Long-form name: Kingdom of Denmark

Type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Copenhagen

Administrative divisions: metropolitan Denmark--14 counties (amter, singular--amt) and 1 city* (stad); Arhus, Bornholm, Frederiksborg, Fyn, Kobenhavn, Nordjylland, Ribe, Ringkobing, Roskilde, Sonderjylland, Staden Kobenhavn*, Storstrom, Vejle, Vestsjaelland, Viborg; note--see separate entries for the Faroe Islands and Greenland which are part of the Danish realm and self-governing administrative divisions

Independence: became a constitutional monarchy in 1849

Constitution: 5 June 1953

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

National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)

Branches: legislative authority rests jointly with crown and parliament (Folketing); executive power vested in crown but exercised by Cabinet responsible to parliament; Supreme Court, 2 superior courts, 106 lower courts

Leaders: @m5Chief of State--Queen MARGRETHE II (since January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the Queen (born 26 May 1968); @m5Head of Government--Prime Minister Poul SCHLUTER (since 10 September 1982)

Suffrage: universal over age 21

Elections: on call of prime minister but at least every four years; last election 10 May 1988

Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic, Svend Auken; Liberal, Uffe Ellemann-Jensen; Conservative, Poul Schluter; Radical Liberal, Niels Helveg Petersen; Socialist People's, Gert Petersen; Communist, Jorgen Jensen; Left Socialist, Preben Wilnjelm; Center Democratic, Erhard Jakobsen; Christian People's, Flemming Kofoed-Svendsen; Justice, Poul Gerhard Kristiansen; Trade and Industry Party, Asger J. Lindinger; Progress Party, Mogens Glistrup; Socialist Workers Party, no chairman; Communist Workers' Party (KAP), Benito Scocozza; Common Course, Preben Mooller Hansen

Voting strength: 10 May 1988 parliamentary election (179 seats)--Social Democratic 55 seats, Conservative 35 seats, Socialist People's 24 seats, Liberal 22 seats, Progress 16 seats, Radical Liberal 10 seats, Center Democratic 9 seats, Christian People's 4 seats, Common Course no seats, Left Socialist no seats; includes 2 seats Greenland, 2 seats Faroe Islands; note--a party must have at least 2% of the vote to be in parliament

Member of: ADB, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, EMS, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB, Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NATO, Nordic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Eigil JORGENSEN; Chancery at 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-4300; there are Danish Consulates General at Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York; US--Ambassador Keith L. BROWN; Embassy at Dag Hammarskjold Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen O (mailing address is APO New York 09170); telephone �45� (1) 42 31 44

Flag: 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 @m5Dannebrog (Danish flag) was subsequently adopted by all other Scandinavian countries

NOTE: The information regarding Denmark on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Denmark Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Denmark Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.