AfricaAsia NorthAsia South and SoutheastAustraliaEuropeAustriaBelgiumBulgariaCyprusCzechDenmarkEstoniaEuropean UnionFinlandFranceGermanyGreeceHungaryIrelandItalyLatviaLithuaniaMaltaNetherlandsNorwayPolandPortugalRomaniaRussiaSlovakiaSloveniaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandUKLatin AmericaMiddle EastNorth AmericaPacific
Find MFAT's information paper on a country or territory. (We don't have information papers on all countries.)
Relations between New Zealand and Denmark are good, and there has always been a high degree of agreement in the New Zealand and Danish outlook on international affairs.
As small trading nations, which share common values, we are more often than not led to similar conclusions on matters of mutual interest (eg sustainable development, human rights, peacekeeping and UN reform).
Within the EU, Denmark is a strong advocate for more open international trade and has traditionally, been at the forefront arguing for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. The appointment of a Danish Minister, Mariann Fischer Boel, as EU Agriculture Commissioner is regarded as a positive move for New Zealand.
On environment-related issues, New Zealand continues to lobby Denmark to take a more conservation-minded position in the International Whaling Commission, where it has consistently voted against the creation of new whale sanctuaries, including in the South Pacific. While Denmark does not seek to engage in commercial whaling - its interest being in indigenous rights - it does support pro-whaling countries on many issues.
There is a small Danish community in this country, descended from a group of early settlers who came out to clear thick North Island bush in the middle years of last century and stayed on to found settlements like Dannevirke and Norsewood. In fact, a former Prime Minister and high-ranking churchman from Denmark, Bishop Ditlev Gothard Monrad, established a community in Longburn, Manawatu and set up the first dairy plant in the region. He returned to Denmark after three years, but members of his family stayed behind, as well as a substantial art collection now held by Te Papa.
A social security agreement was concluded with Denmark in May 1997. The agreement provides for mutual arrangements for the payment of pensions and other benefits to nationals in each country. An air services agreement between New Zealand and the three Scandinavian Airlines System countries ( Denmark, Norway and Sweden) was signed in February 2001. A working holidays arrangement, allowing young Danes and New Zealanders to live and work for up to one year in the other country, was concluded in December 2001.
Land Area - 43,100 sq km (excluding Greenland and the Faroe Islands) Population - 5.4 million - Capital City - Copenhagen - Language - Danish
Political system - Parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy - National government - Liberal-Conservative coalition - National legislature - Folketing (unicameral parliament) - Last election - November 2007 - Next election due - November 2011 - Head of State - Queen Margrethe II (acceded to the throne in January 1972) - Head of Government - Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen (Liberal Party) - Foreign Minister (Conservative People's Party) - Per Stig Moeller
GDP - US$341.2 billion - Real GDP growth: -1.1% - Exports - US$114.9 billion - Imports - US$116.4 billion - Main exports - Machinery and instruments, meat, dairy products, fish, pharmaceuticals, furniture, windmills - Current account balance - US$6.9 billion - Inflation - 3.5% - Unemployment - 2.8%
New Zealand Trade (to year ended December 2008) - NZ Exports (FOB) - NZ$204 million - Main Exports - Butter, sheepmeat, electric transformers, electrical machines and apparatus, wine, venison, frozen beef - NZ Imports (CIF) - NZ$285 million - Main Imports - medicaments, iron or steel tubes and pipes, engines and motors, electric generating sets, electric motors and generators, orthopaedic appliances.
The Safetravel website provides a travel advisory for travellers to Denmark [external link].
