Germany
51 00 N, 9 00 E
lowest point: Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.54 m
highest point: Zugspitze 2,963 m
total: 3,621 km
border countries: Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577 km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km
flooding
coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land
arable land: 33.13%
permanent crops: 0.6%
other: 66.27% (2005)
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; government established a mechanism for ending the use of nuclear power over the next 15 years; government working to meet EU commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive
Temperate throughout the country with warm summers and cold winters, but prolonged periods of frost or snow are rare. Rain falls throughout the year.
Required clothing
European clothes with light- to mediumweights in summer, medium- to heavyweights in winter. Waterproofs are needed throughout the year.
time difference: UTC+1
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
