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.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 5,468,120 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.6% (male 520,669/female 494,228) 15-64 years: 66% (male 1,817,757/female 1,792,974) 65 years and over: 15.4% (male 363,828/female 478,664) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 40.1 years male: 39.2 years female: 40.9 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 0.311% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 10.91 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 10.3 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.053 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.014 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.977 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 4.45 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.49 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.96 years male: 75.65 years female: 80.41 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 1.74 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 5,000 (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.)

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Nationality: noun: Dane(s) adjective: Danish

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Ethnic groups: Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German, Turkish, Iranian, Somali

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Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Christian (includes Protestant and Roman Catholic) 3%, Muslim 2%

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Languages: Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority) note: English is the predominant second language

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

The Danish economy has in recent years undergone strong expansion fueled primarily by private consumption growth, but also supported by exports and investments. This thoroughly modern market economy features high-tech agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures, comfortable living standards, a stable currency, and high dependence on foreign trade. Unemployment is low and capacity constraints are limiting growth potential. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and enjoys a comfortable balance of payments surplus. Government objectives include streamlining the bureaucracy and further privatization of state assets. The government has been successful in meeting, and even exceeding, the economic convergence criteria for participating in the third phase (a common European currency) of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), but Denmark has decided not to join 12 other EU members in the euro. Nonetheless, the Danish krone remains pegged to the euro. Economic growth gained momentum in 2004 and the upturn continued through 2006. The controversy over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad printed in a Danish newspaper in September 2005 led to boycotts of some Danish exports to the Muslim world, especially exports of dairy products, but the boycotts did not have a significant impact on the overall Danish economy. Because of high GDP per capita, welfare benefits, a low Gini index, and political stability, the Danish living standards are among the highest in the world. A major long-term issue will be the sharp decline in the ratio of workers to retirees.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $201.5 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $257.3 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 3.2% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $37,000 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.4% industry: 24.6% services: 74% (2006 est.)

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Labor force: 2.91 million (2006 est.)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 3% industry: 21% services: 76% (2004 est.)

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Unemployment rate: 3.8% (2006 est.)

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Population below poverty line: NA%

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 24% (2000 est.)

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Distribution of family income - Gini index: 23.2 (2002)

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.8% (2006 est.)

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Investment (gross fixed): 22.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $147 billion expenditures: $138.9 billion; including capital expenditures of $4.6 billion (2006 est.)

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Public debt: 28.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Agriculture - products: barley, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets; pork, dairy products; fish

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Industries: iron, steel, nonferrous metals, chemicals, food processing, machinery and transportation equipment, textiles and clothing, electronics, construction, furniture and other wood products, shipbuilding and refurbishment, windmills, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment

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Industrial production growth rate: 2.5% (2006 est.)

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Electricity - production: 43.35 billion kWh (2006)

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Electricity - consumption: 36.41 billion kWh (2006)

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Electricity - exports: 13.72 billion kWh (2006)

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Electricity - imports: 6.77 billion kWh (2006)

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Oil - production: 342,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 171,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)

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Oil - exports: 320,000 bbl/day (2006)

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Oil - imports: 164,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)

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Oil - proved reserves: 1.32 billion bbl (1 January 2005 est.)

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Natural gas - production: 9.87 billion cu m (2006 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 4.824 billion cu m (2006 est.)

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Natural gas - exports: 4.964 billion cu m (2006 est.)

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Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2006 est.)

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Natural gas - proved reserves: 99.99 billion cu m (2006 est.)

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Current account balance: $4.941 billion (2006 est.)

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Exports: $93.93 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Exports - commodities: machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products, fish, pharmaceuticals, furniture, windmills

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Exports - partners: Germany 17.4%, Sweden 14.2%, UK 8.9%, US 6.2%, Norway 5.4%, Netherlands 5.1%, France 4.9% (2006)

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Imports: $89.32 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, raw materials and semimanufactures for industry, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, consumer goods

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Imports - partners: Germany 21.3%, Sweden 14.2%, Norway 6.5%, Netherlands 6.2%, UK 5.6%, China 5%, France 4.4% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $30.38 billion (August 2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $405 billion (30 June 2006)

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Economic aid - donor: ODA, $2.13 billion (2005)

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Currency (code): Danish krone (DKK)

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Exchange rates: Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003), 7.8947 (2002)

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Fiscal year: calendar year