Berlin  is the capital of Germany and one of its 16 states. With a population of approximately 3.5 million people, Berlin is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban areain the European Union. Located in northeastern Germany on the banks of Rivers Spree and Havel, it is the centre of theBerlin-Brandenburg Metropolitan Region, which has about six million residents from over 180 nations. Due to its location in the European Plain, Berlin is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. Around one-third of the city's area is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers and lakes.