Germany Geography
Germany
(German: Deutschland) is a country in west-central Europe, that stretches from
the Alps, across the North European Plain to the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
Germany has the second largest population in Europe (after the European part of
Russia) and is seventh largest in area. 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 waters.
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
northwest and the Baltic 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 major rivers such as the Rhine, Danube
and Elbe.
Germany
shares borders with nine European countries, second only to Russia: Denmark in
the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the east, Switzerland (its only
non-EU neighbor) and Austria in the south, France in the southwest and Belgium,
Luxembourg and the Netherlands in the west. Germany's position in Europe,
including bordering countries, have put it at a significant disadvantage in
numerous wars, including World War I and World War II.
Germany
is in Western and Central Europe, bordering 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. It lies mostly between latitudes 47° and 55° N (the tip of Sylt is
just north of 55°), and longitudes 5° and 16° E. The territory 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.
.
Climate:
The
north–south difference in Germany, between 55°03"N (at List on Sylt) and
47°16"N (around Oberstdorf, Bavaria) equals almost eight degrees of
latitude (or 889 km), but this can't largely be seen in different average
temperatures. Instead, there is a stronger west–east cline in temperature. This
is explained by the North's flat and open landscapes and its closeness to the
sea, and South's higher terrain, larger distance from the sea, and the Alps.
These mountains prevent much of the usually warmer Mediterranean air to blow up
into southern Germany. And north of the Alps and the Carpathians, the farther
away from the Atlantic Ocean with for its latitudes warm current, known as the
Gulf Stream - and the closer to Russia's and Siberia's extremely cold winter
winds, one gets, the local climate becomes colder, even at the same latitude
and altitude. Even if Siberian winter winds are not dominating, when they do
hit Germany, temperatures can in extreme cases fall to -30 C 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 Eastern parts
becomes more affected compared to the Western parts. These factors results in,
that Hamburg in the North has the same annual average temperature as Munich in
the South has. The annual average temperature in Hamburg is +9.5 C and +9.7 in
Munich whilst Berlin has an annual average temperature of +9.9 C.
The
warmest area in Germany is the area bordering to France and west of the
Schwarzwald hills. Roughly between Karlsruhe in the north, and down to the
Swiss border. Whilst the coldest area (except for mountain peaks) is found in
the southeastern parts of eastern Germany, around Dresden and Görlitz; roughly
just two Latitudes higher. But the difference at annual average base, isn't
extreme. Freiburg im Breisgau (located a little south of Karlsruhe) has an
average annual temperature of +11.4 C, Görlitz has an equal value of +8.8 C. A
difference of 2.6 degree C. Colder meteorological stations in Germany can be
found, but mainly at notably higher altitudes.
Germany's
climate is temperate and marine, with cold, cloudy winters and warm summers and
in the south occasional warm föhn wind. The greater part of Germany lies in the
cool/temperate climatic zone in which humid westerly winds predominate. In the
northwest and the north, the climate is oceanic and rain falls all the year
round. Winters there are relatively mild and summers comparatively cool. In the
east, the climate shows clear continental features; winters can be very cold
for long periods, and summers can become very warm. Dry periods are often
recorded.
In
the centre and the south, there is a transitional climate which may be
predominantly oceanic or continental, according to the general weather
situation. 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 can be found in the south-west (see rhine rift, German Wine
Route and Palatinate). Here summers can be hot with many days exceeding 30 °C
(86 °F). Sometimes, minimum temperatures do not drop below 20 °C (68 °F), which
is relatively rare in other regions.
Though
the German climate is rarely extreme, there are occasional spikes of cold or
heat. Winter temperatures can sometimes drop to two-digit negative temperatures
for a few days in a row. Conversely, summer can see periods of very high
temperatures for a week or two. The recorded extremes are a maximum of 42.6 °C
(108.7 °F) (July 2019, Lingen), and a minimum of −37.8 °C (−36.0 °F) (February
1929, in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm).
Rivers:
The
main rivers in Germany are:
the
Rhine (Rhein in German) with a German section extending 865 km (537 mi) (main
tributaries including the Neckar, the Main and the Moselle (Mosel));
the
Elbe with a German section of 727 km (452 mi) (also drains into the North Sea);
and
the
Danube (Donau) with a German length of 687 km (427 mi).
Further
important rivers include the Saale and the Main in central Germany, the Neckar
in the southwest, the Weser in the North and the Oder at the eastern border.
Caves: Throughout the Karst rocks many caves were formed especially
in the valley of the Hönne. The biggest culture cave of Europe is located in
Balve.
Natural
resources:
Iron
ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, petroleum, natural gas,
salt, nickel, and water.
Environment:
Current
issues
Emissions
from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution; acid
rain, resulting from sulphur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests in Germany;
pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from
rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste disposal; government (under
Chancellor Schröder, SPD) announced intent to end the use of nuclear power for
producing electricity; government working to meet EU commitment to identify
nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat
directive. Germany's last glacier is disappearing.[citation needed]
International
agreements
Party
to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent
Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands,
Whaling
Signed,
but not ratified: none
Natural
hazards
Flooding
through rivers after heavy rainfall, such as during the 2002 European floods,
or Storm surge, such as the North Sea flood of 1962 and the historic floods of
1362 and 1634 that changed the coastline of what is now the west coast of
Schleswig-Holstein.
Phytogeographically,
Germany is shared between the Atlantic European and Central European provinces
of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. The territory of Germany
can be subdivided into two ecoregions: European-Mediterranean montane mixed
forests and Northeast-Atlantic shelf marine. The majority of Germany is covered
by either arable land (33%) or forestry and woodland (31%). Only 15% is covered
by permanent pastures.
Plants
and animals are those generally common to middle 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, and small numbers of beaver. Various migratory birds cross Germany in the
spring and autumn.
Flora
and fauna:
The
national parks in Germany include the Wadden Sea National Parks, the Jasmund
National Park, the Vorpommern Lagoon Area National Park, the Müritz National
Park, the Lower Oder Valley National Park, the Harz National Park, the Saxon
Switzerland National Park and the Bavarian Forest National Park.
Germany
is known for its many zoological gardens, wildlife parks, aquaria, and bird
parks. 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. The
Zoologischer Garten Berlin is the oldest zoo in Germany and presents the most
comprehensive collection of species in the world.
Human
geography:
With
an estimated 81.8 million inhabitants in January 2010, Germany is the most
populous country in the European Union and ranks as the 15th largest country in
the world in terms of population. Its population density stands at 229.4
inhabitants per square kilometre (594/sq mi). The United Nations Population
Fund lists Germany as host to the third-highest number of international
migrants worldwide,[15] around 20% of Germany's population do not hold a German
passport or are descendants of immigrants.
Administrative
divisions:
Germany
comprises sixteen states that are collectively referred to as Länder. Each
state has its own state constitution and is largely autonomous in regard to its
internal organisation. Due to differences in size and population the
subdivision of these states varies, especially between city 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 22 Government
Districts (Regierungsbezirke). As of 2009 Germany is divided into 403 districts
(Kreise) on municipal level, these consist of 301 rural districts and 102 urban
districts.
Urbanization:
Germany
has a number of large cities; the most populous are: Berlin, Hamburg, Munich,
Cologne, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart. The largest conurbation is the Rhine-Ruhr
region (12 million), including Düsseldorf (the capital of North
Rhine-Westphalia), Cologne, Essen, Dortmund, Duisburg, and Bochum.
Agriculture
in Germany:
Germany
is a high yield country using modern agricultural methods.
Agricultural
products grown in Germany are far from meeting the needs of the country
Important
agricultural products are wheat (18 million tons), barley, oats, rye, sugar beet,
potatoes, fruit, cabbage and hops.
A
large part is covered with forests, meadows and pastures.
Cattle,
pigs and poultry are raised in the country.
The
products obtained from forests covering one third of the country (annual timber
production is 46 million m3) have a great contribution to the national economy.
Population
Structure of Germany:
Population
Structure;
Population
growth has stopped in a country with a population of close to 82 million.
about 7.3 million population of the country,
from other countries (Spain, Portugal, Greece, Yugoslavia and Turkey) creates
from workers and their families.
Over
2 million Turkish workers, with their families, are more than workers of other
countries
Population
density is high in industrial centers.
Approximately
half of the population is gathered in the cities in the area stretching from
the Ruhr valley to Bonn.
Good
transportation network prevents the accumulation of excess population in the
cities.
Population:
82,400,996 people
History
of Germany:
•
Bismarck established the German empire in 1871 by establishing the German
union. Great successes in economics, science and culture have been achieved.
•I.
World War ended with the defeat of Germany. The Republic was declared with the
people's uprising.
•
After Germany invaded Poland in 1939, England and France waged war against
Germany and II. World War II is out. Germany surrendered and occupied as a
result of the US going to war alongside allies.
•
West Germany was established in the occupation region of the USA, France and
England, and East Germany was established in the occupation region of the USSR.
Encouraged
by the reforms in the Soviet Union in 1989, the East German people embarked on
demonstrations for democratic reforms. The "Berlin Wall" was
destroyed in November 1989.
• On 3
October 1990 the two German States united under the federal constitution of
Germany.
