Germany is in the center of Europe, facing the North Sea, Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the north; Poland and the Czech Republic to the west; Austria and Switzerland to the south and France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands to the west.  Germany borders more European countries than any other European country.  From the end of World War II until 1990 Germany was divided into West Germany, allied with NATO and a part of the European Union, and East Germany, dominated by the Soviet Union and a part of the Warsaw Pact.  Germany has the largest economy and second largest population in Europe.