Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its 16 constituent states have a total population of over 84 million in an area of 357,600 km2, making it the most populous member state of the European Union. It borders Denmark to the north, Poland and Czechia to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, and France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands to the west.