Queen: Margrethe II Prime Minister: Helle Thorning-Schmidt
Population
4,722,028
5,543,453
Life Expectancy
80.320 years
78.780 years
Capital City
Dublin
Copenhagen
Largest city
Dublin (population: 1,024,030)
Copenhagen (population: 1,153,620)
Human Development Index
0.96
0.952
GDP per capita
$40,100 US
$37,600 US
Literacy Rate
99%
99%
Corruption Perception Index
7.7
9.3
Percentage of Women in Parliament
15.5%
38%
Wealthiest Citizens
Pallonji Mistry ($2.5bn US)
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen ($2.1bn US)
Unemployment Rate
14.400%
6.000%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Abolished
Political System
republic, parliamentary democracy
constitutional monarchy
Independence date
6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)
first organized as a unified state in 10th century; in 1849 became a constitutional monarchy
Religions
Roman Catholic 87.4%, Church of Ireland 2.9%, other Christian 1.9%, other 2.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.2% (2006 census)
Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Christian (includes Protestant and Roman Catholic) 3%, Muslim 2%
Languages
English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard
Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority) note: English is the predominant second language
Exports
machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products
machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products, fish, pharmaceuticals, furniture, windmills
External Debt
$2,352,000,000,000 $
$626,900,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6689 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - 5.0236 (2008 est.), 5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.900%
1.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
3
7
Location
Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain
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)
Area
70,273 km sq
43,094 km sq
Coastline
1,448 km
7,314 km
Climate
temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers
