Running head: The Kingdom of Denmark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Kingdom of Denmark: A country study

Alan A. Jones

U.S. Army-Baylor University Graduate Program

In Health and Business Administration

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Kingdom of Denmark: A country study

Introduction

            The Kingdom of Denmark has played a prominent role on the world stage for well over a thousand years.  Although a relatively small country, Denmark nonetheless has an integral role in European affairs and enjoys one of the world’s highest standards of living. This paper will provide an overview of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Geography

The country of Denmark is slightly larger than twice the size of Massachusetts at 16,639 square miles (CIA World Fact Book, 2006). It is located in northern Europe and shares its border with Germany to the south, the Baltic Sea to the East, and the North Sea to the West. It consists of 405 islands and the peninsula of Jutland. Denmark is mostly flat with little elevation; the highest natural point is Møllehøj, at 560.5 feet. The climate is temperate, with mild winters and cool summers (Wikipedia, 2006).

History

The early Danes, which included what are now modern day Norwegians and Swedes, were known as Vikings. The Vikings were early explorers who were recognized throughout Europe for their trading, colonizing, and raiding. At various times in the country’s history, the King of Denmark has ruled parts of England, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, France, India, Estonia and what is now Northern Germany. Denmark was occupied by the Germans during World War II and its current borders were established after the Allied victory. Denmark was one of the founding members of NATO and, in 1973, joined the European Economic Community (Wikipedia, 2006).

 

Political Structure

The Kingdom of Denmark has been a Constitutional Monarchy since 1849. The Danish government has three branches of government; the executive: the legislative, and the judicial. A quick overview of the political structure can be found in Appendix A.

The executive branch has both a head of state and a prime minister.  The head of state, Queen Margrethe II, is primarily a figure head and essentially a relic from Denmark’s monarchial past, similar to other European nations. The Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, is the chief executive. The prime minister is the leader of the majority party or majority coalition and so therefore he is appointed and not directly elected by all the citizens of Denmark.

The legislative branch is called the Folketinget. It is a unicameral “one house” legislature and has 179 seats.

The judicial branch has a panel of judges who are chosen for life similar to the United States (CIA World FactBook, 2006).

Demographics

Population      

The Kingdom of Denmark has a relatively homogenous population of 5,432,335 (The World Almanac, 2006).  While most of the population is of Scandinavian descent, there are a few minority ethnic groups including Inuit, Faroese, and German. According to Wikipedia, the population density is 326 per square kilometer illustrating that the majority of Danes live in urban areas (2006). The largest city is the country’s capital of Copenhagen which boasts a population of 1,094,400 and is the country’s top tourist destination.

Population Pyramid

             The median age in Denmark is currently 39.47 years and will increase over the next twenty years as seen in Appendix A.  Denmark has a current growth rate of .34%, a birth rate of 11.36 births/1,000 population, an infant mortality rate of 4.56 deaths/1,000 live births, a death rate of 10.43 deaths/1,000 population, and a net migration rate of 2.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (CIA World FactBook, 2006).  These statistics are used as the foundation for the population pyramids, which depict a graphic representation of future age structures.   

Religion

            The Kingdom of Denmark has an established State religion, Evangelical Lutheran. Approximately 95% of the country is Evangelical Lutheran. Ecclesiastical and religious matters in Denmark are subject to the Constitution (The Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2006).  Although the government does not require that religious groups be licensed, the State’s permission is required for religious ceremonies, such as weddings, to be recognized by the government. Additionally, non-registered religious organizations do not qualify for tax exempt status. The remaining groups include Muslim 3% and other Christian denominations 2% (CIA World FactBook, 2006).  Denmark has had a long history of religious tolerance, but the recent influx in the Muslim population has raised tensions between the majority Lutheran population and the Muslim population.

Economy

The Danish people enjoy one of the world’s highest standards of living.  According to the World Services Group, this is a result of a high per capita GDP, welfare benefits, a low foreign debt, low unemployment rate, and political stability, as illustrated in Appendix B (2006).

Welfare State

            With taxes as a tool, the country of Denmark provides free health care, free education, and several other government supported programs. This welfare program has enabled Denmark to have the world’s highest literacy rate of 100% and enjoy a relatively healthy population. However, these benefits have not come at a cheap price. Denmark has one of the world’s highest tax rates, with its highest income tax bracket at 59%, which has contributed to some of the country’s most gifted people finding work abroad. Many Danes have speculated that guaranteed access to social benefits may invite abuse. Despite the criticism a large majority of the Danes want their welfare state to continue (Denmark, 2006).

Index of Economic Freedom

            As seen in Appendix A, Denmark ranks among the top in the world for being economically free. Denmark’s high ranking can be attributed to several key aspects of its economy including; trade policy, government intervention, and regulation.

            Denmark is a key member of the European Union and enjoys a very favorable trade policy. Its membership in the organization means that there are low barriers to trade. This ensures that goods and services can flow in and out of the country with relative ease. Although Denmark chose not to convert its currency to the Euro, the Danish Krone has stayed in check with the central EU currency.  

            The government of Denmark is highly involved in the welfare of its citizens. This involvement means that its citizens have a significant tax burden. The high tax, which is needed for the high cost of government, is the reason that Denmark ranks eighth in the world for economic freedom instead of first.

            Denmark is very attractive for starting businesses as well as supporting business. Corruption is almost non-existent and the country enjoys very flexible labor laws (Index of Economic Freedom, 2006). According to Freidman, the ease of starting and maintaining a business for entrepreneurs is vital to a country’s success (2005).

Environment

Natural Disasters

            Nine of the top ten natural disasters in Danish history have been caused by the wind, as seen in Figure 1. These windstorms have caused a number of deaths and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. The combination of Denmark’s geographic location, along the North Atlantic Drift, and the vast amounts of low lying areas has made the country very susceptible to wind damage (Wikipedia, 2006).

Pollution

            Denmark ranks second in the European Union among carbon dioxides emissions per head (EUROSTAT, 1994).  In addition to the country’s air pollution, there is extensive nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea which has affected large amounts of drinking and surface water (Wikipedia, 2006).

Health Status

Life Expectancy

            The average life expectancy in Denmark is 77.6 years (CIA World FactBook, 2006). Although Denmark ranks comparatively close to the United States, it is ranked 17^th in the European Union. The average life expectancy has made little gain over the last twenty years.

Mortality and Morbidity

            The mortality rates among Danish citizens were significantly reduced during the twentieth century. A majority of the decline can be attributed to the progress made in disease prevention among infants and children.  While life expectancy for a newborn boy increased by twenty years over the last century, it only rose by four years for a 50-year old man. The infant mortality rates are among the lowest in the European Union. The decline in mortality rates can be attributed to the large decline in infectious diseases (Vallgårda, Krasnik, & Vranbæk , 2001).  

The National Institute of Public Health measured morbidity rates in 2000 and found an increase in positive health responses of about 80%, ranking Denmark among the top in EU countries (Vallgårda et al., 2001).  In addition, the study found significant disparities in morbidity among the general population.  Both low social class and women were found to have higher incidence of morbidity.

Trends

            Denmark ranks at the top among members of the European Union for heart disease, obesity, alcohol consumption, and smoking (NationMaster, 2006). These trends have affected and will continue to affect the Danish health system for the foreseeable future. According to NationMaster, the suicide rate, which has historically ranked among the highest in the world, has decreased significantly in the last twenty years (2001).

 

 

Health Care Structure

Overview

            The Danish health care system is almost entirely publicly provided and tax funded.  At the national level, the Ministry of Health has a coordinating and supervisory role, but does not have operational responsibility for health services. Rather, the counties and municipal governments handle the operations of health services in their regions. Denmark uses a mixed capitation fee-for-service method of paying generalist physicians (Dixon & Mossialos, 2002)

Benefits

Primary care is much more accessible in Denmark than in the U.S. Denmark has the highest public satisfaction rate for health care, reflecting the value placed on the accessibility of primary care. Patients have the choice of a primary care physician within a given geographic area, and may go to a hospital of their choice (Davis & Schoenbaum, 2002). 

Disadvantages

Inpatient hospital care consumes a disproportionate share of Danish health expenditures. Global hospital budgets provide little incentive for hospital or surgical productivity. Long waits for hospitalization, especially surgical procedures, and cancellation of scheduled surgery are common. Women's health, patient health risk counseling, and coordination of preventive and primary care are major weaknesses of the Danish health system (Davis, et al, 2001). 

 

 

 

Military

Military Branches

            The Danish military has four services: the Royal Danish Army, the Royal Danish Navy (Sovaernet), the Royal Danish Air Force, and the Home Guard (Hjemmevaernet).   Denmark utilizes a combination of volunteer and conscripted service. The military conscripts approximately 20% of the yearly entry force, roughly 6, 400 men. Depending on the duties to which the conscript is assigned a service member entails 4-12 months of service. Women can undertake voluntary military service on a contractual basis, but are not subject to conscription (Denmark, 2006)

The army's peacetime force is 15,500 soldiers and civilians and uses a modern-day structure similar to its NATO allies. The navy’s peacetime force is 5,300 sailors and civilians. In addition to its wartime role, the navy has permanently stationed units engaged on fisheries inspection and the maintenance of sovereignty off Greenland and the Faeroe Islands. The air force’s peacetime strength is 6,050 airmen and civilians.  The Danes use American built aircraft, such as F -16s and C-130s, in their operation.   In addition to its traditional forces the Danes have a home defense force. The force is made up of 59,000 members and is responsible for operations on Danish soil and territorial waters.

Current Missions

            Danish forces are currently involved in peace keeping operations in the Balkans as well as the war against terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq. At any one time, 1100 Danes are serving missions around the world and more that 63,000 have served since 1948 (Denmark, 2006).

Telecommunications

            Denmark has an extensive communications infrastructure. The country has over 3.5 million land line phones and 4.7 million cellular phones (CIA World Factbook, 2006). TDC, the largest Danish communications company was privatized in 1994. The company, formerly known as Tele Denmark, is the leading IT provider in Denmark and the second leading IT provider in Switzerland. The American-owned SBC is the majority owner of TDC with 41.6% of the shares (Denmark, 2006).

Conclusion

            The Kingdom of Denmark has been a vital member of Europe for well over a thousand years and will be a major contributor to Europe and the “Flattening World” for the foreseeable future. Although, Denmark may face challenges supporting their social structure as the costs of supporting health care and education rise; the country’s educated population and political structure have set a strong foundation for the future.

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

           

References

 

Central Intelligence Agency. (2006). The World Factbook 2006 – Denmark. [on-line]. Available: http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/da.html#Govt

Davis, K., Schoenbaum, S.C. (2002). The Danish health system though an American lens. Health Policy. 59 (2); 119 – 132

Denmark. (2006). The official website. [on-line]. Available: http://denmark.dk/portal/page?_pageid=374,520524&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

Dixon, A., Mossialos, E. (2002). Health care systems in eight countries: trends and challenges. European Observatory on Health Care Systems.

EuroStat. (2006) .[on-line]. Available: http://epp.eurostat.cec.eu.int/portal/page?_pageid=1334,49092079,1334_49092702&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

Freidman, T. (2005). The World is Flat: a brief history of the twenty-first century. Farrar, Strauss and Giroux; New York.

NationMaster. (2006) .[on-line]. Available: http://www.nationmaster.com/

The Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (2006). [on-line]. Available: http://www.um.dk/Publikationer/UM/English/Denmark/kap1/1-14.asp

The World Almanac and Book of Facts. (2006). World Almanac Books; New York

Vallgårda, S., Krasnik, A., & Vranbæk, K. (2001). Health care systems in transition – Denmark. European Observatory on Health Care Systems.

World Services Group. (2006). The global professional services network. [on-line]. Available: http://www.worldservicesgroup.com/countries.asp?c=da

 

Appendix A

Demographics

 

United States of America vs Kingdom of Denmark
	Source	Year	United States	Denmark
Geography (sq.km)	1	2006	9.63M	43,094
Demographics
Population	1	2005	295.7M	5.4M
Age Structure:	1	2005
0-14 yrs	1		20.6	18.8
15-64 yrs	1		67	66.1
65+ yrs	1		12.4	15.1
Population density /sq.km.	10	2005	30	326
Health Status
Population growth rate	1	2005	0.92%	0.34%
Birth rate	1	2005	14.1/1000	11.36/1000
Death rate	1	2005	8.2/1000	10.43/1000
Net migration rate	1	2005	3.3/1000	2.53/1000
Infant mortality rate	1	2005	6.5/1000	4.56/1000
Life expectancy at birth (yrs)	1	2005	77.7	77.6
Total fertility born/woman	1	2005	2.08	1.74
HIV/AIDS Prevalence Rate	1	2004/2003	0.60%	0.20%
Literacy (age 15 read & write)	1	1997	97%	100%
UN Human Devlpmt Index	2	2002/2004	0.93	0.932
Quality of Life Indicators
Physicians/10,000	3	2002	25.6	33
Human Poverty Index	2	2002	15.8
Immunization cover measles %	2	1995-97	91	N/A
Access drinkable water (urban) %	3		99	N/A
Access excretal disposal (urban) %	3		85	N/A
Costs & Financing
Index Economic Freedom (rank)	6	2005	9	8
Health expenses	3 / 11	2003/1997	1.7T	7.6B
Health expenses/GNP	3 / 11	2003/1996	15.30%	8%
Economy
GDP	1	2005	$12.37T	182.1B
GDP real growth rate	8	2005	3.50%	2.20%
Real GDP/capita	1	2005	$41,800	$33,500
Inflation (cons prices) rate	1	2005	3.20%	1.90%
Stock Market change (DJI)		2005	-0.10%
Unemployment rate	1	2005	5.10%	5.70%
Armed Forces
Defense expenditures	1	2005/2003	$400.0B	3,271M
Defense expenditures/GDP	1	2005/2004	3.70%	1.50%
Personnel end strength act	9	2005	1.39M	22,000
Personnel end strength res	9	2004	1.16M
Politics & Elections
Type of Government	1	2004	Federal Republic	Constitutional Monarchy
Government	1	2004	50 states	14 Counties & 2 bouroughs
Executive Br	1	2004	president	Chief of Staff/Prime Minister
Legislative Br	1	2004	bicameral	unicameral
Elections	1	2004	4 yrs (2004)	4 yrs (2005)
Notes:
CIA WorldFactBook	1
UNDP Human Develop Index	2
PAHO country health profile	3
World Bank	4
Inter-American Development Bank	5
StockholmIntPeaceResIns (SIPRI)	6
Index Economic Freedom	7
International Monetary Fund	8
Military Balance	9
Wikipedia	10
Danish Ministry of Health	11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix B Economy

Source: http://media.denmark.dk/maps/economy.swf

 

  Figure 1

       Top Ten Natural Disasters, Deaths and Costs

       Denmark