1. A MODEL UNITED NATIONS – NATIONAL PROFILE DATA SHEET - YR. 9,10<br />Directions: Use this sheet to find information about the nation you have been assigned in the Model United Nations. Look for information in the web resources or through conventional resources to answer these questions.<br />1. Description of political system and form of government. (Who is the nation’s current leader? What kind of government is in place? What are the government’s goals, aims, successes, and method of operation?<br /> <br />Executive branch : chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the monarch (born 26 May 1968)<br />head of government: Prime Minister Lars Loekke RASMUSSEN (since 5 April 2009)<br />cabinet: Council of State appointed by the monarch ) <br />elections: the monarch is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch<br />Government type : constitutional monarchy<br /> <br />2. Demographic Information: List data about the population of your country, its ethnic religious background, literacy rate, infant mortality rate, and so on. <br /> <br />Populations : <br />5,500,510 (July 2009 est.)<br />country comparison to the world : 109<br />0-14 years: 18.1% (male 511,882/female 485,782)<br />15-64 years: 65.8% (male 1,817,800/female 1,798,964)<br />65 years and over: 16.1% (male 387,142/female 498,940) (2009 est.)<br />Religions : <br />Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Christian (includes Protestant and Roman Catholic) 3%, Muslim 2%<br />Literacy : <br />definition: age 15 and over can read and write <br />total population: 99%<br />male: 99%<br />female: 99% (2003 est.)<br />Infant mortality rate :<br />total: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births<br />country comparison to the world : 203<br />male: 4.39 deaths/1,000 live births<br />female: 4.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)<br />3. Economy: Include information about the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, inflation, unemployment, etc., and any other relevant or revealing economic data. <br /> <br />GDP :<br />$36,200 (2009 est.)<br />country comparison to the world: 29 <br />$37,700 (2008 est.)<br />$38,200 (2007 est.)<br />note: data are in 2009 US dollars<br />Inflation rate : <br />1.3% (2009 est.)<br />country comparison to the world : 49 <br />3.4% (2008 est.)<br />Unemployment rate : <br />3.6% (2009 est.)<br />country comparison to the world: 33 <br />1.842% (2008 est.)<br /> <br />4. Major Domestic Issues or Concerns of the Nation<br />Have you ever heard of Hans Island? Many people in Denmark and Canada have. This rocky piece of land comprising only half a square mile (1.3 sq. km) near the North Pole is claimed by both nations. In spite of the fact that it is uninhabitable and has no exploitable natural resources, the dispute over whose territory it is has heated up. This dispute started in 1973 when a line was drawn on a map to determine the border between Canada and Greenland (technically part of Denmark, but has home rule) that did not take the tiny island into consideration.<br />Both nations have been erecting flags on the rock and hurling insults at each other over the internet for several years, but now the Danes are donning Viking garb, and preparing to board swan boats as Canadians prepare to mobilize their Navy. The most recent provocation came when Canadian Defense Minister, Bill Graham traveled to the barren rock on Friday July 22. Since the Danes view Hans Island as theirs, they were angry that a foreign official did not ask permission to visit, or even announce his intentions beforehand. Danish officials called this visit an occupation. They immediately complained to Canada's Ambassador saying, quot;
We maintain the position that according to the normal principles of international law, that this is Danish territory.quot;
Canada's response was, quot;
We have reiterated to them our own position, which is, given the fact that Hans Island is part of Canadian territory, we don't have to give prior notification, we are drawing the line in the sand.quot;
<br />Is this diminutive rock that Inuit occasionally use to hunt marine mammals really worth fighting for? That is a question that only the Danes and Canadians can answer, but if the answer is yes, there will be blood on the rocks and red ice!<br />5. Recent Conflicts Involving Your Nation: <br />Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm; Faroese continue to study proposals for full independence; sovereignty dispute with Canada over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland<br />6. Membership in Major Alliances and Organization:<br />The Federation of Danish Industries and the Industrialists' Association in Copenhagen represent industrial undertakings and trade associations, safeguard and promote the interests of industry, and deal with trade questions of an economic nature. The Danish Confederation of Trade Unions has also been influential. The Council of Handicrafts represents various crafts, trades, and industries, and gives subsidies to technical and trade schools. The leading organizations of the wholesale trade are the Copenhagen Chamber of Commerce, and the Provincial Chamber of Commerce. There are also active professional societies representing a broad range of career fields. <br />A wide variety of organizations exist to promote research and education in medical and scientific fields, such as Danish Academy of Technical Sciences. A number of national and regional cultural organizations are active, as are associations representing popular sports and recreational activities. Youth organizations include the Conservative Youth of Denmark, Danish 4-H Youth, Danish Socialist Democratic, Faroe Islands Youth Council, Greenland Youth Council (SORLAK), scouting programs, and YMCA/YWCA. Denmark has active chapters of The Red Cross, Greenpeace, and Amnesty International. <br />7. Major Global Issues that should have a direct impact on your nation:<br />Greenland's ice sheet is melting into the sea much faster today than it was just a few years ago, according to an analysis of satellite observations reported today in the journal Nature. <br />The rate of ice-mass loss from the Danish-owned island increased by 250 percent during a period spanning May 2004 to April 2006 relative to the period from April 2002 to April 2004, the study concludes. The new finding confirms an independent analysis of the same satellite date reported in the August 10 issue of the journal Science. <br />quot;
Two hundred and fifty percent is huge,quot;
said Isabella Velicogna, an earth scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and study co-author. <br />quot;
We're talking two times and a half more mass loss. What that tells us is we want to keep our eyes open and check what's going on with these glaciers,quot;
she added. <br />Ice is now being lost from the island at a rate of 59 cubic miles (248 cubic kilometers) a year, sufficient to push global sea levels up 0.02 inch (0.5 millimeter) a year, the team reports. <br />If all the ice on Greenland were to melt into the North Atlantic Ocean, scientists estimate that global sea levels would rise by 23 feet (7 meters). <br />Warming Link <br />Both the Nature and Science studies use data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites, which measure monthly changes in Earth's gravitational field. <br />Liquid water is denser than ice and so has a stronger gravitational pull. <br />The satellites can therefore measure changes in Greenland's mass over time to determine the rate at which ice is melting. <br />8. Date of UN Membership : <br />1945 Oct. 24th <br />Sources : <br />Jan. 2010. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/da.html>.<br />quot;
Organizations - Denmark - export, farming.quot;
Encyclopedia of the Nations - Information about countries of the world, United Nations, and World Leaders. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2010. <http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Europe/Denmark-ORGANIZATIONS.html>.<br />Radstein, Ben. quot;
CANADA AND DENMARK AT THE BRINK OF WAR.quot;
The UNCOVEROR: Revealing what they don't want you to know. It's the real news!. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2010. <http://www.uncoveror.com/canada_and_denmark.htm>.<br />quot;
Greenland's Ice Melt Grew by 250 Percent, Satellites Show.quot;
Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines | National Geographic News. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2010. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/09/060920-greenland-ice.html>. <br />