Germany
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This article is about the country. For other uses, see Germany
(disambiguation) and Deutschland (disambiguation).
"Federal Republic of Germany" redirects here. For the country from 1949 to 1990,
see West Germany.
Coordinates: 51°N 9°E
Federal Republic of Germany
Bundesrepublik Deutschland (German)
Flag
Coat of arms
Anthem: "Deutschlandlied"[a]
(English: "Song of Germany")
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Location of Germany (dark green)
– in Europe (light green & dark grey)
– in the European Union (light green)
Capital Berlin[b]
and largest city 52°31′N 13°23′E
Official language German[c]
and national language
Demonym(s) German
Government Federal parliamentary republic
• President Frank-Walter Steinmeier
• Chancellor Angela Merkel
Legislature
• Upper house Bundesrat
• Lower house Bundestag
Formation
• German Empire 18 January 1871
• Weimar Republic 1918
• Nazi Germany 1933
• West and East Germany[d] 1949
• Reunification 3 October 1990
Area
• Total 357,022 km2 (137,847 sq mi)[4] (62nd)
Population
• 30-09-2019 estimate 83,149,300[5] (19th)
• Density 232/km2 (600.9/sq mi) (58th)
GDP (PPP) 2019 estimate
• Total $4.444 trillion[6] (5th)
• Per capita $52,559[6] (16th)
GDP (nominal) 2019 estimate
• Total $3.863 trillion[6] (4th)
• Per capita $46,653[6] (16th)
HDI (2018) 0.939[7]
very high · 4th
Currency Euro (€) (EUR)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Driving side right
ISO 3166 code DE
Internet TLD .de
Germany (German: Deutschland, German pronunciation: [ˈdɔʏtʃlant]), constitutionally
the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland,
listen (help·info)),[e] is a country in Central and Western Europe. Covering an area of
357,022 square kilometres (137,847 sq mi), it lies between
the Baltic and North seas to the north, and the Alps to the south. It
borders Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the
east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, and France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and
the Netherlands to the west.
Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany
since classical antiquity. A region named Germania was documented before AD
100. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of
the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German
regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation. After the collapse of the
Holy Roman Empire, the German Confederation was formed in 1815. In 1871,
Germany became a nation state when most of the German states unified into
the Prussian-dominated German Empire. After World War I and the revolution of
1918–19, the Empire was replaced by the parliamentary Weimar Republic.
The Nazi seizure of power in 1933 led to the establishment of a dictatorship, World
War II, and the Holocaust. After the end of World War II in Europe and a period
of Allied occupation, two new German states were founded: West
Germany and East Germany. The Federal Republic of Germany was a founding
member of the European Economic Community and the European Union. The
country was reunified on 3 October 1990.
Today, Germany is a federal parliamentary republic led by a chancellor. With 83
million inhabitants of its 16 constituent states, it is the second-most
populous country in Europe after Russia, as well as the most populous member
state of the European Union. Its capital and largest city is Berlin, and its financial
centre is Frankfurt; the largest urban area is the Ruhr.
Germany is a great power with a strong economy; it has the largest economy in
Europe, the world's fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP, and the fifth-largest
by PPP. As a global leader in several industrial and technological sectors, it is both
the world's third-largest exporter and importer of goods. A highly developed
country with a very high standard of living, it offers social security and a universal
health care system, environmental protections, and a tuition-free university
education. Germany is also a member of the United Nations, NATO, the G7,
the G20, and the OECD. Known for its long and rich cultural history, Germany has
many World Heritage sites and is among the top tourism destinations in the world.
Contents
1Etymology
2History
o 2.1Germanic tribes and Frankish Empire
o 2.2East Francia and Holy Roman Empire
o 2.3German Confederation and Empire
o 2.4Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany
o 2.5East and West Germany
o 2.6Reunified Germany and the European Union
3Geography
o 3.1Climate
o 3.2Biodiversity
4Politics
o 4.1Constituent states
o 4.2Law
o 4.3Foreign relations
o 4.4Military
5Economy
o 5.1Infrastructure
o 5.2Science and technology
o 5.3Tourism
6Demographics
o 6.1Religion
o 6.2Languages
o 6.3Education
o 6.4Health
7Culture
o 7.1Music
o 7.2Art and design
o 7.3Literature and philosophy
o 7.4Media
o 7.5Cuisine
o 7.6Sports
8See also
9Notes
10References
11Sources
12External links
Etymology
