Static electric field and current patterns due to the field-aligned Birkeland currents in the auroral zone have been examined. The model uses currents approximating those reported by Iijima and Potemra (1976a,b) as input to a global model of the ionospheric conductivities in which interhemispheric coupling along field lines is included. The model reproduces the main features of the high-latitude current and voltage system and the penetration of these currents within the plasmasphere. The calculated values of the dawn to dusk electric field across the polar cap varied from 17 mV/m for the winter solstice o 4.6 mV/m for the summer solstice. Electric fields in the auroral zone are compared with satellite measurements under similar conditions. The electric fields due to the current system decrease from maximum values of 4.5 mV/m at 45¿ latitude to 0.45 mV/m at 20¿ and 0.32 mV/m at the equator. The maximum layer current density in the equatorial electrojet due to the current system was calculated to be of the order of 15 mA/m at around 1600 MLT. The energy inputs from the given input currents were calculated to vary from 8¿1010 W in the winter hemisphere to 4¿1010 W in the summer hemisphere.