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 water. It is the seventh largest country by
area in Europe and the 63rd largest in the world. 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 north-west and the Baltic Sea (Ostsee) in the
north-east. Between lie the forested uplands of central Germany and
the low-lying lands of northern Germany (lowest point: Wilstermarsch
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.
Germany shares borders with more European countries than any other
country on the continent. Its neighbours are 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.
Most of Germany has a temperate seasonal climate
in which humid westerly winds predominate. The climate is moderated
by the North Atlantic Drift, which is the northern extension of the
Gulf Stream. This warmer water affects the areas bordering the North
Sea including the peninsula of Jutland and the area along the Rhine,
which flows into the North Sea. Consequently in the north-west and
the north, the climate is oceanic; rainfall occurs year round with a
maximum during summer.
Winters are mild and summers tend to be cool, though temperatures
can exceed 30 °C (86 °F) for prolonged periods. In the east, the
climate is more continental; winters can be very cold, summers can
be very warm, and long dry periods are often recorded. Central and
southern Germany are transition regions which vary from moderately
oceanic to continental. Again, the maximum temperature can exceed 30
°C (86 °F) in summer.
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