Germany (pronounced /ˈdʒɜrməni/ (File:Speaker Icon.svg listen)), officially the German Empire (Deutsches Reich), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and Lithuania; to the south by Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, and Italy; and to the west by France, Burgundy, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The territory of Germany covers 781,521.51 sq km and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 142 million inhabitants, it accounts for the largest population among the member states of the European Union