Germany is a country in west-central Europe, that stretches from the Alps, across the North European Plain to

the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Germany has the second largest population in Europe (after the European
part of Russia) and is seventh largest in area. The territory of Germany covers 357,021 km2 (137,847 sq mi),
consisting of 349,223 km2 (134,836 sq mi) of land and 7,798 km2 (3,011 sq mi) of waters. Elevation ranges
from the mountains of the Alps (highest point: the Zugspitze at 2,962 metres (9,718 ft)) in the south to the
shores of the North Sea (Nordsee) in the northwest and the Baltic Sea (Ostsee) in the northeast. Between lie
the forested uplands of central Germany and the low-lying lands of northern Germany (lowest point:
Neuendorf-Sachsenbande at 3.54 metres (11.6 ft) below sea level), traversed by some of Europe's major
rivers such as the Rhine, Danube and Elbe.[1]
Germany shares borders with nine European countries, second only to Russia: Denmark in the north, Poland
and the Czech Republic in the east, Switzerland (its only non-EU neighbor) and Austria in the south, France in
the southwest and Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands in the west.
1 Area
1.1 Extreme points
1.2 Maritime claims
2 Physical Geography
2.1 Climate
2.2 Land use
2.3 Rivers
2.4 Caves
2.5 Natural resources
3 Environment
3.1 Flora and fauna
4 Human Geography
4.1 Demographics
4.2 Administrative divisions
4.3 Urbanization
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
Area[edit]

Germany is in Western and Central Europe, bordering Denmark in the north Poland and the Czech Republic in
the east, Austria and Switzerland in the south, France and Luxembourg in the south-west, and Belgium and
the Netherlands in the north-west. It lies mostly between latitudes 47 and 55 N (the tip of Sylt is just north of
55), and longitudes 5 and 16 E. The territory covers 357,021 km2 (137,847 sq mi), consisting of 349,223
km2 (134,836 sq mi) of land and 7,798 km2 (3,011 sq mi) of water. It is the seventh largest country by area in
Europe and the 63rd largest in the world.[1]
Extreme points[edit] Zugspitze is the highest elevation in Germany
northernmost point: List, Sylt, Schleswig-Holstein 5503N 824E
northernmost point in mainland Germany: Aventoft, Schleswig-Holstein 5454N 849E
southernmost point: Haldenwanger Eck, Oberstdorf, Bavaria 471612.39N 101041.95E
westernmost point: Isenbruch, Selfkant, North Rhine-Westphalia 513N 552E
easternmost point: Deschka, Neieaue, Saxony 5116N 152E
lowest point (man-made): Tagebau Hambach 293 m (961 ft) below sea level, Niederzier, North RhineWestphalia, 505439N 63010E
lowest point (natural): Neuendorf-Sachsenbande, Wilstermarsch, Schleswig-Holstein 3.53 m (11.6 ft) below
sea level 535748N 9195E
highest point: Zugspitze (in the Bavarian Alps, 2,962 m (9,718 ft), Garmisch-Partenkirchen / Grainau, Bavaria
4725N 1059E
Maritime claims[edit]
Continental shelf: 200 m (660 ft) depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi). The exact EEZ is due to conventions with
neighbouring states.
Territorial sea: 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi)
Physical Geography[edit]
Topographic map of Germany
The northern third of the country lies in the North European Plain, with flat terrain crossed by northwardflowing watercourses (Elbe, Ems, Weser, Oder). Wetlands and marshy conditions are found close to the Dutch
border and along the Frisian coast. Sandy Mecklenburg in the northeast has many glacier-formed lakes dating
to the last glacial period.
Moving south, central Germany features rough and somewhat patternless hilly and mountainous countryside,
some of it formed by ancient volcanic activity. The Rhine valley cuts through the western part of this region.
The central uplands continue east and north as far as the Saale and merge with the Ore Mountains on the
border with the Czech Republic. Upland regions include the Eifel, Hunsrck and Palatine Forest west of the
Rhine, the Taunus hills north of Frankfurt, the Vogelsberg massif, the Rhn, and the Thringer Wald. South of
Berlin, the east-central part of the country is more like the low northern areas, with sandy soil and river
wetlands such as the Spreewald region.
Southern Germany's landforms are defined by various linear hill and mountain ranges like the two adjacent
ranges of the Swabian and Franconian Alb (reaching approximately from the source of the Danube in the
southwest of Baden-Wrttemberg, south of Stuttgart, across Swabia into Central Franconia and to the valley
of the river Main) and the Bavarian Forest along the border between Bavaria and the Czech Republic. The
Alps on the southern border are the highest mountains, but relatively little Alpine terrain lies within Germany (in
southeastern Swabia and Upper Bavaria) compared to Switzerland and Austria. The Black Forest, on the
southwestern border with France, separates the Rhine from the headwaters of the Danube on its eastern
slopes.
Climate[edit]
Coastal dunes
Summer coastal climate on the island of Sylt in Schleswig-Holstein

Thuringian Forest
Thuringian Forests in winter
Germany's climate is temperate and marine, with cold, cloudy, wet winters and moderate warm summers and
in the south occasional warm fhn wind. The greater part of Germany lies in the cool/temperate climatic zone
in which humid westerly winds predominate. In the northwest and the north, the climate is extremely oceanic
and rain falls all the year round. Winters there are relatively mild and summers comparatively cool. In the east,
the climate shows clear continental features; winters can be very cold for long periods, and summers can
become very warm. Dry periods are often recorded.
In the centre and the south, there is a transitional climate which may be predominantly oceanic or continental,
according to the general weather situation. Winters are mild and summers tend to be cool, though maximum
temperatures can exceed 30 C (86 F) for several days in a row during heat waves. The warmest regions of
Germany can be found in the south-west (see rhine rift, German Wine Route and Palatinate). Here summers
can be hot with many days exceeding 30 C (86 F). Sometimes, minimum temperatures do not drop below
20 C (68 F), which is relatively rare in other regions.[2][3]
Land use[edit]
Alpine scenery in Bavaria
Germany covers a total of 357,021 km2 (137,847 sq mi), of which 5,157 km2 (1,991 sq mi) is irrigated land
and 8,350 km2 (3,220 sq mi) is covered by water, the largest lakes being Lake Constance (total area of 536
km2 (207 sq mi), with 62% of the shore being German; international borders are not defined on the lake itself),
Mritz (117 km2 or 45 sq mi) and Chiemsee (80 km2 or 31 sq mi). The majority of Germany is covered by
either arable land (33.95%); permanent crops cover 0.57% of the land.
Germany has a total of 2,389 km (1,484 mi) of coastline, and borders totaling 3,714 km (2,308 mi) (clockwise
from north: Denmark 140 km (87 mi), Poland 467 km (290 mi), Czech Republic 704 km (437 mi),[4] Austria
801 km (498 mi), Switzerland 348 km (216 mi), France 418 km (260 mi), Luxembourg 128 km (80 mi), Belgium
133 km (83 mi), Netherlands 575 km (357 mi)). The German-Austrian border crosses itself near Jungholz. The
border with Belgium includes 5 German exclaves because the Vennbahn railway is on Belgian territory
crossing in and out of Germany.
Rivers[edit]
The major German rivers
For a more comprehensive list, see List of rivers of Germany.
The main rivers in Germany are:
the Rhine (Rhein in German) with a German section extending 865 km (537 mi) (main tributaries including the
Neckar, the Main and the Moselle (Mosel));
the Elbe with a German section of 727 km (452 mi) (also drains into the North Sea); and
the Danube (Donau) with a German length of 687 km (427 mi).
Further important rivers include the Saale and the Main in central Germany, the Neckar in the southwest, and
the Weser in the North.
Caves[edit]
Show caves in Germany
Throughout the Karst rocks many caves were formed especially in the valley of the Hnne. The biggest culture
cave of Europe is located in Balve.
Natural resources[edit]

Iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel, water
Environment[edit]
Lneburg Heath
The Lneburg Heath Nature Reserve in Lower Saxony
Eagle
The eagle is a protected bird of prey
Current issues
Emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulphur
dioxide emissions, is damaging forests; pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents
from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste disposal; government (under Chancellor Schrder, SPD)
announced intent to end the use of nuclear power for producing electricity; government working to meet EU
commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive.
Germany's last glacier is disappearing.[citation needed]
International agreements
Party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air PollutionSulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands,
Whaling
Signed, but not ratified: none
Natural hazards
Flooding through rivers after heavy rainfall, such as during the 2002 European floods, or Storm surge, such as
the North Sea flood of 1962 and the historic floods of 1362 and 1634 that changed the coastline of what is
now the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein.
Flora and fauna[edit]
Red Deer
Deer are widespread species
Alpine terrain
Seals in Schleswig-Holstein
Phytogeographically, Germany is shared between the Atlantic European and Central European provinces of
the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. The territory of Germany can be subdivided into two
ecoregions: European-Mediterranean montane mixed forests and Northeast-Atlantic shelf marine.[5] The
majority of Germany is covered by either arable land (33%) or forestry and woodland (31%). Only 15% is
covered by permanent pastures.
Plants and animals are those generally common to middle Europe. Beeches, oaks, and other deciduous trees
constitute one-third of the forests; conifers are increasing as a result of reforestation. Spruce and fir trees
predominate in the upper mountains, while pine and larch are found in sandy soil. There are many species of
ferns, flowers, fungi, and mosses. Fish abound in the rivers and the North Sea. Wild animals include deer, wild
boar, mouflon, fox, badger, hare, and small numbers of beaver. Various migratory birds cross Germany in the
spring and autumn.
The national parks in Germany include the Wadden Sea National Parks, the Jasmund National Park, the
Vorpommern Lagoon Area National Park, the Mritz National Park, the Lower Oder Valley National Park, the
Harz National Park, the Saxon Switzerland National Park and the Bavarian Forest National Park.
Germany is known for its many zoological gardens, wildlife parks, aquaria, and bird parks.[6] More than 400
registered zoos and animal parks operate in Germany, which is believed to be the largest number in any single
country of the world.[7] The Zoologischer Garten Berlin is the oldest zoo in Germany and presents the most
comprehensive collection of species in the world.[8]

Human Geography[edit]
Demographics[edit]
Population density
Main article: Demographics of Germany
With an estimated 81.8 million inhabitants in January 2010, Germany is the most populous country in the
European Union and ranks as the 15th largest country in the world in terms of population. Its population
density stands at 229.4 inhabitants per square kilometre (594/sq mi). The United Nations Population Fund lists
Germany as host to the third-highest number of international migrants worldwide,[9] around 20% of Germany
s population do not hold a German passport or are descendents of immigrants.
Administrative divisions[edit]
Germany comprises sixteen states that are collectively referred to as Lnder.[10] Each state has its own state
constitution[11] and is largely autonomous in regard to its internal organisation. Due to differences in size and
population the subdivision of these states varies, especially between city states (Stadtstaaten) and states with
larger territories (Flchenlnder). For regional administrative purposes five states, namely BadenWrttemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony, consist of a total of 22 Government
Districts (Regierungsbezirke). As of 2009 Germany is divided into 403 districts (Kreise) on municipal level,
these consist of 301 rural districts and 102 urban districts.[12]
Coat of arms of Lower Saxony.svg Lower SaxonyBremen Wappen.svg BremenCoat of arms of Hamburg.svg
HamburgCoat of arms of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (great).svg MecklenburgVorpommernWappen Sachsen-Anhalt.svg SaxonyAnhaltCoat of arms of Saxony.svg SaxonyBrandenburg Wappen.svg BrandenburgInsigne Berolini.svg
BerlinCoat of arms of Thuringia.svg ThuringiaCoat of arms of Hesse.svg HesseCoat of arms of North RhineWestfalia.svg North RhineWestphaliaCoat of arms of Rhineland-Palatinate.svg Rhineland-PalatinateLandessymbol Freistaat Bayern.svg
BavariaCoat of arms of Baden-Wrttemberg (lesser).svg BadenWrttembergWappen des Saarlands.svg SaarlandCoat of arms of Schleswig-Holstein.svg Schleswig-Holstein
State Capital Area (km)
Population
Baden-Wrttemberg
Stuttgart
35,752 10,717,000
Bavaria Munich 70,549 12,444,000
Berlin Berlin 892
3,400,000
Brandenburg Potsdam
29,477 2,568,000
Bremen Bremen 404
663,000
Hamburg
Hamburg
755
1,735,000
Hesse Wiesbaden
21,115 6,098,000
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Schwerin
23,174 1,720,000
Lower Saxony Hanover
47,618 8,001,000
North Rhine-Westphalia Dsseldorf
34,043 18,075,000
Rhineland-Palatinate Mainz 19,847 4,061,000
Saarland
Saarbrcken 2,569 1,056,000
Saxony Dresden
18,416 4,296,000
Saxony-Anhalt Magdeburg
20,445 2,494,000
Schleswig-Holstein
Kiel
15,763 2,829,000
Thuringia
Erfurt 16,172 2,355,000
Urbanization[edit]
Germany has a number of large cities; the most populous are: Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt,
and Stuttgart. The largest conurbation is the Rhine-Ruhr region (12 million), including Dsseldorf (the capital
of North Rhine-Westphalia), Cologne, Essen, Dortmund, Duisburg, and Bochum.

vte
Largest cities or towns in Germany
List of statistical offices in Germany 24 December 2010
Rank Name State Pop. Rank Name State Pop.
Berlin
Berlin
Hamburg
Hamburg
1
Berlin Berlin 3,471,756
11
Dresden
Saxony 523,058Munich
Munich
Cologne
Cologne
2
Hamburg
Hamburg
1,786,448
12
Leipzig Saxony 522,883
3
Munich Bavaria 1,353,186
13
Hannover
Lower Saxony 522,686
4
Cologne
North Rhine-Westphalia 1,007,119
14
Nuremberg
Bavaria 505,664
5
Frankfurt
Hesse 688,66415
Duisburg
North Rhine-Westphalia 489,599
6
Stuttgart
Baden-Wrttemberg
606,58816
Bochum
North Rhine-Westphalia
374,737
7
Dsseldorf
North Rhine-Westphalia 598,78617
Wuppertal
North Rhine-Westphalia
349,721
8
Dortmund
North Rhine-Westphalia 580,44418
Bonn North Rhine-Westphalia 324,899
9
Essen North Rhine-Westphalia 574,63519
Bielefeld
North Rhine-Westphalia 323,270
10
Bremen Bremen (state) 547,34020
Mannheim
Baden-Wrttemberg
313,174