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. However, the country has opted out of European Union's Maastricht Treaty, the European monetary system (EMU), and issues concerning certain internal affairs. The surface of the Danish mainland is generally low; the average elevation is about 30 m (about 100 ft) above sea level. A low range of hills in the east central portion of the Danish mainland includes Yding Skovhøj (173 m/568 ft), the highest point in Denmark. The western coast of the mainland is low and rimmed by dunes and sandbars.


PEOPLE AND HISTORY
The Danes, a homogenous Gothic-Germanic people, have inhabited Denmark since prehistoric times. Danish is the principal language. English is a required school subject, and fluency is high. A small German-speaking minority lives in southern Jutland; a mostly Inuit population inhabits Greenland; and the Faroe Islands have a Nordic population with its own language. Education is compulsory from ages seven to 16 and is free through the university level.

Although religious freedom is guaranteed, the state-supported Evangelical Lutheran Church accounts for about 84% (down from 92% in 1984) of those persons claiming religious affiliation. Several other Christian denominations, as well as other major religions, find adherents in Denmark. Islam is now the second-largest religion in Denmark.

During the Viking period (9th-11th centuries), Denmark was a great power based on the Jutland Peninsula, the Island of Zealand, and the southern part of what is now Sweden. In the early 11th century, King Canute united Denmark and England for almost 30 years.

Cultural Achievements
Denmark's rich intellectual heritage has made multifaceted contributions to modern culture the world over. The discoveries of astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), geologist and anatomist Niels Steensen (1639-86), and the brilliant contributions of Nobel laureates Niels Bohr (1885-1962) to atomic physics and Niels Finsen (1860-1904) to medical research indicate the range of Danish scientific achievement. The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-75), the philosophical essays of Soeren Kierkegaard (1813-55), and the short stories of Karen Blixen (pseudonym Isak Dinesen; 1885-1962) have earned international recognition, as have the symphonies of Carl Nielsen (1865-1931). Danish applied art and industrial design have won so many awards for excellence such that the term "Danish Design" has become synonymous with high quality, craftsmanship, and functionalism. Among the leading lights of architecture and design was Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971), the "father of modern Danish design," whose jubilee year is celebrated in numerous retrospectives throughout Denmark in 2002. The name of Georg Jensen (1866-1935) is known worldwide for outstanding modern design in silver, and "Royal Copenhagen" is among the finest porcelains. No 'short list' of famous Danes would be complete without the entertainer and pianist Victor Borge (1909-2000), who emigrated to the United States under Nazi threat in 1940, and had a worldwide following when he died a naturalized U.S. citizen in Greenwich, Connecticut, at the age of 91.

POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Political life in Denmark is orderly and democratic. Political changes occur gradually through a process of consensus, and political methods and attitudes are generally moderate. Growing numbers of immigrants and refugees throughout the 1990s, and less than successful integration policies, however, have in recent years led to growing support for populist anti-immigrant sentiments in addition to several revisions of already tight immigration laws, with the latest revision taking effect July 1, 2002.

ECONOMY
Denmark's industrialized market economy depends on imported raw materials and foreign trade. Within the European Union, Denmark advocates a liberal trade policy. Its standard of living is among the highest in the world, and the Danes devote about 1% of GNP to foreign aid to less developed countries. In addition, Denmark in 2002 is devoting 0.33% of GNP for peace and stability purposes, including to cover preasylum costs for refugees, and for environmental purposes in central and eastern Europe and in developing countries

U.S. DANISH RELATIONS
Denmark is a close NATO ally, and overall U.S.-Danish relations are excellent. Active in Bosnia, OSCE Chairman-in-Office for 1997, and a leader in the Baltic region, Denmark and the United States consult closely on European political and security matters. Denmark shares U.S. views on the positive ramifications of NATO enlargement. Danish and U.S. troops have served side by side in Bosnia and in Macedonia in an effort to bring peace to the region.

Denmark's active liberal trade policy in the EU, OECD, and WTO largely coincides with U.S. interests. The U.S. is Denmark's largest non-European trade partner with about 6% of Danish merchandise trade. Denmark's role in European environmental and agricultural issues and its strategic location at the entrance to the Baltic Sea have made Copenhagen a center for U.S. agencies and the private sector dealing with the Nordic/Baltic region.

Full country name: The Kingdom of Denmark
Area: 42,930 sq km
Population: 5,356,000
Capital city: Copenhagen (pop 1.08 million)
People: 95% Danish; 5% foreign nationals
Language: Danish; English & German are widely spoken
Religion: Lutheran
Government: Constitutional monarchy
Prime Minister: Anders Fogh Rasmussen
GDP: US$161 billion
GDP per head: US$30,150
Annual growth:1.5%
Inflation: 2.5%
Major industries: Agricultural products, grains, meat and dairy, fish, beer, oil and gas, home electronics and furniture.
Major trading partners: EU (esp. Germany, Sweden, UK, Netherlands, France and Italy), USA
Member of EU: yes
Euro zone participant: no