Geography & environment — Denmark
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Denmark: Europe
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
Europe
- Geographic Coordinates
56 00 N, 10 00 E
- Total Area
16,639 Square Miles 43,094 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
16,384 Square Miles 42,434 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
255 Square Miles 660 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
42 Miles 68 Kilometers
- Border Countries
Germany 68 km
- Coastline
4,545 Miles 7,314 Kilometers
Physical geography
- Terrain
low and flat to gently rolling plains
- Highest Point
173 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Yding Skovhoej 173 m
- Lowest Point
-7 Meters
- Lowest Point Location
Lammefjord -7 m
- Natural Resources
petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel and sand
- Irrigated Land
1,681 Square Miles 4,354 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
- +1hr, begins last Sunday in March
- ends last Sunday in October
- note - applies to continental Denmark only, not to its North Atlantic components
Climate
- Climate
Because Denmark is almost entirely surrounded by the sea, it has a moderate, maritime climate. This, however, produces changeable weather, which makes forecasting an imperfect art. The average temperatures range from 32°F in February to 61°F in July. Temperatures vary slightly from day to night. Average rainfall is 24 inches. August and October are the wettest months. Days are short in winter, with about 6 hours of daylight in December and January. Daylight in summer lasts 18-20 hours.
- Terrain
low and flat to gently rolling plains
- 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)
- Total Area
16,639 Square Miles 43,094 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
Germany 68 km
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
- 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
- Environment - International Agreements
- 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