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The Wadden Sea stretches from Den Helder in the Netherlands in the southwest, past the river estuaries of Germany to its northern boundary at Esbjerg in Denmark along a total length of some 500 km and a total area of about 10,000 km².

It is typified by extensive tidal mud flats, deeper tidal trenches and the islands that are contained within this, a region continually contested by land and sea. The landscape had been formed for a great part by storm tides.

The Wadden Sea is famous for the rich faunaFauna is a collective term for animal life. The corresponding term for plants is flora. Technically, the proper term for fauna plus flora is biota but fauna is often used instead. In zoology and paleontology the term is often used to refer to the typical, avifauna and flora. Today, a great part of the Wadden Sea is protected in cooperation of all three countries; see Wadden Sea National ParksThe Wadden Sea National Parks are located along the German coast of the North Sea. Actually they consist of three national parks: Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park, comprising the western coast of Schleswig-Holstein and including the North Frisi for the protected areas within the German borders.

For the islands, see the applicable sections of List of islandsThis is a list of islands in the world grouped by oceans and by continents. List of islands by continent List of islands of Africa List of islands of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean List of islands of Australia List of islands of Asia List of islands of.