Germany: Geography
The World Factbook 1993: Germany Geography

Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea between France and Poland

Area: total area: 356,910 km2 land area: 349,520 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Montana

note: includes the formerly separate Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, and Berlin following formal unification on 3 October 1990

Land boundaries: total 3,621 km, Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577 km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km

Coastline: 2,389 km

Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm in North Sea and Schleswig-Holstein coast of Baltic Sea (extends, at one point, to 16 nm in the Helgolander Bucht); 12 nm in remainder of Baltic Sea

International disputes: none

Climate: temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm, tropical foehn wind; high relative humidity

Terrain: lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south

Natural resources: iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel

Land use: arable land: 34% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 16% forest and woodland: 30% other: 19%

Irrigated land: 4,800 km2 (1989 est.)

Environment: air and water pollution; groundwater, lakes, and air quality in eastern Germany are especially bad; significant deforestation in the eastern mountains caused by air pollution and acid rain

Note: strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea