Windmill on Fanø
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Geography | |
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Location | Wadden Sea |
Coordinates | 55°16′37″N 8°32′20″E / 55.277°N 8.539°ECoordinates: 55°16′37″N 8°32′20″E / 55.277°N 8.539°E |
Total islands | 6 |
Major islands | Rømø, Fanø |
Administration | |
Denmark
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Region | Region of Southern Denmark |
Municipalities |
Esbjerg municipality Tønder municipality |
Demographics | |
Ethnic groups | Danes |
The Danish Wadden Sea Islands (Danish: Danske Vadehavsøer) are a group of islands on the western coast of Jutland, Denmark. They have belonged to the region of Southern Denmark since January 1, 2007. Previously they belonged to the counties of South Jutland and Ribe.
The Danish islands differ from the German North Frisian Islands because no Frisians live on the Danish islands.
Fanø is located just off Esbjerg to which it is connected by a ferry. The main towns on Fanø are Nordby and Sønderho. Other towns include Fanø Vesterhavsbad and Rindby. The island is 16 kilometres (9.9 miles) long and 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) wide, and has an area of 56 square kilometres (22 square miles). As of 2005[update], about 3,169 people live there. A variety of environments is to be found on Fanø. Not surprisingly, a very common one is sand. The island's whole western shore is made up of beaches, and the sea off the island's northwest end is also home to the "Søren-Jessens-Sand", a vast sandbank. Fanø also has heath and a small pine wood.
Mandø is a smaller island farther south, a bit farther from the mainland. It is Denmark's only Hallig, being much like the islands bearing that description among the German islands. A dike on Mandø keeps the sea at bay. Much of the islanders' history involve efforts to reclaim parts of their island from the sea.