Germany

Germany has coastlines on two seas: the North Sea in the northwest and the Baltic Sea in the northeast. Along the North Sea, large tides expose wide areas of muddy seafloor at low tide, while the Baltic has much smaller tides and a coastline of bays, islands, and beaches. Both coasts are home to important ports that connect Germany with trade routes across Europe and the world.

Northern Germany is a broad, flat plain shaped by glaciers during the Ice Age, while the land rises into forested hills and mountains toward the south. About one-third of Germany is covered in forest, and its mild climate and year-round rainfall support farmland across much of the country.

The Bavarian Alps rise sharply along Germany's southern border, reaching 2,962 meters at the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain. Farther west, the Black Forest stretches across southwestern Germany in a landscape of forested mountains, deep valleys, farms, and small towns. On a clear day from the Zugspitze, visitors can see mountains in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy.

Three of Europe's major rivers—the Rhine, Danube, and Elbe—flow through or begin in Germany, connecting the country with regions far beyond its borders. The Rhine travels north through western Germany, passing steep vineyard-covered hills, castles, and major industrial cities as boats carry goods toward ports farther downstream. The Danube begins in southern Germany and flows east across Central and Southeastern Europe toward the Black Sea. The Elbe flows through eastern and northern Germany before reaching the North Sea.

Germany's major cities serve very different functions: Berlin is the political capital, Hamburg grew around one of Europe's busiest ports, Frankfurt is a major financial and transportation center, and Munich is a major center for business, culture, and industry. In western Germany, the Rhine-Ruhr region is a densely populated area made up of many neighboring cities.

Regional identity remains strong across Germany, and traditions can change noticeably from one state to another. Bavaria in the south is known for Alpine villages and clothing such as lederhosen and dirndls, while Schleswig-Holstein in the north has traditions shaped by fishing, maritime life, and ties with neighboring Denmark.

German can sound noticeably different from one region to another. Local accents and dialects vary enough that speakers may recognize where someone is from by the way they speak.

As West Germany's economy grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, the country recruited workers from Italy, Greece, Turkey, Yugoslavia, and other countries to fill jobs. Many stayed and raised families in Germany. More recent arrivals have included people from elsewhere in the European Union and refugees from conflicts such as those in Syria and Ukraine.

Germany has Europe's largest economy, built in large part on advanced manufacturing. German factories produce cars from companies such as Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, along with machinery, chemicals, medicines, and electrical equipment. Germany is also known for its Mittelstand: thousands of small and medium-sized companies, many family-owned, that specialize in manufactured products sold around the world.

Coal deposits and river transportation helped turn Germany's Rhine-Ruhr region into one of Europe's largest industrial and urban areas. The region lies around the Rhine and Ruhr rivers, where coal helped mining, steelmaking, and other industries grow while rivers and canals provided routes for moving raw materials and manufactured goods. As mines and factories expanded, nearby towns grew into cities such as Essen, Dortmund, and Duisburg. Today, so many cities and towns lie close together that the Rhine-Ruhr is Germany's largest metropolitan region.

Germany shares land borders with nine countries, placing it at a crossroads between northern, southern, eastern, and western Europe. Roads and railways cross those borders in every direction, while rivers such as the Rhine and Danube provide additional routes between countries.

People can cross most of Germany's land borders with neighboring countries without routine passport checks. Germany is part of the Schengen Area, a group of European countries that generally allows people to travel across their shared borders without those checks. Germany also belongs to the European Union and uses the euro, the same currency as many of its neighbors.