Denmark

Kongeriget Danmark

(Kingdom of Denmark)

Capital: Copenhagen

Population projection, 2020: 5·78m.

GNI per capita, 2014: (PPP$) 44,025

HDI/world rank, 2014: 0·923/4

Internet domain extension: .dk

Key Historical Events

Evidence of habitation exists from the Bølling period (12500–12000 BC). By 7700 BC reindeer hunters were settled on the Jutland Peninsula and around 3900 BC agriculture developed. Metal tools and weapons were imported in the Dagger Period (c. 2000 BC) but trading stations on the coast did not appear until around AD 300. The first towns developed in the Germanic Iron Age (AD 400–750). The first trading market was held in the 8th century in Hedeby. Denmark was converted to Christianity in 860 when Ansgar built churches in Hedeby and Ribe.

In about 936 Gorm the Old became the first king of Denmark. His successor was Harald Bluetooth, whose grandson, Canute the Great, fought successfully to incorporate England into his North Sea Empire and from 1018–35, Denmark, England and Norway were one nation. However, civil war broke out and in 1146 the kingdom was divided between Magnus the Strong and Knud Lavard. In 1157 Knud’s son Valdemar was recognized as the ruler of Denmark. By 1200 Skåne, Halland and Blekinge in the South of Sweden were part of the Danish kingdom. The southern border of Denmark extended to the Eider in what is today northern Germany. In 1219 Valdemar conquered Estonia. He also established a code of law and a land register (Jordebog). The first written constitution was a coronation charter signed by Erik V in 1282.

In the 13th century, agriculture was supplemented by the expansion of fishing to supply inland Europe. Other industries also benefited and this brought with it a passion for building, particularly cathedrals and churches. Economic growth strengthened German influence. The Hanseatic League of German entrepreneurs was granted trade concessions for herring, salt and grain and also played a leading role in the country’s political affairs. Valdemar IV Atterdag was crowned king in 1340. He challenged the privileges of the Hanseatic League, and was brought into conflict with Sweden over the southern provinces of Skåne, Halland and Blekinge. In 1361 Valdemar Atterdag took Gotland in one of the bloodiest of Nordic battles. When the king died in 1375, his daughter Margaret (married to King Håkon of Norway) claimed the throne on behalf of her five-year-old son Olav. After Håkon’s death in 1388 she also became regent of Norway. While resisting the Hanseatic League, she succeeded in defeating her opponent Albrecht of Mecklenburg, king of Sweden, thus clearing the way to a Nordic union. In 1397, after Olav’s death, Margaret’s nephew Erik of Pomerania became king of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In 1412 Erik was opposed by the Swedish nobles who resented being taxed to finance Danish wars in northern Germany. When Erik abdicated, Christian I was elected king of Denmark and Norway in 1448.

By the 16th century Scandinavia was divided between Denmark–Norway (including Iceland and Greenland) and Sweden–Finland. In 1520 a power struggle in Sweden made the country vulnerable to a Danish invasion. Christian II was crowned king of Sweden in 1520 (having assumed the thrones of Norway and Denmark in 1513) but was soon challenged by Gustav Vasa, who replaced him in Sweden in 1521. In 1523 Christian was succeeded in Denmark and Norway by Frederick I, who ended the union with Sweden. Following the Lutheran Reformation, the monarchy enhanced its power by confiscating the property of the Roman Catholic Church.

Imperial Rise and Fall

Christian IV (1577–1648) is regarded as one of Denmark’s greatest rulers. Around this time overseas colonies were established, including Tranquebar (India), Danish Gold Coast (Ghana) and the Danish West Indies (the US Virgin Islands). However, in 1626 Denmark was defeated in the Thirty Years’ War. Denmark lost Gotland and the Norwegian territories of Jämtland and Härjedalen to Sweden. In 1660 Sweden gained Skåne, Halland and Blekinge. A new constitution proclaimed the Danish king absolute sovereign. In 1661 the Supreme Court was established and in 1683 the law was codified.

In the Great Northern War, Denmark allied itself with Russia, the Netherlands and France, a policy which lasted for the rest of the 18th century. In the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark, smarting under the British bombardment of Copenhagen, allied itself to Napoleon. The price Denmark had to pay was signing away its rights to Norway, which it did by the treaty of Kiel in 1814. Danish possessions were now reduced to Iceland, Greenland, the Faroes and Schleswig-Holstein. Holstein was lost to Germany in 1863 and Schleswig a year later. The surrender of so much rich agricultural land, with nearly 1m. inhabitants, brought Denmark to the edge of bankruptcy. But within a few years the country had pulled itself back from one of the lowest points in its history. The economy benefited from a land-reclamation programme in Jutland. Socially, Bishop Grundtvig (founder of the folk high-schools), who reconciled patriotism with a reduced status for Denmark in European affairs, had a great influence. There were demands for a liberal constitution. In 1846 Anton Frederik Tscherning founded the Society of the Friends of the Peasant (Bondevennernes Selskab), which later became the Liberal Party (Venstre).

Social Reform

In 1901 the Left Reform Party (Venstrereformpartiet) came to power to introduce free-trade, popular education and changes in the revenue system to make income rather than land the criterion for taxation. The First World War gave neutral Denmark an improved export market but there was a shortage of raw materials. In 1929 a Social Democrat government, with Thorvald Stauning as prime minister, combined rural and urban interests in one of the most ambitious programmes of social reforms ever mounted. The 1930s Great Depression led to unemployment made worse when Britain favoured Commonwealth food imports over those from Denmark. In the late 1930s trade improved and industry expanded.

In 1939 when the Second World War broke out, Denmark again declared neutrality. On 9 April 1940 German troops entered and occupied the country. The Germans permitted Danish self-government until growing resistance led to direct rule. After the liberation a Liberal government was elected with Knud Kristensen as prime minister. Kristensen’s campaign for the return of southern Schleswig from Germany brought down his government in 1947. Denmark joined NATO in 1949.

With its share of the Marshall Plan, Denmark entered on a new industrial revolution. By the mid-1950s the value of manufacturing equalled that of agriculture. However, there was a high rate of inflation. In 1953 the Social Democrats came back to power where they remained until the mid-1960s. By then the rate of inflation was higher than in any comparable country. In 1968 a centre-right coalition was elected, led by Hilmar Baunsgaard. But the change of government did not signify a change in strategy. Taxes were kept high and the budget expanded to increase social welfare. After the 1971 election, the Social Democrat leader Jens Otto Krag negotiated entry into the European Union, making Copenhagen the bridge between the Nordic capitals and Brussels. In 1982 a Conservative-led minority government was formed, led by Poul Schlüter, the first Conservative prime minister since 1901. He remained in power until 1993 when a Social Democratic coalition led by Poul Nyrup Rasmussen took office. Following the 2001 election, a right-wing government came to power under Anders Fogh Rasmussen, whose campaign for entry into the EMU (European Monetary Union) was rejected in a referendum in 2000. In Nov. 2008 Greenland approved a referendum in favour of greater autonomy from Denmark. Anders Fogh Rasmussen left office in April 2009 to become Secretary General of NATO. He was replaced by Lars Løkke Rasmussen (no relation) of the Liberal Party as prime minister. Helle Thorning-Schmidt became Denmark’s first female prime minister in 2011 at the head of a left-leaning coalition but was replaced by the returning Lars Løkke Rasmussen following elections in June 2015.

Territory and Population

Denmark is bounded in the west by the North Sea, northwest and north by the Skagerrak and Kattegat straits (separating it from Norway and Sweden), and south by Germany. A 16-km long fixed link with Sweden was opened in July 2000 when the Øresund motorway and railway bridge between Copenhagen and Malmö was completed. In Dec. 2014 Denmark made a submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf asserting its claim to some 895,000 sq. km beyond Greenland’s nautical borders, including the North Pole.

Regions	Area (sq. km)	Population 1 Jan. 2013	Population per sq. km 2013
Capital Region (Hovedstaden)	2,561	1,732,068	676·3
Central Jutland (Midtjylland)	13,124	1,272,510	97·0
North Jutland (Nordjylland)	7,933	580,272	73·1
Zealand (Sjælland)	7,273	816,359	112·2
South Denmark (Syddanmark)	12,206	1,201,419	98·4
	———	––———	———
Total	43,0981	5,602,628	130·0

1. ¹Totals do not add up because of rounding.

Denmark has not used a traditional census since 1970, but instead uses a register-based method of calculating the population. It was the first country in the world to implement such a change.

The UN gives a projected population for 2020 of 5·78m.

In 2010 an estimated 86·7% of the population lived in urban areas. In 2010, 91·4% of the inhabitants were born in Denmark, including the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

On 1 Jan. 2013 the population of the capital, Copenhagen (comprising Copenhagen, Frederiksberg and Gentofte municipalities), was 1,230,728; Aarhus, 256,018; Odense, 170,327; Aalborg, 106,916; Esbjerg, 71,491; Randers, 60,895; Kolding, 57,583; Horsens, 55,253; Vejle, 52,449.

The official language is Danish.

Social Statistics

Statistics for calendar years:

	Live births	Marriages	Divorces	Deaths	Emigration	Immigration
2005	64,282	36,148	15,300	54,962	45,869	52,458
2006	64,984	36,452	14,343	55,477	46,786	56,750
2007	64,082	36,576	14,066	55,604	41,566	64,656
2008	65,038	37,376	14,695	54,591	43,490	72,749
2009	62,818	32,934	14,940	54,872	44,874	67,161

2009 rates per 1,000 population: birth, 11·4; death, 9·9. Births outside marriage: 2006, 46·4%; 2007, 46·1%; 2008, 46·2%; 2009, 46·5%. Average annual population growth rate, 2005–09, 0·5%. Suicide rate, 2006 (per 100,000 population) was 11·9 (men, 17·5; women, 6·4). Life expectancy at birth, 2008–09, was 76·5 years for males and 80·8 years for females. In 2007 the most popular age range for marrying was 30–34 for males and 25–29 for females. Denmark was the first country to legalize same-sex unions, in 1989. Infant mortality, 2009, 3·0 per 1,000 live births. Fertility rate, 2009, 1·8 births per woman. In 2009 Denmark received 3,855 asylum applications, equivalent to 0·7 per 1,000 inhabitants. In July 2002 a controversial new immigration law was introduced in an attempt to deter potential asylum seekers. Denmark legalized same-sex marriage in June 2012 (although the legislation does not apply in the Faroe Islands and Greenland).

Climate

The climate is much modified by marine influences and the effect of the Gulf Stream, to give winters that may be either cold or mild and often cloudy. Summers may be warm and sunny or chilly and rainy. Generally the east is drier than the west. Long periods of calm weather are exceptional and windy conditions are common. Copenhagen, Jan. 33°F (0·5°C), July 63°F (17°C). Annual rainfall 650 mm. Esbjerg, Jan. 33°F (0·5°C), July 61°F (16°C). Annual rainfall 800 mm. In general 10% of precipitation is snow.

Constitution and Government

The present constitution is founded upon the Basic Law of 5 June 1953. The legislative power lies with the Queen and the Folketing (parliament) jointly. The executive power is vested in the monarch, who exercises authority through the ministers.

The reigning Queen is Margrethe II, b. 16 April 1940; married 10 June 1967 to Prince Henrik, b. Count de Monpezat. She succeeded to the throne on the death of her father, King Frederik IX, on 14 Jan. 1972. Offspring: Crown Prince Frederik, b. 26 May 1968, married 14 May 2004 Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, b. 5 Feb. 1972 (offspring: Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John, b. 15 Oct. 2005; Princess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe, b. 21 April 2007; Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander, b. 8 Jan. 2011; Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda, b. 8 Jan. 2011); Prince Joachim, b. 7 June 1969, married 18 Nov. 1995 Alexandra Manley, b. 30 June 1964, divorced 8 April 2005 (offspring: Prince Nikolai William Alexander Frederik, b. 28 Aug. 1999; Prince Felix Henrik Valdemar Christian, b. 22 July 2002), married 24 May 2008 Marie Cavallier, b. 6 Feb. 1976 (offspring: Prince Henrik Carl Joachim Alain, b. 4 May 2009; Princess Athena Marguerite Françoise Marie, b. 24 Jan. 2012).

Sisters of the Queen. Princess Benedikte, b. 29 April 1944; married 3 Feb. 1968 to Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg; Princess Anne-Marie, b. 30 Aug. 1946; married 18 Sept. 1964 to King Constantine of Greece.

The crown was elective from the earliest times but became hereditary by right in 1660. The direct male line of the house of Oldenburg became extinct with King Frederik VII on 15 Nov. 1863. In view of the death of the king, without direct heirs, the Great Powers signed a treaty at London on 8 May 1852, by the terms of which the succession to the crown was made over to Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, and to the direct male descendants of his union with the Princess Louise of Hesse-Cassel. This became law on 31 July 1853. Linked to the constitution of 5 June 1953, a new law of succession, dated 27 March 1953, has come into force, which restricts the right of succession to the descendants of King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine, and admits the sovereign’s daughters to the line of succession, ranking after the sovereign’s sons.

The Queen receives a tax-free annual sum from the state. This was 79m. kroner in 2015.

The judicial power is with the courts. The monarch must be a member of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church, the official Church of the State, and may not assume major international obligations without the consent of the Folketing. The Folketing consists of one chamber. All men and women of Danish nationality of more than 18 years of age and permanently resident in Denmark possess the franchise, and are eligible for election to the Folketing, which is at present composed of 179 members; 135 members are elected by the method of proportional representation in 17 constituencies. In order to attain an equal representation of the different parties, 40 additional seats are divided among such parties which have not obtained sufficient returns at the constituency elections. Two members are elected for the Faroe Islands and two for Greenland. The term of the legislature is four years, but a general election may be called at any time. The Folketing convenes every year on the first Tuesday in Oct. Besides its legislative functions, every six years it appoints judges who, together with the ordinary members of the Supreme Court, form the Rigsret, a tribunal which can alone try parliamentary impeachments.

National Anthem

‘Kong Kristian stod ved højen mast’ (‘King Christian stood by the lofty mast’); words by J. Ewald, tune by D. L. Rogert.

Government Chronology

Prime Ministers since 1945. (KF = Conservative Party; RV = Radical Liberal Party; SD = Social Democratic Party; V = Liberal Party)

1945	SD	Vilhelm Buhl
1945–47	V	Knud Kristensen
1947–50	SD	Hans Hedtoft
1950–53	V	Erik Eriksen
1953–55	SD	Hans Hedtoft
1955–60	SD	Hans Christian Hansen
1960–62	SD	Viggo Kampmann
1962–68	SD	Jens Otto Krag
1968–71	RV	Hilmar Baunsgaard
1971–72	SD	Jens Otto Krag
1972–73	SD	Anker Jørgensen
1973–75	V	Poul Hartling
1975–82	SD	Anker Jørgensen
1982–93	KF	Poul Holmskov Schlüter
1993–2001	SD	Poul Nyrup Rasmussen
2001–09	V	Anders Fogh Rasmussen
2009–11	V	Lars Løkke Rasmussen
2011–15	SD	Helle Thorning-Schmidt
2015–	V	Lars Løkke Rasmussen

Recent Elections

Parliamentary elections were held on 18 June 2015; turnout was 85·9%. The Social Democratic Party won 47 seats, with 26·3% of mainland votes cast (44 seats with 24·8% in 2011); the Danish People’s Party 37 with 21·1% (22 with 12·3%); the Liberal Party (V) 34 with 19·5% (47 with 26·7%); the Unity List—the Red-Greens 14 with 7·8% (12 with 6·7%); the Liberal Alliance 13 with 7·5% (9 with 5·0%); the Alternative 9 with 4·8% (participating for the first time); the Danish Social Liberal Party 8 with 4·6% (17 with 9·5%); the Socialist People’s Party 7 with 4·2% (16 with 9·2%); and the Conservative People’s Party 6 with 3·4% (8 with 4·9%). Although the Social Democratic Party won the most seats, the Liberal party-led ‘Blue bloc’ took 90 seats compared to 85 for the Social Democratic Party-led ‘Red bloc’. The four remaining seats are reserved for representative parties from the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

European Parliament

Denmark has 13 representatives. At the May 2014 elections turnout was 56·3% (59·5% in 2009). The Danish People’s Party won 4 seats with 26·6% of votes cast (political affiliation in European Parliament: European Conservatives and Reformists); the Social Democratic Party, 3 with 19·1% (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats); V, 2 with 16·7% (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe); the Socialist People’s Party, 1 with 11·0% (Greens/European Free Alliance); the Conservative People’s Party, 1 with 9·1% (European People’s Party); People’s Movement Against the EU, 1 with 8·1% (European United Left/Nordic Green Left); the Danish Social Liberal Party, 1 with 6·5% (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe).

Current Government

In March 2017 the government of the Liberal Party, the Liberal Alliance and the Conservative People’s Party comprised the following:

Prime Minister: Lars Løkke Rasmussen; b. 1964 (V; took office for a second time on 28 June 2015, having previously been prime minister from April 2009–Oct. 2011).

Minister forChildren and Social Affairs: Mai Mercado. Culture and Church: Mette Bock. Defence: Claus Hjort Frederiksen. Development Co-operation: Ulla Tørnæs. Economy and Interior: Simon Emil Ammitzbøll. Education: Merete Riisager. Employment: Troels Lund Poulsen. Energy, Utilities and Climate: Lars Christian Lilleholt. Environment and Food: Esben Lunde Larsen. Equal Opportunities andNordic Co-operation: Karen Ellemann. Finance: Kristian Jensen. Foreign Affairs: Anders Samuelsen. Health:Ellen Trane Nørby. Higher Education and Science: Søren Pind. Immigration and Integration: Inger Støjberg. Industry, Business and Financial Affairs: Brian Mikkelsen. Justice: Søren Pape Poulsen. Public Innovation: Sophie Løhde. Seniors: Thyra Frank. Taxation: Karsten Lauritzen. Transport, Building and Housing: Ole Birk Olesen.

Office of the Prime Minister: http://www.stm.dk/_a_2747.html

Current Leaders

Lars Løkke Rasmussen

Position

Prime Minister

Introduction

Lars Løkke Rasmussen became prime minister for the second time in June 2015, at the head of a minority government. He was previously in office between 2009 and 2011. With his Liberal Party (V) only the third largest party in parliament, his administration relies on the support of other parties on a vote-by-vote basis.

Early Life

Lars Løkke Rasmussen was born on 15 May 1964 in Vejle in the Syddanmark region. Prior to graduating in law from Copenhagen University in 1992, he became active in the V party. He was national chairman of the Young Liberals from 1986–89, and in 1986 also became a member of Graested-Gilleleje municipal council. In 1994 he entered parliament and in the same year became first deputy mayor of Graested-Gilleleje, serving until 1997. In 1998 he became mayor of Frederiksborg County and was appointed deputy chairman of V.

From 2001–07 he served as minister for the interior and health, overseeing municipal reforms and promoting policies to cut hospital waiting lists. Appointed finance minister in 2007, he led negotiations to share tax revenues between richer and poorer municipalities. In response to the global financial crisis in 2008, he was responsible for providing funds to troubled banks and for creating a national economic stimulus package. In Feb. 2009 he cut the rate of income tax and increased taxes on pollution—reforms that fulfilled party campaign promises but which received a mixed reception from the public and opposition parties.

Career in Office

Rasmussen became prime minister and party leader in April 2009, after the incumbent Anders Fogh Rasmussen resigned to take up the post of NATO secretary general. He reappointed substantially the same cabinet, while converting the social welfare ministry into two separate portfolios and appointing two female V MPs to head the ministry of employment and the newly-created interior and social affairs ministry. This took the proportion of women in cabinet to almost 50%, one of the highest in the world. In Dec. 2009 Rasmussen chaired the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, but its ultimately disappointing outcome earned him criticism from some quarters. In 2010 he announced his support for a phased withdrawal of Danish combat units from Afghanistan. On the domestic front, in May 2010 his government announced a three-year package of cuts to public expenditure, including reductions in unemployment and family benefits and foreign aid.

In 2011 the government proposed the reintroduction of border controls as part of a deal to secure the support of the right-wing Danish People’s Party (DF) for pension reforms. The proposals were popular with a section of the Danish public but strained relations with the European Union (and the revised measures that were eventually implemented were revoked by the next government). In the Sept. 2011 elections Rasmussen’s government lost its ability to command a majority and he resigned, although he remained in office as head of a caretaker government until the following month. In 2015 he contested the general election as part of the ‘Blue bloc’ alliance of centre-right parties, which included the DF. Although the V party lost seats, the ‘Blue bloc’ emerged victorious, with the DF becoming the second largest party in parliament.

Rasmussen took office on 28 June 2015 leading a minority government after the DF chose not to enter into a coalition. Asylum seekers and refugees have been a particular area of contention in Denmark amid Europe-wide concern over migration emanating mainly from the Middle East.

Defence

The armed forces of Denmark consist of the Royal Danish Army, the Royal Danish Navy, the Royal Danish Air Force and the Danish Home Guard.

Under the terms of the Danish Defence Agreement 2013–17, the Danish defence system is subject to a major overhaul. The restructure is aimed at reducing costs while preparing the armed forces for deployment as rapid-response units geared to contributing to international operations, as opposed to more traditional national territorial defence roles.

Among the provisions of the agreement is a commitment to centralize procurement of materials, establish military cyber defence capabilities and reduce the annual intake of conscripts. The existing six battalions of the Army are expected to be reconfigured into three bigger battalions, while the North Atlantic commands are to be brought under a single Arctic command, which will be bolstered by the purchase of nine ship-borne MH60R Seahawk helicopters. In addition, a Joint Defence Command is to be created as a successor to the Defence Command, integrating the command structures of the Army, Navy and Air Force more closely into the Ministry of Defence’s civilian structure. There is also to be a new Special Operations Command with a school in Aalborg.

Denmark has a compulsory military service with mobilization based on the constitution of 1849. This states that it is the duty of every fit man to contribute to the national defence. However, the number of young men available for military service is much greater than what is deemed necessary by the Danish National Forces. In 2013 defence expenditure totalled US$4,509m. (US$812 per capita), representing 1·4% of GDP.

Army

The Danish Army is comprised of field army formations and local defence forces. The strength of the Danish Army is approximately 10,600. The Danish Army is organized in two brigades, the first made up of professional soldiers and the second functioning as a training structure for conscripts.

Navy

The strength of the Royal Danish Navy is approximately 3,500. The two main naval bases are located at Frederikshavn and Korsør.

Air Force

The strength of the Royal Danish Air Force is approximately 3,500. The Royal Danish Air Force consists of Tactical Air Command Denmark and the Danish Air Materiel Command.

Home Guard (Hjemmeværnet)

The overall Home Guard organization comprises the Home Guard Command, the Army Home Guard, the Naval Home Guard, the Air Force Home Guard and supporting institutions. The personnel are recruited on a voluntary basis. The personnel establishment of the Home Guard is approximately 50,000 soldiers.

International Relations

In a referendum in June 1992 the electorate voted against ratifying the Maastricht Treaty for closer political union within the EU. Turnout was 82%. 50·7% of votes were against ratification, 49·3% in favour. However, a second referendum on 18 May 1993 reversed this result, with 56·8% of votes cast in favour of ratification and 43·2% against. Turnout was 86·2%. In a referendum held on 28 Sept. 2000 Danish voters rejected their country’s entry into the common European currency, 53·2% opposing membership of the euro against 46·8% voting in favour. Turnout was 87·6%.

Economy

In 2010 agriculture accounted for 1·2% of GDP, industry 21·8% and services 77·0%.

According to the Berlin-based organization Transparency International, Denmark ranked equal first in the world in a 2016 survey of countries with the least corruption in business and government. It received 90 out of 100 in the corruption perceptions index.

Denmark gave US$3·0bn. in international aid in 2014, equivalent to 0·86% of GNI (making Denmark one of only five industrialized countries to meet the UN target of 0·7%).

Overview

Denmark’s modern market economy has a high-tech agricultural sector that was its cornerstone from the 1960s. The economic structure has nonetheless changed significantly since then. Services now employ over three-quarters of the workforce and account for three-quarters of GDP, while agriculture engages only 2% of the workforce. Denmark is also a world leader in the industrial, pharmaceutical, shipping and renewable energy sectors, although the economy is reliant on raw material imports, especially for manufacturing.

Productivity growth has been weak since the late 1990s and well behind the best performers in the OECD, in response to which the government established a productivity commission in 2012.

Given its dependency on foreign trade, Denmark has been a long-time supporter of EU trade liberalization and conforms to almost all EU standardization policies. Export growth was negative in 2013 but grew by 0·2% and 0·1% in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The balance of payments surplus averaged 6·1% annually between 2013 and 2015.

The Danes enjoy an extremely high standard of living, characterized by generous government welfare subsidies. Denmark has the lowest level of income inequality in the OECD and was ranked third out of 190 countries in the World Bank’s 2017 Doing Business report. Yet the economy faces challenges. A drastic drop in property prices in 2008 and 2009, reflecting widespread uncertainty in international real estate markets, prompted an ongoing decline despite a short respite in 2010. Meanwhile, the fall in North Sea oil and gas production coupled with lower oil prices have contributed to a drag on GDP growth that in recent years has been propped up by private consumption.

Household debt is high, averaging 260% of gross disposable income in 2015. The global financial crisis also exacerbated a cyclical slowdown, leading to increased borrowing to make up the shortfall in export demand. Low consumer and investor confidence have been additional problems. Government spending prompted a tentative recovery but could not prevent a technical recession during 2010–11. Interest rates turned negative in 2012 and remained so as of the end of 2016.

Denmark has historically had relativity low levels of unemployment but the rate reached 7·6% in 2011 before falling to 6·2% at the end of 2015. The country also faces challenges from an ageing population and a shortage of workers to replace those retiring. Nonetheless, the country’s fiscal position is strong compared to most of the European Union, with public debt measuring 45·8% of GDP in 2015.

Currency

The monetary unit is the Danish krone (DKK) of 100 øre. Inflation rates (based on OECD statistics):

2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
1·9%	1·7%	3·4%	1·3%	2·3%	2·8%	2·4%	0·8%	0·6%	0·5%

In Aug. 2009 foreign exchange reserves were US$67,774m., gold reserves were 2·14m. troy oz and total money supply was 832·2bn. kroner.

While not participating directly in EMU, the Danish krone is pegged to the euro in ERM-2, the successor to the exchange rate mechanism.

Budget

The following shows the actual revenue and expenditure in central government accounts for the calendar years 2006 and 2007, the approved budget figures for 2008 and the budget for 2009 (in 1,000 kroner):

	2006	2007	2008	2009
Revenue1	562,987,500	649,559,500	647,946,900	669,496,400
Expenditure1	459,623,500	535,301,500	556,050,500	597,606,700

1. ¹Receipts and expenditures of special government funds and expenditures on public works are included.

The 2009 budget envisaged revenue of 335,266·7m. kroner from income and property taxes and 279,872·0m. kroner from consumer taxes. The central government debt on 31 Dec. 2007 amounted to 255,074m. kroner.

In 2012 tax revenues were 49·1% of GDP (the highest percentage of any developed country).

Denmark registered a budget deficit of 1·7% of GDP in 2015. The previous year there was a surplus of 1·5% and in 2013 there had been a deficit of 1·1%.

VAT is 25%.

Performance

Real GDP growth rates (based on OECD statistics):

2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
3·9%	0·9%	–0·5%	–4·9%	1·9%	1·3%	0·2%	0·9%	1·7%	1·6%

Total GDP was US$295·1bn. in 2015.

Banking and Finance

In 2009 the accounts of the National Bank (Governor, Lars Rohde) balanced at 550,151m. kroner. The assets included official net foreign reserves of 370,861m. kroner. The liabilities included notes and coins totalling 60,761m. kroner. On 31 Dec. 2008 there were 138 commercial banks and savings banks, with deposits of 1,438,028m. kroner.

The two largest commercial banks are Danske Bank and Nordea Bank Danmark. The supervisory boards of all banks must include public representation.

Gross external debt totalled US$584,152m. in June 2012.

There is a stock exchange in Copenhagen.

Energy and Natural Resources

In 2011, 23·1% of energy consumption came from renewables (wind power, solar power, hydro-electric power, tidal power, geothermal energy and biomass), compared to the European Union average of 13·0%. A target of 30% has been set by the EU for 2020.

Environment

Denmark’s carbon dioxide emissions from the consumption of energy in 2011 were the equivalent of 8·2 tonnes per capita. An Environmental Performance Index compiled in 2016 ranked Denmark 4th of 180 countries, with 89·2%. The index examined various factors in nine areas—agriculture, air quality, biodiversity and habitat, climate and energy, fisheries, forests, health impacts, water and sanitation, and water resources.

Electricity

Installed capacity was 13·6m. kW in 2011. Production (2011), 35,171m. kWh. Consumption per capita in 2011 was 6,545 kWh. In 2007 some 5,212 wind turbines produced 19·7% of output.

Oil and Gas

Oil production has been steadily declining since 2004. In 2012 production was 10·1m. tonnes with 0·7bn. bbls of proven reserves. Production of natural gas was 6·4bn. cu. metres in 2012, with proven reserves of 51bn. cu. metres. In 2011 natural gas consumption totalled 4·4bn. cu. metres.

Wind

Denmark is one of the world’s largest wind-power producers, with an installed capacity of 3,734 MW at the end of 2010. Denmark generated 19·3% of its electricity from wind in 2009, the highest proportion of any country.

Agriculture

Agriculture accounted for 9·7% of exports and 2·5% of imports in 2009. Land ownership is widely distributed. In 2008 there were 43,413 holdings with at least 5 ha. of agricultural area (or at least a production equivalent to that from 5 ha. of barley). There were 10,214 small holdings (with less than 10 ha.), 18,465 medium-sized holdings (10–50 ha.) and 14,734 holdings with more than 50 ha. Approximately 5·1% of all agricultural land is used for organic farming. There were 24,675 agricultural workers in 2007. In 2007 Denmark had 2·30m. ha. of arable land and 8,000 ha. of permanent cultures.

In 2008 the cultivated area was (in 1,000 ha.): grain, 1,505; green fodder and grass, 705; root crops, 84; set aside, 71; other crops, 298; pulses, 5; total cultivated area, 2,668.

	Area (1,000 ha.)				Production (in 1,000 tonnes)
Chief crops	2006	2007	2008	2009	2006	2007	2008	2009
Wheat	686	689	638	739	4,802	4,519	5,019	5,940
Barley	679	632	717	593	3,270	3,104	3,396	3,394
Potatoes	39	41	41	39	1,361	1,626	1,705	1,618
Oats	69	66	84	67	274	312	322	315
Rye	28	30	29	44	130	135	152	238
Other root crops	46	43	41	43	2,585	3,518	2,525	2,278

Livestock, 2008 (in 1,000): pigs, 12,738; cattle, 1,564; sheep, 136; horses, 60; poultry, 15,106.

Production (in 1,000 tonnes) in 2009: pork, 1,898; beef, 137; milk, 4,733; cheese, 324; eggs, 73; butter, 37.

On 1 Jan. 2010 tractors numbered 99,700.

Forestry

The area under forests in 2010 was 0·54m. ha., or 13% of the total land area. Timber production in 2011 was 2·58m. cu. metres.

Fisheries

The total value of the fish caught was (in 1m. kroner): 1970, 854; 1980, 2,888; 1985, 3,542; 1990, 3,485; 1995, 3,020; 2000, 3,141; 2005, 2,781; 2008, 2,487; 2009, 2,154.

In 2009 the total catch was 738,094 tonnes, almost exclusively from sea fishing. Denmark is one of the leading fishing nations in the EU.

Industry

The leading companies by market capitalization in Denmark in March 2015 were: Novo Nordisk A/S, a health care company (US$113·0bn.); A. P. Møller-Mærsk, a shipping company (US$45·3bn.); and Danske Bank (US$26·6bn.).

The following table is of gross value added by kind of activity (in 1m. kroner; 2000 constant prices):

	2007	2008	2009
Total	1,229,577	1,227,087	1,169,778
Agriculture, fishing and quarrying	55,028	50,296	52,120
Manufacturing	190,818	198,674	174,528
Electricity, gas and water supply	21,252	22,931	21,895
Construction	62,040	58,498	49,900
Wholesale and retail trade	174,600	169,413	147,085
Transport, post and telecommunication	111,394	99,815	91,999
Financial and business activities	310,271	319,820	321,501
Public and personal services	304,173	307,641	310,749

In the following table ‘number of jobs’ refers to 18,779 local business enterprises including self-employed businesses with no employees (Nov. 2006):

Branch of industry	Number of jobs
Food, beverages and tobacco	72,508
Textiles, clothing and footwear, and leather	8,963
Wood and wood products	15,537
Paper products	44,541
Refined petroleum products	1,008
Chemicals and man-made fibres	27,940
Rubber and plastic products	21,157
Non-metallic mineral products	16,585
Basic metals	52,902
Machinery and equipment	62,976
Electrical and optical equipment	47,873
Transport equipment	15,040
Furniture and other manufactures	26,510
	–———
Total manufacturing	413,540

Labour

The labour force in 2013 was 2,902,000 (2,874,000 in 2003). 78·0% of the population aged 15–64 was economically active in 2013. In 2013, 34·9% of those in employment worked in the public sector. In Dec. 2016 the unemployment rate was 6·2% (unchanged since 2015 as a whole), compared to the European Union average of 8·2%. The youth unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of 2015 was 10·7% (19·9% for the European Union as a whole).

International Trade

Imports and Exports

In 2009 imports totalled 437,998m. kroner and exports 495,577m. kroner.

Imports and exports (in 1m. kroner) for calendar years:

	2008		2009
Leading commodities	Imports	Exports	Imports	Exports
Live animals, meat and meat preparations	7,911	33,199	7,519	31,756
Dairy products and eggs	4,297	13,438	3,267	12,346
Fish, crustaceans, etc. and preparations	10,188	16,331	8,767	14,276
Cereals and cereal preparations	6,532	5,412	4,448	5,344
Fodder for animals	7,344	5,348	6,649	5,192
Wood and cork	4,616	1,060	3,666	790
Textile fibres, yarns, fabrics, etc.	8,452	7,448	6,222	5,926
Mineral fuels, lubricants, etc.	41,598	56,804	27,974	37,592
Chemicals and plastics, etc.	31,387	27,202	24,041	26,004
Medicine and pharmaceutical products	17,119	40,630	17,654	42,503
Metals, manufacture of metals	54,553	40,348	32,100	29,658
Machinery, electrical, equipment, etc.	126,803	131,770	99,186	107,296
Transport equipment	59,488	24,566	50,049	19,243
Furniture, etc.	8,989	13,916	7,243	11,432
Clothing and clothing accessories	24,131	20,884	21,171	19,022

Distribution of foreign trade (in 1m. kroner) according to countries of origin and destination for 2009:

Countries	Imports	Exports
Austria	4,242·5	3,661·4
Belgium	15,145·2	8,033·3
Canada	2,641·3	4,931·3
China	28,780·1	11,475·4
Finland	7,547·9	11,844·6
France	15,203·1	20,631·1
Germany	92,689·5	85,607·0
Greece	1,060·1	3,556·7
Greenland	2,082·6	2,764·0
Hong Kong	1,104·9	4,844·8
Ireland	4,787·2	5,839·2
Italy	15,274·4	14,991·9
Japan	2,283·0	10,038·3
Netherlands	30,796·1	22,860·9
Norway	23,228·0	31,423·4
Poland	11,345·1	12,228·4
Russia	4,754·6	8,266·8
South Korea	2,928·9	3,103·1
Spain	6,511·3	12,847·5
Sweden	57,758·3	63,666·1
Switzerland	4,721·6	4,715·2
Turkey	4,021·7	2,879·6
United Kingdom	24,296·7	41,970·1
United States of America	15,175·8	31,018·5

In 2006 fellow European Union member countries accounted for 72·6% of imports and 69·1% of exports.

Communications

Roads

Denmark proper had (1 Jan. 2009) 1,128 km of motorways, 3,790 km of other state roads and 69,500 km of other commercial roads. Motor vehicles registered at 1 Jan. 2010 comprised 2,120,322 passenger cars, 32,300 trucks, 462,359 vans, 14,509 buses and 147,373 motorcycles. There were 5,250 casualties in road accidents in 2009, resulting in 303 fatalities.

Rail

In 2012 there were 2,131 km of state railways of 1,435 mm gauge (619 km electrified). In 2011, 219m. passengers were carried. DB Schenker Rail Scandinavia A/S (formerly the Danish State Railways Freight Division) carried 7·1m. tonnes of freight in 2012. There were also 959 km of private railways. A metro system was opened in Copenhagen in 2002.

Civil Aviation

The main international airport is at Copenhagen (Kastrup), and there are also international flights from Aalborg, Aarhus, Billund and Esbjerg. The Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) resulted from the 1950 merger of the three former Scandinavian airlines. It is now known as Scandinavian Airlines. SAS Denmark A/S is the Danish partner (SAS Norge ASA and SAS Sverige AB being the other two). Denmark holds 14·2% of the capital of SAS, with Sweden holding 17·1% and Norway 11·4%. The remaining shares are listed on the stock exchanges of Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm.

On 1 Jan. 2009 Denmark had 1,122 aircraft with a capacity of 19,077 seats. Copenhagen (Kastrup) handled 9,848,000 departing passengers in 2009, Billund 1,151,000, Aalborg 561,000 and Aarhus 255,000.

Shipping

In Jan. 2014 there were 452 ships of 300 GT or over registered (of which 326 in the Danish International Shipping Register and 126 in the Danish Shipping Register), totalling 12·21m. GT. Of the 452 vessels registered, 161 were oil tankers, 107 were general cargo ships, 104 container ships, 75 passenger ships, three bulk carriers and two liquid gas tankers. The Danish-controlled fleet comprised 932 vessels of 1,000 GT or over in July 2014, of which 335 were under the Danish flag and 597 under foreign flags. The busiest ports are Fredericia, Aarhus and Copenhagen.

Telecommunications

In 2009 there were 2,062,000 main (fixed) telephone lines. In the same year mobile phone subscribers numbered 7,424,000 (134·1 per 100 persons). In 2010, 86% of the population had access to the internet at home and 88% had access to a computer at home. Denmark has one of the highest fixed broadband penetration rates, at 37·7 subscribers per 100 inhabitants in Dec. 2010. In March 2012 there were 2·8m. Facebook users.

Social Institutions

Justice

The lowest courts of justice are organized in 24 tribunals (byretter), where minor cases are dealt with by a single judge. The tribunal at Copenhagen has one president and 42 other judges; and Aarhus one president and 13 other judges; the other tribunals have one to 11 judges. Cases of greater consequence are dealt with by the two High Courts (Landsretterne); these courts are also courts of appeal for minor cases. The Eastern High Court in Copenhagen has one president and 60 other judges; and the Western in Viborg one president and 39 other judges. From these an appeal lies to the Supreme Court in Copenhagen, composed of a president and 19 other judges. Judges under 65 years of age can be removed only by judicial sentence.

In 2009, 487,851 penal code offences were reported, including 56 homicides. In Sept. 2013 population in penal institutions was 4,091 (73 per 100,000 of national population). Denmark was ranked second of 102 countries for criminal justice and fourth for civil justice in the 2015 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, which provides data on how the rule of law is experienced by the general public across eight categories. It ranked first in the overall 2015 Index.

Education

Education has been compulsory since 1814. The first stage of the Danish education system is the basic school (education at first level). This starts with a pre-school year (education preceding the first level), which has been compulsory since the beginning of the 2009–10 school year, and continues up to and including the optional 10th year in the folkeskole (municipal primary and lower secondary school). In 2006, 649,000 pupils attended education at first level and second level, first stage. In 2010 the number of pupils beginning their education at pre-school was 67,174.

Of all students leaving basic school in 2007–08, 79% had commenced further education within three months. Over half of the students (53%) had elected to attend general upper-secondary education (general programmes of education at secondary level, second stage), while 25% opted for vocational education and training at secondary level, second stage.

Education that qualifies students for tertiary level education is called general upper-secondary education and comprises general upper-secondary education (general programmes of education at secondary level, second stage), such as gymnasium (upper-secondary school), higher preparatory examination and adult upper-secondary level courses as well as general/vocational upper-secondary education at the vocational education institutions. In 2008, 119,000 students attended general upper-secondary education and 125,000 students attended upper-secondary vocational education and training.

Higher education is divided into three levels: short-cycle higher education involves two years of training, sometimes practical, after completion of upper-secondary education (19,000 students in 2008); medium-cycle higher education involves two–four years of mainly theoretical training (64,000 students in 2008); long-cycle higher education requires more than four years of education, mainly theoretical, divided between a bachelor’s degree, candidate programme and PhD programme (bachelor’s students in 2008: 62,000; master’s: 53,000; PhD: 6,800).

Universities have been reorganized as a result of several mergers in Jan. 2007. The universities ranked by student population are: the University of Copenhagen (founded 1479), 36,600 students; the University of Aarhus (1928), 30,100; the University of Southern Denmark (1964), 14,300; the Copenhagen Business School, 13,900; the University of Aalborg (1974), 11,300; Roskilde University (1972), 8,100; the Technical University of Denmark, 6,200; the IT University of Copenhagen, 1,300.

Other types of post-secondary education have also been reorganized through mergers of institutions. Eight university colleges have been formed with student numbers ranging from 3,000 to 13,000. The university colleges encompass: schools of nursing; schools of midwifery education; colleges of physiotherapy; social education colleges; teacher training colleges; engineering colleges. There are also post-secondary educational institutions in the cultural sector in areas such as music, architecture, media and the visual arts.

In 2008 public expenditure on education was 15·0% of total government spending.

The adult literacy rate is at least 99%.

Health

In 2005 there were 17,350 doctors (321 per 100,000 persons), 4,634 dentists, 52,843 nurses, 27,072 auxiliary nurses and 1,304 midwives. There were 59 hospitals in 2005 (20,058 beds). In 2007 Denmark spent 9·8% of its GDP on health.

Welfare

The main body of Danish social welfare legislation is consolidated in seven acts concerning: (1) public health security, (2) sick-day benefits, (3) social pensions (for early retirement and old age), (4) employment injuries insurance, (5) employment services, unemployment insurance and activation measures, (6) social assistance including assistance to handicapped, rehabilitation, child and juvenile guidance, daycare institutions, care of the aged and sick, and (7) family allowances.

Public health security, covering the entire population, provides free medical care, substantial subsidies for certain essential medicines together with some dental care, and a funeral allowance. Hospitals are primarily municipal and treatment is normally free. All employed workers are granted daily sickness allowances; others can have limited daily sickness allowances. Daily cash benefits are granted in the case of temporary incapacity because of illness, injury or childbirth to all persons in paid employment. The benefit is paid up to the rate of 100% of the average weekly earnings. There is, however, a maximum rate of 3,415 kroner a week.

Social pensions cover the entire population. Entitlement to the old-age pension at the full rate is subject to the condition that the beneficiary has been ordinarily resident in Denmark for 40 years. For a shorter period of residence, the benefits are reduced proportionally. The basic amount of the old-age pension in Jan. 2007 was 174,720 kroner a year to married couples and 119,244 to single persons. Various supplementary allowances, depending on age and income, may be payable with the basic amount. The retirement age is 65, or 67 for those born before 1 July 1939. Depending on health and income, persons aged 60–64 (60–66 for those born before 1 July 1939) may apply for an early retirement pension. Persons over 65 (or 67) years of age are entitled to the basic amount. The pensions to a married couple are calculated and paid to the husband and the wife separately. Early retirement pension to a disabled person is payable at ages 18–64 (or 66) years, at a rate of 177,636 kroner to a single person. Early retirement pensions may be subject to income regulation. The same applies to the old-age pension.

Employment injuries insurance provides for disability or survivors’ pensions and compensations. The scheme covers practically all employees.

Employment services are provided by regional public employment agencies. Insurance against unemployment provides daily allowances and covers about 85% of the unemployed. The unemployment insurance system is based on state subsidized insurance funds linked to the trade unions. The unemployment insurance funds had a membership of 2,065,700 in Jan. 2010.

The Social Assistance Act comprises three acts (the act on active social policy, the act on social service and the act on integration of foreigners). From these acts individual benefits are applied, in contrast to the other fields of social legislation which apply to fixed benefits. Total social expenditure, including hospital and health services, statutory pensions etc., amounted in the financial year 2008 to 515,935·0m. kroner.

Religion

There is complete religious liberty. The Church of the State is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark to which 80·9% of the population belonged in 2010. There are ten dioceses, each with a Bishop. The Bishop together with the Chief Administrative Officer of the county make up the diocesan-governing body, responsible for all matters of ecclesiastical local finance and general administration. Bishops are appointed by the Crown after an election by the clergy and parish council members. Each diocese is divided into a number of deaneries (107 in the whole country), each with its own Dean and Deanery Committee, who have certain financial powers. 81% of church finance derives from a voluntary tax paid by members, at a rate between 0·4–1·5% of income depending upon location. A further 12% comes from state subsidiaries and 7% from other sources, such as church lands.

Culture

Aarhus is one of two European Capitals of Culture for 2017. The title attracts large European Union grants.

World Heritage Sites

Denmark has eight sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List: the burial mounds, runic stones and church at Jelling (inscribed on the list in 1994); Roskilde Cathedral (1995); Kronborg Castle (2000); Ilulissat Icefjord (2004), the sea mouth of Sermeq Kujalleq in Greenland; Stevns Klint (2014), a 15 km-long fossil-rich coastal cliff; Christiansfield (2015), a Moravian Church settlement; and the par force hunting landscape in North Zealand (2015). Shared with Germany and the Netherlands, Wadden Sea (2014) is the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world.

Press

In 2014 there were 31 daily newspapers with a combined circulation of 1·09m. The newspaper with the largest average circulation in 2014 was MetroXpress (a free paper; 325,000 on weekdays). In the 2016 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders, Denmark ranked fourth out of 180 countries.

Tourism

In 2009, 8,457,000 overnight tourists visited Denmark; foreign tourists spent some 35,482m. kroner in the same year. Foreigners spent 11,164,000 nights in holiday cottages, 4,258,000 nights in hotels and 2,750,000 nights at camping sites in 2009.

Festivals

Roskilde, one of Europe’s largest music festivals, is held annually in July. Other festivals include the Winter Jazz Festival in late Jan./early Feb. which takes place across the country, Carnival in Aalborg, held every May, the Copenhagen Jazz Festival in July, Skanderborg festival (music) in Aug., Tønder Festival (folk music) in Aug., Aarhus Festival (performing arts) in Aug./Sept. and the Copenhagen International Film Festival in Sept./Oct.

Diplomatic Representatives

Of Denmark in the United Kingdom (55 Sloane St., London, SW1X 9SR)

Ambassador: Claus Grube.

Of the United Kingdom in Denmark (Kastelsvej 36–40, DK-2100, Copenhagen)

Ambassador: Dominic Schroeder.

Of Denmark in the USA (3200 Whitehaven St., NW, Washington, D.C., 20008)

Ambassador: Lars Gert Lose.

Of the USA in Denmark (Dag Hammarskjölds Allé 24, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø)

Ambassador: Vacant.

Chargé d’Affaires a.i.: Laura Lochman.

Of Denmark to the United Nations

Ambassador: Ib Petersen.

Of Denmark to the European Union

Permanent Representative: Kim Jørgensen.

Further Reading

Statistical Information: Danmarks Statistik was founded in 1849 and reorganized in 1966 as an independent institution; it is administratively placed under the Minister of Economic Affairs and the Interior. Its main publications are: Statistisk Årbog (Statistical Yearbook). From 1896: Statistiske Efterretninger (Statistical News). Konjunkturstatistik (Main indicators); Statistisk Tiårsoversigt (Statistical Ten-Year Review).

Kongelig Dansk Hof og Statskalender. Annual

Jespersen, Knud J. V., A History of Denmark. 2nd ed. 2011

Larsen, Henrik, Analysing Small State Foreign Policy in the EU: The Case of Denmark. 2005

National library: Det kongelige Bibliotek, POB 2149, DK-1016 Copenhagen K.

National Statistical Office: Statistics Denmark, Sejrøgade 11, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø.

Website: http://www.dst.dk

The Faroe Islands

Føroyar/Færøerne

General Details

A Norwegian province until the peace treaty of 14 Jan. 1814, the islands have been represented by two members in the Danish parliament since 1851. In 1852 they were granted an elected parliament which in 1948 secured a degree of home-rule. The islands are not part of the EU.

The archipelago is situated due north of Scotland, 300 km from the Shetland Islands, 675 km from Norway and 450 km from Iceland, with a total land area of 1,399 sq. km. There are 17 inhabited islands (the main ones being Streymoy, Eysturoy, Vágoy, Suðuroy, Sandoy and Borðoy) and numerous islets, all mountainous and of volcanic origin. Population in Jan. 2013 was 48,204; density, 34·5 per sq. km. The capital is Tórshavn on Streymoy.

The official languages are Faroese and Danish.

There is a 33-member parliament, the Løgting, which is elected by proportional representation by universal suffrage at age 18. Parliament elects a government of at least three members that administers home rule. Denmark is represented in parliament by the High Commissioner.

High Commissioner: Dan M. Knudsen (since Jan. 2008).

Prime Minister: Aksel V. Johannesen (since Sept. 2015).

Since 1940 the currency has been the Faroese króna (kr.), which remains freely interchangeable with the Danish krone.

Only 2% of the surface is cultivated; it is chiefly used for sheep and cattle grazing. Fishery products, including farmed salmon, represent the greater proportion of merchandise exports.

The airport is on Vágoy, from which there are regular services to Aberdeen, Billund, Copenhagen and Reykjavík. The chief port is Tórshavn, with smaller ports at Klaksvik, Vestmanna, Skálafjørður, Tvøroyri, Vágur and Fuglafjørður.

About 80% are Evangelical Lutherans and 20% are Plymouth Brethren, or belong to small communities of Roman Catholics, Pentecostalists, Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Bahá’ís.

Further Reading

Árbók fyri Føroyar. Annual.

Rutherford, G. K. (ed.) The Physical Environment of the Færoe Islands. 1982

Wylie, J., The Faroe Islands: Interpretations of History. 1987

National Statistical Office: Hagstova Føroya, Glyvursvegur 1, PO Box 2068, FO-165 Argir.

Website: http://www.hagstova.fo

Greenland

Grønland/Kalaallit Nunaat

General Details

A Danish possession since 1380, Greenland became an integral part of the Danish kingdom in June 1953 and achieved home rule in May 1979. The territory joined the then European Economic Community (now European Union) along with Denmark in Jan. 1973, but withdrew in Jan. 1985 following a referendum. Greenland’s autonomy was extended in June 2009, including increased control over law administration and energy resource revenues and the adoption of Kalaallisut (Greenlandic) as the sole official language (although most inhabitants also speak Danish).

Area, 2,166,086 sq. km, made up of 1,755,437 sq. km of ice cap and 410,449 sq. km of ice-free land. The population at 1 Jan. 2013 was 56,370, of whom 88·9% were born in Greenland; density 0·03 per sq. km. The capital is Nuuk (Godthåb).

There is a 31-member elected parliament (Inatsisartut), which appoints the prime minister who in turn appoints the Cabinet of ministers. Greenland also elects two representatives to the Danish parliament (Folketing). Denmark is represented by an appointed High Commissioner.

Following parliamentary elections in Nov. 2014, a social democrat-led coalition government was formed in Dec.

High Commissioner: Mikaela Engell (appointed 2011).

Prime Minister: Kim Kielsen (since Sept. 2014—acting until Dec. 2014).

The unit of currency is the Danish krone.

There are indications of significant oil deposits off the west coast of Greenland. In Jan. 2014 the government issued a series of exploration licenses to international companies, reversing an earlier moratorium imposed on environmental grounds. Fishing and product-processing are the principal industries. Air Greenland operates domestic services and international flights to Denmark, Iceland and Canada.

Education is compulsory from six to 15 years. A further three years of schooling are optional. The medical service is free to all citizens. There is a central hospital in Nuuk.

About 80% of the population are Evangelical Lutherans.

Greenland has one site on the UNESCO World Heritage List: the Ilulissat Icefjord, the sea mouth of Sermeq Kujalleq on the west coast of the island (inscribed on the list in 2004).

Further Reading

Statistics Greenland. Greenland in Figures 2016 in English. Online only. Stat Bank in English. Online only.

Gad, F., A History of Greenland. 2 vols. 1970–73

Greenland National Library, P. O. Box 1011, DK-3900 Nuuk

National Statistical Office: Statistics Greenland, PO Box 1025, DK-3900 Nuuk.

Website: http://www.stat.gl