9781422277997

Chapter One GERMANY’S GEOGRAPHY & LANDSCAPE

G uten Tag! Welcome to Germany, the “Pivot of Europe.” Situated right in the heart of Europe, Germany has historically functioned as a crossroads for many peoples, ideas, and even armies. Now it provides a natural gateway connecting its traditional Western European trading partners to the fast-growing Central and East European economies. Germany is the seventh-largest country in Europe. About the size of the state of Montana, it covers an area of 137,846 square miles (357,022 sq. kilometers). Nine nations and two seas make up Germany’s borders. The North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea lie to the north. Poland and the Czech Republic border Germany to the east. The countries of Austria and Switzerland form the southern border, while France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg line Germany’s western border. Several islands in the North and Baltic Seas are also included in Germany’s territory. The Landscape: Plains, Mountains, Valleys, and Forests Germany is a relatively large country. It boasts a landscape of remarkable diversity. Stretching from coastal plains to mountain ranges, Germany can be divided into three major natural land regions: lowlands in the north, uplands in the center, and mountains in the south. The North German Plain is a low, flatland mass that lies along and between the North and Baltic Seas, extending southward into eastern Germany. Marshlands, dunes, fjords, and tidal flats—which are nearly flat coastal areas, alternately covered and exposed by the tides—mark the German coast. Wide river valleys cut through the North German Plain, providing soft, fertile land for cultivation . The farmland of the plain’s eastern end is so fertile it has 11