Physical Geography

A plains region, called the North German Plain, spans the northern third of Germany. It is largely level to rolling terrain and consists mainly of material left by continental glaciers during the last Ice Age. Much of the land is used for crops or grazing; in some areas, where the land is poorly drained, there are heaths, bogs, or moors. There are also areas of glacially formed hills, some of which rise to nearly 600 feet (180 m) above sea level.

Along the coasts are sandy beaches, offshore islands, tidal flats, and reclaimed tidal land. The southern edge of the plain contains large fertile areas, called Börden, where the soil consists of glacial loess. These areas, constituting some of Germany's most productive farmland, lie along a line curving northeastward from Cologne to Hanover and then southeastward through Leipzig.

South of the North German Plain is an unglaciated upland region that extends southward almost to the Danube River. Almost the entire region is marked by a great variety of landforms, including low mountains, plateaus, basins, escarpments, and scenic valleys.

The dominant features in the upland region are the mountains. Many of the mountainous areas are heavily wooded and have the German word Wald (forest) as part of their names. The greatest elevations occur in the Schwarzwald (Black Forest); the highest peak there is Feldberg, which reaches 4,898 feet (1,493 m). Flanking the middle section of the Rhine River are the Hunsrück, Eifel, Taunus, and Westerwald, which with other uplands are known collectively as the Rhenish Slate Mountains. Other uplands include the Bohemian and Bavarian forests, the Fichtel and Harz mountains, and the Rhön. Spessart, Odenwald, and Haardt. In east-central Germany are the Thuringian Forest and parts of the Harz and Ore mountains; few peaks in these three areas rise more than 4,000 feet (1,200 m).

The most scenic and famous valley in Germany is that of the middle section of the Rhine, between Bingen and Bonn. This area is often called the Romantic Rhine and is known for its steep, vineyard-covered slopes, ruins of old castles, and picturesque towns. The upper Rhine valley, from about Mainz to the Swiss border, is a relatively broad rift valley containing major industrial and agricultural areas.

South of the Danube River lies the Alpine Foreland, also called the Bavarian Plateau. It is covered largely by material left by alpine glaciers during the last Ice Age and consists of fairly level to rolling agricultural land and hilly terrain. In the extreme south the Bavarian Alps thrust upward abruptly. The loftiest peak, reaching 9,721 feet (2,963 m), is the Zugspitze, southwest of Munich in the rugged Wetterstein range.

The rivers of Germany are valuable natural assets, as many of them are used for navigation, municipal and industrial water supplies, and, to a lesser extent, hydroelectric power.

Most of Germany is drained by the Rhine, Danube, Weser, and Elbe and their tributaries. Except for the Danube, which drains most of southern Germany and flows eastward to the Black Sea, rivers drain generally northward and northwestward to either the North Sea or the Baltic Sea.

The largest system is that of the Rhine, which includes the Neckar, Main, Mosel, Ruhr, and Lippe rivers. The Elbe is second only to the Rhine in terms of length, the amount of water it carries, and the size (in Germany) of its drainage basin. The Oder and Neisse form most of Germany's boundary with Poland.

Germany's lakes are generally small and of glacial origin. Most lie in or near the Alps or on the North German Plain. They are particularly numerous in the morainic hills south of the Baltic Sea. The largest lake is Lake Constance, or Bodensee, which is shared with Switzerland and Austria.

Mineral springs, both hot and cold, are one of Germany's most distinctive water features. Internationally famed spas and resorts have developed around some of the springs. Probably most notable are those at Baden-Baden in the Black Forest.

Germany lies farther north than the United States, excluding Alaska, but its climate is not severe. It is a transitional kind between the mild, oceanic climate of north-western Europe and the much harsher continental climate farther east. In general, westerly winds prevail throughout the year, bringing the ocean's warmth inland during winter and its coolness during summer. Periods of either extremely hot or cold weather are brief and infrequent, coming with the passage of air masses from the Eurasian interior.

The ocean's influence is strongest along the North Sea coast, where winters are damp and moderately cold and summers warm to cool. Temperatures average near 32° F. (0° C.) during January and between 60° and 65° F. (16° and 18° C.) during July. Precipitation, including small amounts of snow, is about 30 inches (760 mm) a year.

Away from the coast, to the south and east, summers become somewhat warmer and winters slightly colder. Precipitation is a little less than along the coast, and more of it falls as snow. There is also a tendency toward clearer, sunnier weather. Temperatures normally average somewhat below freezing during January and around 65° F. (18° C.) during July.

In the higher upland areas and in the mountainous parts of Germany the climate is influenced considerably by increased elevation, which results in lower temperatures throughout the year and more abundant precipitation, especially snow. Deep snow normally covers the higher parts of the Alps during winter.