CENTER TWP — On a recent afternoon, business as usual was happening in Eva Robinson's home office.

Robinson was training for a recently acquired position, learning what she needs to know to perform her job independently.

But part of the business was not quite "usual."

Photographs of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and her husband, Prince Henrik, were framed on the wall.

As Robinson conversed in Danish with her trainer Stine Post, only occasional words like "emergency passport" or "social security card" were distinguishable in English.

A consular officer based in New York, Post was flown to Pennsylvania after Robinson was appointed by the queen of Denmark to represent the Royal Danish Consulate in Western Pennsylvania.

As one of two Danish consuls in the state and 35 in the country, Robinson will serve the small Nordic country as needed.

The representation might entail helping Danish travelers replace lost passports or helping them vote with absentee ballots. The representation could even include visiting Danish citizens in the hospital or prison, Stine noted.

As well as assisting international travelers, Robinson said she also anticipates serving Butler County residents.

"I would like to make myself available to service clubs and schools especially," she noted, identifying education as a personal priority.

"I have materials if anybody wants to travel to Denmark. I have maps and brochures," she added.

With Pittsburgh as the consulate's base in Western Pennsylvania, Robinson said she is the only Butler resident ever appointed to the unpaid post.

"I sent a very brief resume. The next thing you know they're calling me from the embassy in Washington to set up an interview, which I did entirely in Danish," she said.

"We just talked about Denmark and what I wanted to do with the position," she added.

"I just think it's amazing that through this whole process, it ended up being me."

Stine said applicants don't have to speak the language, since most people from Denmark are fluent in English. But consuls must possess "a great deal of interest, family ties or some connection to Denmark," she added.

A native of Denmark herself, Robinson moved to the Pittsburgh area when she was 8 years old after her father was recruited to work as a chemical engineer for Westinghouse. She has lived in Butler since 1961.

Robinson applied for the position after hearing about it from a friend in June 2005, but the approval process, including extensive background checks, took nearly a year to complete.

Although Robinson doesn't know how much demand will arise for her services, she said Danish people are fond of travel — a fact she attributes to the population's wealth and the country's small size.

It takes about 3½ hours to drive from one side of Denmark to the other, she said.

As Danish consul, Robinson will be reimbursed for expenses, which include occasional travel to Denmark.

She can retain her post until age 70.

For more information about the Royal Danish Consulate of Pittsburgh, contact Robinson at 724-283-2274.

The Kingdom of Denmark is the smallest and southernmost Nordic country.It is north of Germany, its only land neighbor, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway.Denmark borders the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, and consists of a peninsula and numerous islands, including Greenland, a self-governed territory.Denmark is a constitutional monarchy and is part of the European Union. Its capital is Copenhagen.Denmark comprises about 5.3 million inhabitants who occupy about 16,639 square miles (not including Greenland), making it the most densely populated country in Northern Europe.The national church is Lutheran, but other denominations are also represented.The country relies heavily on foreign trade.Primary exports include industrial machinery and instruments, followed by chemical products and industrially processed agricultural products.