Germany is a federal parliamentary republic located in western-central Europe. It has a population of over 80 million people and is the most populous country in the European Union. Germany has a strong economy and is a global leader in several industries. The country has experienced a tumultuous political history over the past centuries, including being divided during the Cold War era into East and West Germany before reunifying in 1990.
5. GERMANY
• Germany ( i/ˈdʒɜrməni/; German: Deutschland), officially the Federal Republic of
Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced[ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk
ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)),[15] is a federal parliamentary republic in western-central Europe. The country
consists of 16 states and its capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 square
kilometres (137,847 sq mi) and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 80.6 million inhabitants,
it is the most populous member state in theEuropean Union. Germany is the major economic and
political power of the European continent and a historic leader in many cultural, theoretical and
technical fields.
• Various Germanic tribes occupied what is now northern Germany and southern Scandinavia
since classical antiquity. A region named Germaniawas documented by the Romans before AD 100.
During the Migration Periodthat coincided with the decline of the Roman Empire, the Germanic tribes
expanded southward and established kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th
century, German territories formed a central part of theHoly Roman Empire.[16] During the 16th century,
northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation. Occupied during
theNapoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in
the unification of most of the German states in 1871 into the German Empire, which was dominated
by Prussia.
• After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the
Empire was replaced by the parliamentaryWeimar Republic in 1918, with some of its territory partitioned
in the Treaty of Versaill. Despite its lead in many scientific and cultural fields at this time, Germany
nonetheless endured significant economic and political instability, which intensified during the Great
Depression and contributed to the establishment of the Third Reich in 1933. The subsequent rise
of fascism led to World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into
two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990, the country was reunified.
6. GERMANY
• Germany has the world's fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP and thefifth-
largest by purchasing power parity. As a global leader in several industrial and
technological sectors, it is the second-largest exporter andthird-largest importer of
goods. It is a developed country with a very high standard of living, featuring
comprehensive social security that includes the world's oldest universal health
care system. Known for its rich cultural andpolitical history, Germany has been the
home of many influentialphilosophers, music composers, scientists, and inventors.
Germany was a founding member of the European Community in 1957, which
became the EUin 1993. It is part of the Schengen Area, and has been a member of
theeurozone since 1999. Germany is a great power and is a member of theUnited
Nations, NATO, the G8, the G20, the OECD and the Council of Europe.