Flag of Germany

Germany is a central European country, the first in its economy (GDP of 2863 trillion dollars in 2008, fifth place in the world), the second in its population (82.3 million inhabitants in 2009).

This vast region covers an area of 357,021 km2. Its northern boundaries are the Baltic Sea, Denmark and the North Sea. The coastline is 2389 km long. On the North Sea, they are cut out of deep bays; but the maritime advantages are neutralized by Sandbanks. The shores of the Baltic form extensive lagoons that are generally barren. In the East, the prices of the nisse and the Oder (except in its lower part) separate Germany from Poland.

Further south, the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge), the Oberpfälzerwakld and the Bohemian Forest mark the border with the Czech Republic. Completely to the south, the Rhetian and Noric Alps and a portion of the Upper Rhine River separate it from Austria and then Switzerland. In the South-West, another part of the Rhine and a branch of the Ardennes mark the border with France. In the West, Germany is bounded by Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.