 | |
| Continent | Europe |
|---|---|
| Region | Central Europe |
| Coordinates | 51°00′N10°00′E / 51.00°N 10.00°E /51.00; 10.00 |
| Area | Ranked 63rd |
| • Total | 357,600 km2 (138,100 sq mi) |
| • Land | 97.66% |
| • Water | 2.34% |
| Coastline | 2,389 km (1,484 mi) |
| Borders | 3,714 km (2,307 mi) Border lengths included
|
| Highest point | Zugspitze, 2,962.06 m (9,718 ft) |
| Lowest point | −3.54 m (−11.61 ft)[1] |
| Longest river | Rhine, 1,230 km (764 mi) |
| Largest lake | Lake Constance 536 km2 (207 sq mi)[2] |
| Climate | temperate |
| Terrain | lowlands in north; uplands in center; Alps in south |
| Natural resources | coal,lignite, natural gas,iron ore,copper,nickel,uranium,potash,salt, construction materials, timber, arable land |
| Natural hazards | flooding and earthquake inRhineland-Palatinate,North Rhine-Westphalia andBaden-Württemberg.landslide |
| Exclusive economic zone | 57,485 km2 (22,195 sq mi) |
Germany (German:Deutschland) is a country inCentral andWestern Europe[3] that stretches from theAlps, across theNorth European Plain to theNorth Sea and theBaltic Sea. It is thesecond-most populous country in Europe afterRussia, and isseventh-largest country by area in the continent. The area of Germany ranked 63rd and covers 357,600 km2 (138,070 sq mi), consisting of 349,250 km2 (134,846 sq mi) of land and 8,350 km2 (3,224 sq mi) of waters, smaller thanJapan but larger than theRepublic of the Congo.
Elevation ranges from the mountains of theAlps (highest point: theZugspitze at 2,962 metres (9,718 ft)) in the south to the shores of theNorth Sea (Nordsee) in the northwest and theBaltic 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 majorrivers such as theRhine,Danube andElbe.[4]
Germany has the second-most borders of any European country, after Russia. It shares borders with nine countries:Denmark in the north,Poland and theCzech Republic in the east,Switzerland (its only non-EU neighbor) andAustria in the south,France in the southwest andBelgium,Luxembourg and theNetherlands in the west. Germany also shares amaritime border withSweden in the north and theUnited Kingdom in the northwest.
Germany is inCentral Europe, borderingDenmark in the north,Poland and theCzech Republic in the east,Austria andSwitzerland in the south,France andLuxembourg in the south-west, andBelgium and theNetherlands in the north-west. It lies mostly between latitudes47° and55° N (the tip ofSylt is just north of 55°), and longitudes5° and16° E. The territory covers 357,600 km2 (138,070 sq mi), consisting of 349,250 km2 (134,846 sq mi) of land and 8,350 km2 (3,224 sq mi) of water. It is the seventh largest country by area in Europe and the 63rd largest in the world.[4]
The northern third of the country lies in theNorth European Plain, with flat terrain crossed by northward-flowing watercourses (Elbe,Ems,Weser,Oder).Wetlands and marshy conditions are found close to the Dutch border and along theFrisian coast. SandyMecklenburg in the northeast has many glacier-formedlakes dating to thelast glacial period.
Moving south, central Germany features rough and somewhat patternless hilly and mountainous countryside, some of it formed by ancientvolcanic activity. TheRhine valley cuts through the western part of this region. The central uplands continue east and north as far as theSaale and merge with theOre Mountains on the border with theCzech Republic. Upland regions include theEifel,Hunsrück andPalatine Forest west of the Rhine, theTaunus hills north ofFrankfurt, theVogelsberg massif, theRhön, and theThuringian Forest. South ofBerlin, the east-central part of the country is more like the low northern areas, with sandy soil and river wetlands such as theSpreewald region.
Southern Germany's landforms are defined by various linear hill and mountain ranges like the two adjacent ranges of theSwabian andFranconian Alb (reaching approximately from the source of theDanube in the southwest ofBaden-Württemberg, south ofStuttgart, acrossSwabia intoCentral Franconia and to the valley of the riverMain) and theBavarian Forest along the border between Bavaria and the Czech Republic. TheAlps on the southern border are the highest mountains, but relatively little Alpine terrain lies within Germany (in southeastern Swabia andUpper Bavaria) compared to Switzerland and Austria. TheBlack Forest, on thesouthwestern border with France, separates the Rhine from the headwaters of theDanube on its eastern slopes.
The north–south difference in Germany, between 55°03"N (atList onSylt) and 47°16"N (aroundOberstdorf,Bavaria) equals almost eight degrees oflatitude (or 889 km), which can be seen especially during summer in the differences between the average temperatures. Besides that, there is a strong west–east cline in temperature. This is explained by the northwestern Germany's flat and open landscapes and its proximity to the sea, and South's higher terrain, larger distance from the sea, and theAlps. These mountains prevent much of the usually warmerMediterranean air blowing into southern Germany. To the north of the Alps and theCarpathians, the local climate becomes colder, even at the same latitude and altitude. This is caused by some areas being further away from theAtlantic Ocean'sGulf Stream, known for having a warm current for its latitude, in addition to being closer toRussia's andSiberia's extremely cold winter winds. Even if Siberian winter winds are not dominating, when they do hit Germany, temperatures can in extreme cases fall to -20 C in the mountains and below during the nights, and this has an effect on the average temperatures of November to March. Although rare, when such cold air reaches Germany, the North-Eastern parts become mainly affected, while the Southwest receives few cold days in general. The Gulf Stream results in the coast having the mildest nights in the winter, almost never freezing.
The warmest area in Germany is the area borderingFrance, west of theSchwarzwald hills, roughly betweenMannheim to the north and theSwiss border to the south. The coldest area (except for mountain peaks) is found in the southeastern parts of eastern Germany aroundDresden andGörlitz up toBerlin.
Germany'sclimate istemperate andmarine in the west andhumid continental in the east. It has cool winters in the west and cold winters in the east. It has moderate rainfall year-round and is mostly overcast from November to February. Summers are warm, more so in the south. The north and centre of Germany lies fully in the temperate climatic zone in which humid westerly winds predominate. In the northwest and the north, the climate is oceanic. Winters there are cool and summers warm. In the east, the climate shows clear continental features; winters are cold and summers warm. Dry periods are often recorded.
In the centre and the south, there is a transitional climate between oceanic or continental. Winters are cool and summers warm, though maximum temperatures can exceed 30 °C (86 °F) for several days in a row during heat waves.
The warmest regions of Germany are in the southwest (seeRhine Rift Valley,German Wine Route andPalatinate). Summers are hot with many days up to 40 °C (104 °F). Sometimes, minimum temperatures do not drop below 20 °C (68 °F), which is relatively rare in other regions, except the North Sea coast and western city climates.[6][7]
The recorded extremes are a maximum of 41.2 °C (106.2 °F) (July 2019, Duisburg-Bearl &Tönisvorst),[citation needed] and a minimum of −37.8 °C (−36.0 °F) (February 1929, inPfaffenhofen an der Ilm).[8]
| Climate data forBerlin (Schönefeld), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1957–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.1 (59.2) | 18.0 (64.4) | 25.8 (78.4) | 30.8 (87.4) | 32.7 (90.9) | 35.4 (95.7) | 37.3 (99.1) | 38.0 (100.4) | 32.3 (90.1) | 27.7 (81.9) | 20.4 (68.7) | 15.6 (60.1) | 38.0 (100.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 2.8 (37.0) | 4.3 (39.7) | 8.7 (47.7) | 14.3 (57.7) | 19.4 (66.9) | 22.0 (71.6) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.2 (75.6) | 19.3 (66.7) | 13.8 (56.8) | 7.3 (45.1) | 3.3 (37.9) | 13.7 (56.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 0.1 (32.2) | 0.9 (33.6) | 4.3 (39.7) | 9.0 (48.2) | 14.0 (57.2) | 16.8 (62.2) | 19.1 (66.4) | 18.5 (65.3) | 14.2 (57.6) | 9.4 (48.9) | 4.4 (39.9) | 1.0 (33.8) | 9.3 (48.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.8 (27.0) | −2.4 (27.7) | 0.4 (32.7) | 3.5 (38.3) | 8.2 (46.8) | 11.2 (52.2) | 13.5 (56.3) | 13.0 (55.4) | 9.6 (49.3) | 5.4 (41.7) | 1.4 (34.5) | −1.6 (29.1) | 5.0 (41.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −25.3 (−13.5) | −22.0 (−7.6) | −16.0 (3.2) | −7.4 (18.7) | −2.8 (27.0) | 1.3 (34.3) | 4.9 (40.8) | 4.6 (40.3) | −0.9 (30.4) | −7.7 (18.1) | −12.0 (10.4) | −24.0 (−11.2) | −25.3 (−13.5) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 37.2 (1.46) | 30.1 (1.19) | 39.3 (1.55) | 33.7 (1.33) | 52.6 (2.07) | 60.2 (2.37) | 52.5 (2.07) | 53.0 (2.09) | 39.5 (1.56) | 32.2 (1.27) | 37.8 (1.49) | 46.1 (1.81) | 515.2 (20.28) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 57.6 | 71.5 | 119.4 | 191.2 | 229.6 | 230.0 | 232.4 | 217.3 | 162.3 | 114.7 | 54.9 | 46.9 | 1,727.6 |
| Averageultraviolet index | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Source:DWD[9] and Weather Atlas[10] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data forHamburg-Fuhlsbuttel (Hamburg Airport), elevation: 15 m, 1981-2010 normals | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.4 (57.9) | 17.2 (63.0) | 23.0 (73.4) | 29.7 (85.5) | 33.5 (92.3) | 34.6 (94.3) | 36.9 (98.4) | 37.3 (99.1) | 32.3 (90.1) | 26.1 (79.0) | 20.2 (68.4) | 15.7 (60.3) | 37.3 (99.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 3.5 (38.3) | 4.4 (39.9) | 8.0 (46.4) | 12.3 (54.1) | 17.5 (63.5) | 19.9 (67.8) | 22.1 (71.8) | 22.2 (72.0) | 17.9 (64.2) | 13.0 (55.4) | 7.5 (45.5) | 4.6 (40.3) | 13.2 (55.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.0 (33.8) | 1.6 (34.9) | 4.6 (40.3) | 7.8 (46.0) | 12.5 (54.5) | 15.2 (59.4) | 17.4 (63.3) | 17.4 (63.3) | 13.7 (56.7) | 9.5 (49.1) | 4.9 (40.8) | 2.3 (36.1) | 9.0 (48.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1.4 (29.5) | −1.2 (29.8) | 1.1 (34.0) | 3.3 (37.9) | 7.4 (45.3) | 10.5 (50.9) | 12.7 (54.9) | 12.5 (54.5) | 9.6 (49.3) | 6.0 (42.8) | 2.4 (36.3) | 0.0 (32.0) | 6.2 (43.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −22.8 (−9.0) | −29.1 (−20.4) | −15.3 (4.5) | −7.1 (19.2) | −5.0 (23.0) | 0.6 (33.1) | 3.4 (38.1) | 1.8 (35.2) | −1.2 (29.8) | −7.1 (19.2) | −15.4 (4.3) | −18.5 (−1.3) | −29.1 (−20.4) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 67.8 (2.67) | 49.9 (1.96) | 67.7 (2.67) | 43.0 (1.69) | 57.4 (2.26) | 78.6 (3.09) | 76.7 (3.02) | 78.9 (3.11) | 67.4 (2.65) | 67.0 (2.64) | 69.2 (2.72) | 68.9 (2.71) | 792.6 (31.20) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 12.1 | 9.2 | 11.3 | 8.9 | 9.6 | 11.3 | 11.4 | 10.2 | 10.8 | 10.5 | 11.7 | 12.4 | 129.4 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 46.9 | 69.0 | 108.8 | 171.6 | 223.4 | 198.7 | 217.5 | 203.1 | 144.6 | 107.9 | 53.0 | 37.4 | 1,581.9 |
| Averageultraviolet index | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Source:WMO (UN),[11]DWD[12] and Weather Atlas[13] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Freiburg 1991–2020, sunshine 1991-2020, extremes 1949–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 20.8 (69.4) | 21.9 (71.4) | 25.7 (78.3) | 30.0 (86.0) | 33.7 (92.7) | 36.5 (97.7) | 38.3 (100.9) | 40.2 (104.4) | 33.9 (93.0) | 30.8 (87.4) | 24.2 (75.6) | 21.7 (71.1) | 40.2 (104.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.5 (45.5) | 10.1 (50.2) | 13.0 (55.4) | 19.2 (66.6) | 21.9 (71.4) | 25.4 (77.7) | 28.5 (83.3) | 29.0 (84.2) | 23.2 (73.8) | 18.0 (64.4) | 11.3 (52.3) | 9.1 (48.4) | 17.5 (63.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.5 (38.3) | 5.1 (41.2) | 7.2 (45.0) | 11.3 (52.3) | 15.4 (59.7) | 19.0 (66.2) | 21.6 (70.9) | 21.4 (70.5) | 17.2 (63.0) | 12.5 (54.5) | 7.7 (45.9) | 6.8 (44.2) | 12.4 (54.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.5 (34.7) | 2.0 (35.6) | 4.2 (39.6) | 7.6 (45.7) | 11.2 (52.2) | 15.5 (59.9) | 17.3 (63.1) | 17.8 (64.0) | 12.5 (54.5) | 10.0 (50.0) | 4.7 (40.5) | 1.8 (35.2) | 7.6 (45.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −16.7 (1.9) | −14 (7) | −5.7 (21.7) | 0.1 (32.2) | 2.4 (36.3) | 6.9 (44.4) | 8.8 (47.8) | 7.2 (45.0) | 4.7 (40.5) | −1.8 (28.8) | −6.1 (21.0) | −15.5 (4.1) | −16.7 (1.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 54.5 (2.15) | 42.9 (1.69) | 36.7 (1.44) | 26.6 (1.05) | 96.2 (3.79) | 53.0 (2.09) | 24.8 (0.98) | 33.4 (1.31) | 45.4 (1.79) | 49.0 (1.93) | 66.2 (2.61) | 65.9 (2.59) | 582.5 (22.93) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 1.0 (0.4) | 0.51 (0.2) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.25 (0.1) | 0.76 (0.3) | 1.3 (0.5) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.1 mm) | 19.7 | 11.9 | 11.4 | 9.6 | 11.0 | 9.4 | 6.6 | 8.5 | 9.6 | 9.8 | 13.9 | 13.5 | 134.9 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 62 | 115 | 161 | 207 | 239 | 265 | 300 | 261 | 214 | 123 | 80 | 71 | 2,098 |
| Mean dailysunshine hours | 1.7 | 3.4 | 4.9 | 6.2 | 6.6 | 8.2 | 10.1 | 9.0 | 7.1 | 4.2 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 5.7 |
| Averageultraviolet index | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| Source:Weatheronline.de,[14]Meteociel.fr,[15]weather-atlas,[16] andwetterdienst[17] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data forMunich (Dreimühlenviertel), elevation: 515 m and 535 m, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1954–present[a] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 18.9 (66.0) | 21.4 (70.5) | 24.0 (75.2) | 32.2 (90.0) | 31.8 (89.2) | 35.2 (95.4) | 37.5 (99.5) | 37.0 (98.6) | 31.8 (89.2) | 28.2 (82.8) | 24.2 (75.6) | 21.7 (71.1) | 37.5 (99.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 3.5 (38.3) | 5.0 (41.0) | 9.5 (49.1) | 14.2 (57.6) | 19.1 (66.4) | 21.9 (71.4) | 24.4 (75.9) | 23.9 (75.0) | 19.4 (66.9) | 14.3 (57.7) | 7.7 (45.9) | 4.2 (39.6) | 13.9 (57.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 0.3 (32.5) | 1.4 (34.5) | 5.3 (41.5) | 9.4 (48.9) | 14.3 (57.7) | 17.2 (63.0) | 19.4 (66.9) | 18.9 (66.0) | 14.7 (58.5) | 10.1 (50.2) | 4.4 (39.9) | 1.3 (34.3) | 9.7 (49.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.5 (27.5) | −1.9 (28.6) | 1.6 (34.9) | 4.9 (40.8) | 9.4 (48.9) | 12.5 (54.5) | 14.5 (58.1) | 14.2 (57.6) | 10.5 (50.9) | 6.6 (43.9) | 1.7 (35.1) | −1.2 (29.8) | 5.9 (42.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −22.2 (−8.0) | −25.4 (−13.7) | −16.0 (3.2) | −6.0 (21.2) | −2.3 (27.9) | 1.0 (33.8) | 6.5 (43.7) | 4.8 (40.6) | 0.6 (33.1) | −4.5 (23.9) | −11.0 (12.2) | −20.7 (−5.3) | −25.4 (−13.7) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 48 (1.9) | 46 (1.8) | 65 (2.6) | 65 (2.6) | 101 (4.0) | 118 (4.6) | 122 (4.8) | 115 (4.5) | 75 (3.0) | 65 (2.6) | 61 (2.4) | 65 (2.6) | 944 (37.2) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 79 | 96 | 133 | 170 | 209 | 210 | 238 | 220 | 163 | 125 | 75 | 59 | 1,777 |
| Source 1:DWD[19] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: SKlima.de[20] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data forCologne/Bonn Airport 1991–2020, extremes 1957–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.2 (61.2) | 21.0 (69.8) | 25.3 (77.5) | 30.8 (87.4) | 34.4 (93.9) | 36.8 (98.2) | 40.3 (104.5) | 38.8 (101.8) | 33.1 (91.6) | 27.6 (81.7) | 20.2 (68.4) | 16.7 (62.1) | 40.3 (104.5) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 13.1 (55.6) | 14.5 (58.1) | 19.7 (67.5) | 24.7 (76.5) | 28.2 (82.8) | 31.7 (89.1) | 33.2 (91.8) | 32.7 (90.9) | 27.4 (81.3) | 22.3 (72.1) | 16.8 (62.2) | 13.2 (55.8) | 35.4 (95.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 5.9 (42.6) | 7.2 (45.0) | 11.4 (52.5) | 16.1 (61.0) | 19.7 (67.5) | 22.7 (72.9) | 24.9 (76.8) | 24.5 (76.1) | 20.4 (68.7) | 15.2 (59.4) | 9.8 (49.6) | 6.5 (43.7) | 15.4 (59.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.0 (37.4) | 3.6 (38.5) | 6.7 (44.1) | 10.4 (50.7) | 14.1 (57.4) | 17.1 (62.8) | 19.0 (66.2) | 18.5 (65.3) | 14.8 (58.6) | 10.8 (51.4) | 6.7 (44.1) | 3.8 (38.8) | 10.7 (51.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.0 (32.0) | 0.1 (32.2) | 2.0 (35.6) | 4.5 (40.1) | 8.1 (46.6) | 11.2 (52.2) | 13.3 (55.9) | 12.8 (55.0) | 9.7 (49.5) | 6.8 (44.2) | 3.5 (38.3) | 1.0 (33.8) | 6.1 (42.9) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −9.1 (15.6) | −8.0 (17.6) | −5.3 (22.5) | −3.1 (26.4) | 0.9 (33.6) | 5.2 (41.4) | 7.7 (45.9) | 6.9 (44.4) | 3.7 (38.7) | −0.8 (30.6) | −3.8 (25.2) | −7.1 (19.2) | −11.8 (10.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −23.4 (−10.1) | −19.2 (−2.6) | −13.4 (7.9) | −8.8 (16.2) | −2.9 (26.8) | −0.5 (31.1) | 2.9 (37.2) | 1.9 (35.4) | −1.3 (29.7) | −6.0 (21.2) | −10.4 (13.3) | −18.0 (−0.4) | −23.4 (−10.1) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 61.7 (2.43) | 53.8 (2.12) | 55.0 (2.17) | 48.2 (1.90) | 62.1 (2.44) | 86.3 (3.40) | 87.4 (3.44) | 83.3 (3.28) | 66.9 (2.63) | 64.7 (2.55) | 63.5 (2.50) | 69.2 (2.72) | 802.1 (31.58) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 54.3 | 78.8 | 124.8 | 172.6 | 198.7 | 201.3 | 207.2 | 196.5 | 149.4 | 104.5 | 58.9 | 45.2 | 1,592.2 |
| Source: Data derived fromDeutscher Wetterdienst[21] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data forFrankfurt Airport 1981–2010, extremes 1949–present (sunshine duration and precipitation rounded) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.9 (60.6) | 19.1 (66.4) | 24.7 (76.5) | 30.3 (86.5) | 33.2 (91.8) | 39.3 (102.7) | 40.2 (104.4) | 38.7 (101.7) | 32.8 (91.0) | 28.0 (82.4) | 19.1 (66.4) | 16.3 (61.3) | 40.2 (104.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.2 (39.6) | 5.9 (42.6) | 10.7 (51.3) | 15.4 (59.7) | 20.0 (68.0) | 23.1 (73.6) | 25.5 (77.9) | 25.1 (77.2) | 20.3 (68.5) | 14.6 (58.3) | 8.4 (47.1) | 4.9 (40.8) | 14.8 (58.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.6 (34.9) | 2.4 (36.3) | 6.4 (43.5) | 10.3 (50.5) | 14.7 (58.5) | 17.8 (64.0) | 20.0 (68.0) | 19.5 (67.1) | 15.2 (59.4) | 10.4 (50.7) | 5.6 (42.1) | 2.5 (36.5) | 10.6 (51.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1.1 (30.0) | −1.1 (30.0) | 2.1 (35.8) | 4.9 (40.8) | 9.1 (48.4) | 12.3 (54.1) | 14.4 (57.9) | 14.0 (57.2) | 10.5 (50.9) | 6.6 (43.9) | 2.8 (37.0) | −0.1 (31.8) | 6.2 (43.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −21.6 (−6.9) | −19.6 (−3.3) | −13.0 (8.6) | −7.1 (19.2) | −2.8 (27.0) | 0.1 (32.2) | 2.8 (37.0) | 2.5 (36.5) | −0.3 (31.5) | −6.3 (20.7) | −11.5 (11.3) | −17.0 (1.4) | −21.6 (−6.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 45 (1.8) | 41 (1.6) | 48 (1.9) | 42 (1.7) | 63 (2.5) | 58 (2.3) | 65 (2.6) | 57 (2.2) | 53 (2.1) | 55 (2.2) | 49 (1.9) | 54 (2.1) | 629 (24.8) |
| Average rainy days | 16 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 169 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 50 | 80 | 121 | 178 | 211 | 219 | 233 | 219 | 156 | 103 | 51 | 41 | 1,662 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 18 | 29 | 33 | 42 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 51 | 40 | 30 | 19 | 16 | 35 |
| Source 1:DWD[22] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Weather Atlas (sunshine data)[23] | |||||||||||||
Germany covers a total of 357,600 km2 (138,100 sq mi), of which 5,157 km2 (1,991 sq mi) isirrigated land and 8,350 km2 (3,220 sq mi) is covered by water, the largest lakes beingLake Constance (total area of 536 km2 (207 sq mi), with 62% of the shore being German; internationalborders are not defined on the lake itself),Müritz (117 km2 or 45 sq mi) andChiemsee (80 km2 or 31 sq mi). The majority of Germany is covered by eitherarable 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),[24]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 nearJungholz. The border with Belgium includes five German exclaves due to theVennbahn railway line. The border withSwitzerland includes the German exclave village ofBüsingen am Hochrhein which is separated from the rest of Germany by a strip of Swiss territory 680 metres wide at its narrowest point.
The main rivers in Germany are:
Further important rivers include theSaale and the Main in central Germany, the Neckar in the southwest, theWeser in the North and the Oder at the eastern border.
Throughout theKarst rocks many caves were formed especially in the valley of theHönne. The biggest culture cave ofEurope is located inBalve.
A recent global remote sensing analysis suggested that there were 2,783 km2 of tidal flats in Germany, making it the 11th ranked country in terms of how much tidal flat occurs there.[25]
Phytogeographically, Germany is shared between the Atlantic European and Central European provinces of theCircumboreal Region within theBoreal kingdom. The territory of Germany can be subdivided into twoecoregions:European-Mediterranean montane mixed forests and Northeast-Atlantic shelf marine.[26] The majority of Germany is covered by eitherarable land (33%) orforestry andwoodland (31%). Only 15% is covered by permanent pastures.
The plants and animals of Germany are those generally common to central 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, Eurasian lynx, and small numbers of beaver. Extinct/endangered animals include gray wolf, brown bear, and European bison. Various migratory birds cross Germany in the spring and autumn.
Thenational parks in Germany include theWadden Sea National Parks, theJasmund National Park, theVorpommern Lagoon Area National Park, theMüritz National Park, theLower Oder Valley National Park, theHarz National Park, theSaxon Switzerland National Park and theBavarian Forest National Park.
Germany is known for its manyzoological gardens, wildlife parks, aquaria, and bird parks.[27] 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.[28]Berlin Zoo is the oldest zoo in Germany and presents the most comprehensive collection of species in the world.[29]
In the warm regions of the south, subtropical plants and trees like thecactus andpalm trees have been planted and multiplied naturally later, while typical middle European trees do also occur. This is only the case though in theMain,Rhine andNeckar valleys and theLake Constance. In German, people refer to them asGerman Tuscany orGerman Riviera.
With an estimated 83.2 million inhabitants in December 2020, Germany is the most populous country in the European Union and ranks as the19th largest country in the world in terms of population. Itspopulation density stands at 233 inhabitants per square kilometre (600/sq mi). TheUnited Nations Population Fund lists Germany as host to thesecond-highest number of international migrants worldwide,[30] around 23% of Germany's population do not hold a German passport or are direct descendants of immigrants. The number of third and subsequent generations of immigrants are not statistically recorded.
Germany comprisessixteen states that are collectively referred to asLänder.[31] Each state has its own state constitution[32] and is largely autonomous in regard to its internal organisation. Due to differences in size and population thesubdivision of these states varies, especially betweencity states (Stadtstaaten) and states with larger territories (Flächenländer). For regional administrative purposes five states, namely Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony, consist of a total of 22Government Districts (Regierungsbezirke). As of July 2021 Germany is divided into 400districts (Kreise) on municipal level, these consist of 294rural districts and 106urban districts.[33][34]
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Germany has a number of large cities; the most populous are:Berlin,Hamburg,Munich,Cologne,Frankfurt, andStuttgart. The largestconurbation is theRhine-Ruhr region (12 million), includingDüsseldorf (the capital ofNorth Rhine-Westphalia),Cologne,Essen,Dortmund,Duisburg, andBochum.
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