Geography
Berlin is located in eastern Germany, about 70 kilometers (44 miles) west of the border with Poland in an area with marshy terrain. The Berlin-Warsaw Urstromtal (ancient river valley), between the low Barnim plateau to the north and the Teltow plateau to the south, was formed by water flowing from melting ice sheets at the end of the last ice age. The Spree follows this valley now. In Spandau, Berlin’s westernmost borough, the Spree meets the river Havel, which flows from north to south through western Berlin. The course of the Havel is more like a chain of lakes, the largest being the Tegeler See and Großer Wannsee. A series of lakes also feeds into the upper Spree, which flows through the Großer Müggelsee in eastern Berlin.
Substantial parts of present-day Berlin extend onto the low plateaus on both sides of the Spree Valley. Large parts of the boroughs Reinickendorf and Pankow lie on the Barnim plateau, while most of the boroughs Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Tempelhof-Schöneberg, and Neukölln lie on the Teltow plateau. The borough of Spandau lies partly within the Berlin Urstromtal and partly on the Nauen Plain, which stretches to the west of Berlin. The highest elevations in Berlin are the Teufelsberg and the Müggelberge. Both hills have an elevation of about 115 meters (377 ft). The Teufelsberg is in fact an artificial pile of rubble from the ruins of World War II.
Climate
Berlin has a temperate/mesothermal climate (Cfb) according to the Köppen climate classification system.
Summers are warm with average high temperatures of 22 - 25°C (mid 70s) and lows of 12 - 14°C (mid 50s). Winters are cold with average high temperatures of 4°C (upper 30s) and lows of -2 to 0°C (upper 20s and low 30s). Spring and Autumn are generally chilly to mild. Berlin’s built-up area creates a microclimate, with heat stored by the city’s buildings. Temperatures can be 4°C (7.2°F) higher in the city than in the surrounding areas.
Annual precipitation is 22.4 inches (571 mm) with moderate rainfall throughout the year. Light snowfall mainly occurs from December through March, but snow cover does not usually remain for long.
Natural and build environment
