Germany

Germany (pronounced /ˈdʒɜrməni/ ( listen)), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)),[5] 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 the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The territory of Germany covers 357,021 square kilometers (137,847 sq mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 82 million inhabitants, it accounts for the largest population among the member states of the European Union and is home to the third-largest number of international migrants worldwide.[6]
A region named Germania inhabited by several Germanic peoples has been known and documented before AD 100. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire that lasted until 1806. During the 16th century, northern Germany became the centre of the Protestant Reformation. As a modern nation-state, the country was first unified amidst the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. In 1949, after World War II, Germany was divided into two separate states—East Germany and West Germany—along the lines of Allied occupation.[7] The two states were unified in 1990. West Germany was a founding member of the European Community (EC) in 1957, which became the European Union in 1993. It is part of the Schengen zone and adopted the European currency, the euro, in 1999.
Germany is a federal parliamentary republic of sixteen states (Länder). The capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, G8 and the OECD. It is a major economic power with the world's fourth largest economy by nominal GDP and the fifth largest in purchasing power parity. It is the largest exporter and second largest importer of goods. In absolute terms, Germany allocates the second biggest annual budget of development aid in the world,[8] while its military expenditure ranked sixth.[9] The country has developed a high standard of living and established a comprehensive system of social security. It holds a key position in European affairs and maintains a multitude of close partnerships on a global level.[10] Germany is recognised as a scientific and technological leader in several fields.

Capital(and largest city)
Berlin 52°31′N 13°23′E / 52.517°N 13.383°E / 52.517; 13.383
Official languages
German[1]
Ethnic groups
91.5% German, 2.4% Turkish, 6.1% other[1]
Demonym
German
Government
Federal Parliamentary republic
-
President
Horst Köhler (CDU)
-
Chancellor
Angela Merkel (CDU)
Formation
-
Holy Roman Empire
962
-
German Empire
18 January 1871
-
Federal Republic
23 May 1949
-
Reunification
3 October 1990
EU accession
25 March 1957
Area
-
Total
357,021 km2 (63rd)137,847 sq mi
-
Water (%)
2.416
Population
-
December 31, 2008 estimate
82,060,000[2] (14th)
-
Density
230/km2 (36th)596/sq mi
GDP (PPP)
2008 estimate
-
Total
$2.910 trillion[3] (5th)
-
Per capita
$35,442[3] (21st)
GDP (nominal)
2008 estimate
-
Total
$3,667 trillion[3] (4th)
-
Per capita
$44,660[3] (19th)
Gini (2000)
28.3 (low)
HDI (2006)
▲ 0.940[4] (high) (23rd)
Currency
Euro (€) (EUR)
Time zone
CET (UTC+1)
-
Summer (DST)
CEST (UTC+2)
Internet TLD
.de
Calling code
49

Baden-Württemberg
Stuttgart
35,752
10,717,000
Bavaria
Munich
70,549
12,444,000
Berlin
Berlin
892
3,400,000
Brandenburg
Potsdam
29,477
2,568,000
Bremen
Bremen
404
663,000
Hamburg
Hamburg
755
1,735,000
Hesse
Wiesbaden
21,115
6,098,000
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Schwerin
23,174
1,720,000
Lower Saxony
Hanover
47,618
8,001,000
North Rhine-Westphalia
Düsseldorf
34,043
18,075,000
Rhineland-Palatinate
Mainz
19,847
4,061,000
Saarland
Saarbrücken
2,569
1,056,000
Saxony
Dresden
18,416
4,296,000
Saxony-Anhalt
Magdeburg
20,445
2,494,000
Schleswig-Holstein
Kiel
15,763
2,829,000
Thuringia
Erfurt
16,172
2,355,000