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Denmark's area vs Nigeria's: size comparison by land type

Updated on by Georank team

Nigeria is 21.5 times bigger by total area compared to Denmark: 356,669 sq mi vs 16,574 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of Nigeria is 351,650 sq mi vs 15,444 sq mi for Denmark — a 22.8 times difference in territory size.

  • Denmark ranks 130/197 by total surface area vs 31/197 for Nigeria.
  • Denmark occupies 0.03% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.61% for Nigeria.
  • 65.5% of Denmark's area is agricultural land vs 76.2% in Nigeria.
  • Denmark has 0.05% of the world's agricultural land area — Nigeria has 1.45%.
  • 15.8% of Denmark is covered by forests, compared to 23.2% in Nigeria.
  • 0.02% of the world's forests are in Denmark, and 0.52% are in Nigeria.

True size map comparison: Denmark vs Nigeria

See how Denmark and Nigeria compare in true size on the map. Drag the outlines to different latitudes to see how the Mercator projection affects their apparent size.

Total size and land area comparison

Denmark Nigeria
Total area 16,574
sq mi
356,669
sq mi
Size difference ratio 1 21.5
Total area rank 130/197 31/197
Share of all countries' surface area 0.008% 0.18%
Land area 15,444
sq mi
351,650
sq mi
Land area difference ratio 1 22.8
Land area rank 130/197 30/197
Share of all countries' land area 0.03% 0.61%
Population 5,976,992 232,679,478
Population density 390 ppl/mi² 690 ppl/mi²

Surface area by type

Denmark Nigeria
Forest area 2,437
sq mi
81,611
sq mi
Forest area as share of land 15.8% 23.2%
Forest area rank 134/196 29/196
World's forests share 0.02% 0.52%
Agricultural land area 10,120
sq mi
267,948
sq mi
Agricultural land share 65.5% 76.2%
Agricultural land area rank 107/194 14/194
Share of global agricultural land 0.05% 1.45%
Arable land 9,131
sq mi
142,364
sq mi
Arable land share 59.1% 40.5%
Arable land area rank 77/191 8/191
Permanent cropland 114.3
sq mi
28,395
sq mi
Permanent cropland share 0.74% 8.07%
Permanent cropland area rank 140/192 7/192
Water area 1,130
sq mi
5,019
sq mi
Water as share of total area 6.82% 1.41%
Water area rank 81/197 39/197
Roads length 45,717
mi
121,167
mi
Land borders length 87.6
mi
2,782
mi
Coastline length 4,545
mi
530
mi
Share of marine protected waters 18.6% 0%

Denmark vs Nigeria size on the map

Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/size/denmark/nigeria | CC BY

The map above outlines the borders of Denmark and Nigeria but is not accurate for size comparison because it's a 2d map with Mercator projection that distorts territories near the poles. The farther a country is from the equator, the more magnified it appears. More about country size projections.

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Data sources:

  1. World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2023–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
  2. Wikidata (2026, retrieved 2026-02-08)
  3. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2025, retrieved 2026-02-20)
  4. United Nations | World Population Prospects (2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)

Total agricultural land encompasses all areas used for agriculture: territories under permanent and temporary crops and pastures. It includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vineyards, but excludes sites utilized for timber production.

Arable land encompasses fields utilized for temporary crop production, pastures, market or kitchen gardens, and temporarily fallowed land. Land abandoned due to shifting cultivation practices is not included.

Permanent cropland refers to farmland for the long-term cultivation of crops, such as coffee, cocoa, and rubber, which do not require replanting after each harvest. This category encompasses land with permanent crops like flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vines, but does not include land under trees for timber production.

Inland areas under water, such as large rivers, lakes, and some coastal waterways.

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