Geography & environment — Germany
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Germany: Europe
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
Europe
- Geographic Coordinates
51 00 N, 9 00 E
- Total Area
137,846 Square Miles 357,022 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
134,622 Square Miles 348,672 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
3,224 Square Miles 8,350 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
2,355 Miles 3,790 Kilometers
- Border Countries
Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 815 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577 km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km
- Coastline
1,484 Miles 2,389 Kilometers
Physical geography
- Terrain
Lowlands in the north, uplands in the center, Bavarian Alps in the south
- Highest Point
2,963 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Zugspitze 2,963 m
- Lowest Point
-4 Meters
- Lowest Point Location
Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.54 m
- Natural Resources
Coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land
- Irrigated Land
1,991 Square Miles 5,157 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Climate
- Climate
Germany is in the Temperate Zone and enjoys frequent weather changes, sometimes daily. The country has four distinct seasons with rainfall frequent in most months, especially in the autumn. Winter temperatures and snowfall tend to be more extreme in the southern part of the country where the average elevation is higher, but even low-lying Berlin has snowfalls and winter temperatures that occasionally dip below 10°F.
- Terrain
Lowlands in the north, uplands in the center, Bavarian Alps in the south
- Location
Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark
- Total Area
137,846 Square Miles 357,022 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 815 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577 km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
Emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution
acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests
pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany
hazardous waste disposal
the government established a mechanism for ending the use of nuclear power over the next 15 years
government working to meet European Union commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the European Union's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive
- Environment - International Agreements
Party To: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements