Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes several major islands (Sjaelland, Fyn, and Bornholm)
Geographic coordinates:
56 00 N, 10 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area: Area - comparative: Land boundaries: Coastline: Maritime claims: Climate: Terrain: Elevation: Natural resources: Land use: Irrigated land: Population distribution: Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements: Geography - note:
total: 43,094 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 42,434 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 660 sq km
note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark (the Jutland Peninsula, and the major islands of Sjaelland and Fyn), but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland
country comparison to the world:
134
slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts
total: 140 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (1):
Germany 140 km
7,314 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea: 12
nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
exclusive economic zone: 200
nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive economic zone country ranks ]
contiguous zone: 24
nm
[see also: Maritime claims - contiguous zone country ranks ]
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
[see also: Maritime claims - continental shelf country ranks ]
temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers
More Climate Details
low and flat to gently rolling plains
mean elevation: 34 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: -7 m
lowest point: Lammefjord
171 highest point: Mollehoj/Ejer Bavnehoj
petroleum, natural gas, fish, arable land, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel and sand
agricultural land: 63.4%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 58.9%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0.1%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 4.4%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 12.9%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 23.7%
(2011 est.)
note: highest percentage of arable land for any country in the world
4,350 sq km
(2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
with excellent access to the North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, and the Baltic Sea, population centers tend to be along coastal areas, particularly in Copenhagen and the eastern side of the country's mainland
flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by a system of dikes
air pollution, principally from vehicle and power plant emissions; nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea; drinking and surface water becoming polluted from animal wastes and pesticides; much of country's household and industrial waste is recycled
party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
composed of the Jutland Peninsula and a group of more than 400 islands (Danish Archipelago); controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in greater Copenhagen