<item>• <hi format=ital>note:</hi> see separate entries for the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which are part of the Danish realm and self-governing administrative divisions
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<item><hi format=bold>Independence:</hi> 1849 (became a constitutional monarchy)
<item><hi format=bold>National holiday:</hi> Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)
<item><hi format=bold>Constitution:</hi> 5 June 1953
<item><hi format=bold>Legal system:</hi> civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
<item><hi format=bold>Suffrage:</hi> 21 years of age; universal
<item><hi format=bold>Executive branch:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>chief of state:</hi> Queen MARGRETHE II (since NA January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the Queen (born 26 May 1968)
<item>• <hi format=ital>head of government:</hi> Prime Minister Poul Nyrup RASMUSSEN (since NA January 1993)
<item>• <hi format=ital>cabinet:</hi> Cabinet; appointed by the monarch
<item><hi format=bold>Parliament (Folketing):</hi> elections last held 12 December 1990 (next to be held by December 1994); results—Social Democratic Party 37.4%, Conservative Party 16.0%, Liberal 15.8%, Socialist People's Party 8.3%, Progress Party 6.4%, Center Democratic Party 5.1%, Radical Liberal Party 3.5%, Christian People's Party 2.3%, other 5.2%; seats—(179 total; includes 2 from Greenland and 2 from the Faroe Islands) Social Democratic 69, Conservative 30, Liberal 29, Socialist People's 15, Progress Party 12, Center Democratic 9, Radical Liberal 7, Christian People's 4
<item><hi format=bold>Flag:</hi> 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