Maria Pappas

FLIT 234-Dr. Wendy Snyder

February 19th, 2015

http://www.mangetak.weebly.com

Danish Climate + Geography

The geography of Denmark reveals hundreds of millions of years of progress, and, as

recently as 12,000 years ago, was covered by glaciers. As a result of this, Denmark is now a

relatively low and flat country lacking the formation of any large mountain ranges, but with soil

rich in natural minerals and resources. The highest hill, Yding Skovhøj, is in the east of Jutland

at 172 meters tall and the land of the entire country “lies, on average, not more than 100 feet (30

metres) above sea level” (the Encyclopedia Britannica). Perhaps the lack of great mountain

barriers and obstacles between people has made Denmark stronger through culture, although

there are many distinctions between dialect and traditions throughout the country. Denmark’s

geographical landscape includes the Faroe Islands, Greenland, the peninsula of Jutland as well as

about 400 scattered islands. It is an archipelago, covering about 17,000 square miles, situated in

the middle of the Boreal, the Atlantic, and the Continental Provinces, which makes it the meeting

place of all the contrasting wind forces from the Atlantic, the Arctic, and Eastern Europe. This at

once causes the country’s temperate, or mesothermal, climate as well as its extreme versatile and

unpredictable weather. The currents of the North Atlantic Ocean stabilize the intense and wild

forces of the North Sea.

Denmark has four seasons, but summer and winter stand out the most and rain is rather

constant throughout the year. The winters and summers are mild, with an “average temperature

[of] 0° C in February and 15–16° C in July” (Serebriannyi. L. R.). "Generally the western parts
of the country has atlantic climate and the eastern parts a more continental influenced climate”

(Danish Weather Online). The summers last from June until August and consist of long days

with the sun rising at 3a.m. and setting as late as 11p.m.. In certain spots in Denmark, such as the

Faroe Islands, one can see the Aurora Borealis, or “The Northern Lights”, as well as in other parts

of Scandinavia. On the other hand, the winter days are very short and cold (February being the

coldest month of the year), which can often result in a common illness in Denmark known as

“Winter Depression”. For this reason, it is not unusual to hear of coworkers who are out on sick

leave during the “depressing” Danish winters. On the bright side, spring, summer and fall become

especially beautiful when compared to such a bleak winter, which may contribute to why

Denmark has been called the happiest country in the world! The harsh winters have also greatly

contributed to culture in ways of cuisine and fashion, for both must be able to withstand the

temperatures. As for food, this is why many pickled and salted fruits and meats are so popular in

traditional Danish cuisine, and fashion-wise the Danes must dress in layers to always be prepared

for what the weather may bring (chances of precipitation are constant!).

Because of the great influence of the oceanic wind forces, Denmark is one of the world’s

leading wind-power generators, with twenty-eight percent of electricity coming from wind

turbines. For this reason, the Danish Wind Industry Association (DWIA), with over 260

members across Denmark, is a major player in the Danish economy. As beneficial as the wind is

to Denmark, it has also been known to cause aggressive storms, like the recent “Xavier”, creating

plenty of offshore damage worth billions of dollars, which is especially destructive to

agricultural industries. The influence of Danish climate and geography on culture can be seen in

a variety of ways and shows how the descendants of the “Vikings” have succeeded in adapting to
their environment (i.e. food, fashion…), and in some cases (i.e. dealing with the powerful

winds), where progress is left to be made.

Resources:

1. "Denmark." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 17 Dec.

2013. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/157748/Denmark>.

2. Serebriannyi. L. R. Fizicheskaia geogrqfiia i chetvertichnaia geologiia Danii. Moscow,

1967. Danmarks natur, vol. 1: Landskabernes opståen. Copenhagen, 1967.

3. Danish Weather Online. {http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/climate/Denmark.htm}

February, 2015.

4. FYI in Denmark. {http://www.fyidenmark.com/weather_in_denmark.html} February, 2015.

5. Official Danish Weather. {http://www.dmi.dk/en/vejr/}