Germany

Geography

Germany is geographically located in the center of Europe, but is politically, economically and culturally part of Western Europe. The total area is 357,580 km². The population is 83.80 million, of which around 77.6% is urban. This makes Germany the most populous country in Europe, but its surface area only puts it in fifth place.

In the north, the country borders Denmark, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. This is also where the country's 70 islands are located. The coastline adds up to 2,389 km. To the west, the country borders the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. To the east, Poland and the Czech Republic. On the northern edge of the Alps, Switzerland and Austria lie to the south. The foothills of the Alps are also the highest mountain range, with the Zugspitze being the highest peak at 2,962 meters. Due to the extensive northern German lowlands, however, the state average is rather low at only 263 meters above sea level.

Climate in Germany

Germany is actually located in the temperate climate zone of Central Europe. However, due to the different influences, there are sometimes considerable differences. In the north, the North Sea and Baltic Sea bring plenty of rain and mild winters. In the west, the oceanic influences of the Atlantic are still clearly noticeable. The further one moves away from it to the southwest, the more continental the climate becomes. This is noticeable from the snowy winters and dry summers. Far from the open sea, the climate is thus even occasionally subtropical. In the far south, the Alps provide cooling at high altitudes, but at the same time separate the region from the Mediterranean climate of the more southern countries. The low mountain ranges also provide plenty of variety.

• Detailed climate data for Germany and 16 individual federal states

Languages

Mother tongue	Distribution
German	90.1 %
Russian	3.6 %
Turkish	2.6 %
Italian	0.7 %
Greek	0.4 %
Polish	0.3 %
other	2.3 %

Religions

Religion	Distribution
Buddhists	0.3%
Lutherans	27.9%
Orthodoxes	1.9%
Roman Catholics	28.5%
Jehovah's Witnesses	0.2%
Sunni	3.3%
Shia	0.8%
Alevites	0.6%
Yazidis	0.3%
nondenominational	31.0%
other	5.3%

more...

Economy

GDP:	4,082.47 bn $
Exportations:	2,060.41 bn $
Importations:	1,973.12 bn $
Budget deficit:	106.70 bn $
› Tourism receipts:	22.11 bn $
› Debt rate:	66.54 %
› Unemployment rate:	3.01 %
› Inflation rate:	6.87 %
› Corruption index:	78 (good)
› Energy consumption:	500.4 bn kWh

With a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.950, Germany counts as one of the high developed economies by UN definition. The IMF also shares this classification.

With an average annual income of 54,030 USD Germany is one of the high-income countries. Even considering purchasing power parity, it is among the 30 richest countries in the world.

Land use

17% Urban areas:	62,374 km²
48% Agricultural areas:	171,495 km²
33% Forest:	116,857 km²
2% Water areas:	8,220 km²
2% Others:	6,853 km²

more...

Transport

Roadways:	830,000 km
Railways:	39,379 km
Waterways:	7,300 km
Reg. vehicles:	52,275,833
› Airports: