Queen: Margrethe II Prime Minister: Helle Thorning-Schmidt
President: Daniel Ortega
Population
5,543,453
5,727,707
Life Expectancy
78.780 years
72.180 years
Capital City
Copenhagen
Managua
Largest city
Copenhagen (population: 1,153,620)
Managua (population: 973,087)
Human Development Index
0.952
0.699
GDP per capita
$37,600 US
$3,200 US
Literacy Rate
99%
67.5%
Corruption Perception Index
9.3
2.5
Percentage of Women in Parliament
38%
18.5%
Wealthiest Citizens
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen ($2.1bn US)
NA
Unemployment Rate
6.000%
7.300%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Abolished
Political System
constitutional monarchy
republic
Independence date
first organized as a unified state in 10th century; in 1849 became a constitutional monarchy
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Religions
Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Christian (includes Protestant and Roman Catholic) 3%, Muslim 2%
Roman Catholic 58.5%, Evangelical 21.6%, Moravian 1.6%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 1.7%, none 15.7% (2005 census)
Languages
Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority) note: English is the predominant second language
Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995 census) note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast
Exports
machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products, fish, pharmaceuticals, furniture, windmills
coffee, beef, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, sugar, gold, peanuts
External Debt
$626,900,000,000 $
$4,073,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - 5.0236 (2008 est.), 5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004)
gold cordobas (NIO) per US dollar - 19.374 (2008 est.), 18.457 (2007), 17.582 (2006), 16.733 (2005), 15.937 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.300%
0.600%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
7
0
Location
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes two major islands (Sjaelland and Fyn)
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras
Area
43,094 km sq
130,370 km sq
Coastline
7,314 km
910 km
Climate
temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers