The German coast can be divided into two areas: the dynamic, tide-dependent North Sea coast with mudflats, islands, dykes and shallow sand and mud beaches, and the Baltic Sea coast characterised by the Ice Age with bays, fjords and inlets, which is less influenced by tides and has a lower salt content. While the North Sea is strongly shaped by ebb and flow (up to 4 m tidal range), the Baltic Sea is characterised by the after-effects of the Ice Age, where tides hardly play a role. The North Sea is characterised by marshlands, the Frisian islands and mighty dyke systems. The Baltic Sea, on the other hand, is dominated by sandy equalising coasts and bodden landscapes.