Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the queen (born 26 May 1968) head of government: Prime Minister Poul Nyrup RASMUSSEN (since 25 January 1993) cabinet : Cabinet appointed by the queen elections: none; the queen is a constitutional monarch; prime minister appointed by the queen
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Folketing (179 seats; members are elected on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 21 September 1994 (next to be held not later than September 1998) election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 34.6%, Liberals 23.3%, Conservatives 15.0%, Socialist People's Party 7.3%, Progress Party 6.4%, Social Liberals 4.6%, Unity List 3.1%, Center Democrats 2.8%, Christian People's Party 1.8%; seats by party - Social Democrats 63, Liberals 44, Conservatives 28, Socialist People's Party 13, Progress Party 11, Social Liberals 8, Unity List 6, Center Democrats 5, independent 1; note - Progress Party split up in spring of 1995: Progress Party retained 7 seats, Danish People's Party 4 seats
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the monarch for life
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party [Poul Nyrup
RASMUSSEN]; Conservative Party [Hans ENGELL]; Liberal Party [Uffe
ELLEMANN-JENSEN]; Socialist People's Party [Holger K. NIELSEN];
Progress Party [Kirsten JAKOBSEN]; Center Democratic Party [Mimi
JAKOBSEN]; Social Liberal Party [Marianne JELVED]; Unity Party [none];
Danish People's Party [Pia KJAERSGAARD]
International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB,
Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU,
FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOGIP, UNMOP,
UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Knud-Erik TYGESEN chancery: 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-4300 FAX: [1] (202) 328-1470 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Edward E. ELSON embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen mailing address: PSC 73, APO AE 09716 telephone: [45] (31) 42 31 44 FAX : [45] (35) 43 02 23
Flag description: 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 Dannebrog (Danish flag) was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden
Economy