøget, captial city Copenhagen's mile-long pedestrian street, you can indulge in some of the best shopping Europe has to offer, while meandering past the same buildings and plazas that Hans Christian Andersen saw when he strolled here.

Denmark is famous for the design of everything from porcelain to paperweights, and "the walking street" showcases it all. Crystal decanters and goblets glisten in the windows of Holmegaard, their graceful, fluid lines holding the promise of merry times ahead.

Denmark consists of the peninsula of Jutland and 406 islands, of which 80 are inhabited (1998). Of these, the largest and most densely populated are Zealand on which the capital of Copenhagen is situated, Funen and the north Jutland island. The North Sea defines Denmark to the west, while the islands divide the Baltic from the Kattegat. The Danish islands are thus on the sea lane from the Baltic to the main oceans of the world and at the same time on the trade route from the Nordic countries to central Europe.

Throughout the entire history of the country, this position has been influential on the circumstances governing developments in trade and on political and military strategy. Administratively, the country is divided into 14 counties (amter) and 275 local authorities (kommuner), two of which (Copenhagen and Frederiksberg) are not included in the counties.

In addition to Denmark itself, the kingdom also includes the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Towards the end of the 10th century, Denmark was united into a single kingdom. It has been an independent country ever since, and is thus one of the oldest states in Europe.

Denmark is a developed industrialised country. By international standards, the standard of living is high, and the differences between rich and poor are smaller than in many of the countries with which Denmark is traditionally compared.

Denmark is a member of the European Union. The proximity of Germany has traditionally orientated the country south in an economic and political sense, but close cooperation with Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland, with which Denmark enjoys a passport union, also ties Denmark to the North.

The country has a coastline totalling 7300km in all and a 68-km-long frontier with Germany. It is a distinctly low-lying country, the highest point being only 173 meters above sea level, but the landscape is undulating and varied; only occasionally is it possible to find undisturbed nature, and the view everywhere shows signs of human activity. Only on the island of Bornholm do we find bedrock, and otherwise the land is characterised by fertile clayish or sandy moraine landscapes.

In Summer, Danes spend most of their free time outside. Descendants of the sea-faring Vikings, they remain a sea-loving people, and with good reason: Nowhere in Denmark is the sea ever more than 45 minutes away. The country may be small in area, but it has more coastline than many of its European neighbors to the south - 4,600 miles in all - so a love of sailing and windsurfing comes naturally.

The flat Danish countryside attracts bicyclists, particularly to the island of Funen, with its gently rolling landscape and winding lanes. But for Danes, biking is not just for pleasure but a preferred mode of transportation, even in Copenhagen, where bicycles are as common as cars.

Climate
The climate is temperate, and precipitation is sufficient to provide all the water needed.

Population
The population stands at 5.3 million, and the population density is 120 per square kilometer. Foreign immigrants amount to 290,000; in addition there is a small German minority in southern Jutland. The language is everywhere Danish, and the vast majority of the population has been baptised into the established protestant church. Denmark is therefore nationally and culturally very homogeneous. 85% of the population lives in towns. The greater Copenhagen region accounts for 1.79 million inhabitants. The second city is Århus (215,000 inhabitants). In addition the entire country is otherwise covered by a network of medium-sized towns.

Agriculture
Danish agriculture is highly developed, producing a considerable surplus of manufactured foods which are exported to other countries. Industrial production is very varied in relation to the size of the country. Among the commodities that have made Denmark known abroad are, in addition to agricultural produce, beer, medicines, furniture, shipping and products of the advanced metal industries.

Roads/Travel
Denmark is well provided with traffic systems. The road network is good everywhere in the country; railways and air links provide quick transport, and the islands are connected by ferries and a large number of bridges. Kastrup near Copenhagen is the largest international airport in the country and is at the same time a crossroads for air traffic to and from the other Scandinavian countries.

Language
The language of Denmark is Danish. It is the native language of pretty well the entire population and is the sole language for official purposes. Of c. 20,000 pro-German Danish citizens in Southern Jutland, about two thirds speak Danish at home, even though this minority cultivates German to reflect its identity. Neither foreign citizens resident in Denmark (c. 265,000 in 1997) nor immigrants who have obtained Danish citizenship have so far had any demonstrable influence on the Danish language.

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

Area-comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts

Coastline: 7,314 km

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

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

Population: 5,356,845 (July 1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Dane(s)
adjective: Dane

Ethnic groups: Scandinavian, Eskimo, Faroese, German

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

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

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark
conventional short form: Denmark
local long form: Danmark
local short form: Danmark

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Copenhagen

Independence: first organized as a unified state in 10th century; 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

Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

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] 35 55 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—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. Denmark chose not to join the 11 other EU members who launched the euro on 1 January 1999. Because of the global slowdown, GDP growth may fall to 1% in 1999.

Currency: 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 oere

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 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

Railways:
total: 3,323 km (458 km privately owned and operated)

Highways:
total: 71,600 km

Waterways: 417 km

Ports and harbors: Alborg, Arhus, Copenhagen, Esbjerg, Fredericia, Grena, Koge, Odense, Struer

Airports: 118 (1998 est.)

Military branches: Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish Air Force, Home Guard