View source for Germany

{{about|the modern country named Germany|other meanings of Germany|German}}
{{redirect|Federal Republic of Germany|the country from 1949 to 1990|West Germany}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{coord|51|N|9|E|display=title}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Federal Republic of Germany
| common_name            = Germany
| native_name            = ''Bundesrepublik Deutschland'' ([[German language|German]])
| image_flag             = Flag of Germany.svg
| image_coat             = Coat of arms of Germany.svg
| national_anthem        = "[[Deutschlandlied]]"{{efn|From 1952 to 1990, the entire "Deutschlandlied" was the national anthem, but only the third verse was sung on official occasions. Since 1991, the third verse alone has been the national anthem.<ref name="PresidentsOffice">{{cite web|url=http://www.bundespraesident.de/DE/Amt-und-Aufgaben/Wirken-im-Inland/Repraesentation-und-Integration/repraesentation-und-integration-node.html|title=Repräsentation und Integration|last=Bundespräsidialamt|author-link=Bundespräsidialamt|language=de|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307221541/http://www.bundespraesident.de/DE/Amt-und-Aufgaben/Wirken-im-Inland/Repraesentation-und-Integration/repraesentation-und-integration-node.html|archive-date=7 March 2016|access-date=8 March 2016}}</ref>}}<br />({{lang-en|"Song of Germany"}})<br /><div style="display:inline-block;margin-top:0.4em;">[[File:German national anthem performed by the US Navy Band.ogg]]</div>
| image_map              = {{switcher|[[File:EU-Germany (orthographic projection).svg|frameless]]|Show globe|[[File:EU-Germany.svg|upright=1.15|frameless]]|Show map of Europe|default=1}}
| map_caption            = {{map caption
| location_color = dark green
| region = Europe
| region_color = dark grey
| subregion = the [[European Union]]
| subregion_color = light green
}}
| map_width              = 25px
| capital                = [[Berlin]]<small>{{efn|Berlin is the sole constitutional capital and ''de jure'' seat of government, but the former provisional capital of the Federal Republic of Germany, [[Bonn]], has the special title of "federal city" ({{lang|de|Bundesstadt}}) and is the primary seat of six ministries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/politics/the-german-federal-government|website=deutschland.de|title=The German Federal Government|date=23 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430004825/https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/politics/the-german-federal-government|archive-date=30 April 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>}}</small>
| coordinates            = {{Coord|52|31|N|13|23|E|type:city}}
| largest_city           = capital
| languages_type         = Official language
| languages              = [[German language|German]]{{efn|[[Danish language|Danish]], [[Low German]], [[Sorbian languages|Sorbian]], [[Romani language|Romany]], and [[Frisian languages|Frisian]] are recognised by the [[European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2018/09/the-protection-of-minority-and-regional-languages-in-germany/|publisher=Library of Congress|last=Gesley|first=Jenny|title=The Protection of Minority and Regional Languages in Germany|date=26 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525092638/https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2018/09/the-protection-of-minority-and-regional-languages-in-germany/|archive-date=25 May 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
| demonym                = [[Germans|German]]
| government_type        = [[Federalism|Federal]] [[parliamentary republic]]
| leader_title1          = [[President of Germany|President]]
| leader_name1           = [[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]]
| leader_title2          = [[Chancellor of Germany (Federal Republic of Germany)|Chancellor]]
| leader_name2           = [[Olaf Scholz]]
| legislature            = {{sp}}
| upper_house            = [[Bundesrat of Germany|Bundesrat]]
| lower_house            = [[Bundestag]]
| sovereignty_type       = [[History of Germany|Formation]]
| established_event1     = {{nowrap|[[Unification of Germany|Unification]]}}
| established_date1      = 18 January 1871
| established_event2     = {{nowrap|[[Weimar Republic|Monarchy abolished]]}}
| established_date2      = 9 November 1918
| established_event3     = [[Nazi Germany]]
| established_date3      = 23 March 1933
| established_event4     = {{nowrap|[[History of Germany (1945–1990)|West–East division]]{{efn|The [[West Germany|Federal Republic of Germany]] was proclaimed on the [[Allied-occupied Germany|British, American and French occupation zones]] on 23 May 1949 while the [[East Germany|German Democratic Republic]] was formed from the [[Soviet occupation zone]] on 7 October 1949.}}}}
| established_date4      = 23 May 1949
| established_event5     = [[German reunification|Reunification]]
| established_date5      = 3 October 1990
| area_km2               = 357,022
| area_footnote          = 
| area_rank              = 63rd <!-- Area rank should match [[List of countries and dependencies by area]] -->
| area_sq_mi             = 137,847 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
| percent_water          = 1.27 (as of 2015)<ref>{{cite web|title=Surface water and surface water change|access-date=11 October 2020|publisher=[[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD)|url=https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=SURFACE_WATER#|archive-date=24 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324133453/https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=SURFACE_WATER|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_estimate    = {{increase neutral}} 83,190,556<ref name="2018pop">{{cite web|url=https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Gesellschaft-Umwelt/Bevoelkerung/Bevoelkerungsstand/Tabellen/zensus-geschlecht-staatsangehoerigkeit-2020.html|title=Bevölkerung nach Geschlecht und Staatsangehörigkeit|access-date=15 July 2018|website=Destatis|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823083410/https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Gesellschaft-Umwelt/Bevoelkerung/Bevoelkerungsstand/Tabellen/zensus-geschlecht-staatsangehoerigkeit-2019.html|archive-date=23 August 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_estimate_year = 2020
| population_estimate_rank = 18th
| population_density_km2 = 232
| population_density_sq_mi = 601 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
| population_density_rank = 58th
| GDP_PPP                = {{increase}} $4.743 trillion<ref name=imf2>{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2021/April/weo-report?c=134,&s=NGDP_RPCH,NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2019&ey=2026&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |title=World Economic Outlook database: April 2021 |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]] |date=April 2021 |access-date=12 April 2021 |archive-date=12 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412070027/https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2021/April/weo-report?c=134,&s=NGDP_RPCH,NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2019&ey=2026&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_rank           = 5th
| GDP_PPP_year           = 2021
| GDP_PPP_per_capita     = {{increase}} $56,956<ref name="imf2" />
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 15th
| GDP_nominal            = {{increase}} $4.319 trillion<ref name="imf2" />
| GDP_nominal_rank       = 4th
| GDP_nominal_year       = 2021
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{increase}} $51,860<ref name="imf2" />
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 15th
| Gini                   = 29.7 <!--number only-->
| Gini_year              = 2019
| Gini_change            = decrease<!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| Gini_ref               = <ref name="eurogini">{{cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tessi190/default/table?lang=en|title=Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income|publisher=[[Eurostat]]|access-date=15 December 2020|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009091832/https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tessi190/default/table?lang=en|url-status=live}}</ref>
| Gini_rank              = 
| HDI                    = 0.947 <!--number only-->
| HDI_year               = 2019<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year-->
| HDI_change             = increase<!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| HDI_ref                = <ref name="UNHDR">{{cite web|url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/latest-human-development-index-ranking|title=Human Development Report 2020|date=15 December 2020|publisher=[[United Nations Development Programme]]|access-date=15 December 2020|archive-date=15 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201215100725/http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/latest-human-development-index-ranking|url-status=live}}</ref>
| HDI_rank               = 6th
| currency               = [[Euro]] ([[Euro sign|€]])
| currency_code          = EUR
| time_zone              = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset             = +1
| utc_offset_DST         = +2
| time_zone_DST          = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| cctld                  = [[.de]]
| today                  = 
| drives_on              = Right
}}

'''Germany''' ({{lang-de|Deutschland}}, {{IPA-de|ˈdɔʏtʃlant|pron|De-Deutschland.ogg}}), officially the '''Federal Republic of Germany''' (''Bundesrepublik Deutschland''),<ref>Grundgesetz, Preamble and Article 20 (1) ''Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland ist ein demokratischer und sozialer Bundesstaat''.</ref> is a country in the western region of [[Central Europe]]. The country's full name is sometimes shortened to the '''FRG''' (or the '''BRD''', in German).

To the north of Germany are the [[North Sea|North]] and [[Baltic Sea]]s, and the kingdom of [[Denmark]]. To the east of Germany are the countries of [[Poland]] and the [[Czech Republic]]. To the south of Germany are the countries of [[Austria]] and [[Switzerland]]. To the west of Germany are the countries of [[France]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Belgium]], and the [[Netherlands]]. The total area of Germany is 357,021 square kilometres (137,847 square miles). Most of Germany has warm summers and cold winters. In March 2021, Germany had a population of 83.1 million people, the second-largest in Europe after [[Russia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-10-most-populated-countries-in-europe.html|title=The 10 Most Populated Countries In Europe|website=WorldAtlas|language=en|access-date=17 July 2019|archive-date=30 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330014301/https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-10-most-populated-countries-in-europe.html|url-status=live}}</ref> After the [[United States]], Germany is the second most popular country for [[immigration|migration]] in the world.<ref>{{cite web|title=Germany Top Migration Land After U.S. in New OECD Ranking|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-20/immigration-boom-propels-germany-past-u-k-in-new-oecd-ranking.html|publisher=Bloomberg|date=20 May 2014|accessdate=29 August 2014|archive-date=3 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903084307/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-20/immigration-boom-propels-germany-past-u-k-in-new-oecd-ranking.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Before it was called Germany, it was called Germania. In the years A.D. 900 – 1806, Germany was part of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. From 1949 to 1990, Germany was made up of two countries called the Federal Republic of Germany ([[West Germany]]) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). During this time, the capital city of [[Berlin]] was divided into a west and an east part. On 13 August 1961, [[German Democratic Republic|East Germany]] started building the [[Berlin Wall]] between the two parts of Berlin. West Germany was one of the countries that started the [[European Union]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://europa.eu/abc/history/1945-1959/1957/index_en.htm. |title=History of the European Union |accessdate=20 March 2012 |publisher=European Union }}{{Dead link|date=September 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Greater German Reich (1942).svg|thumbnail|left|200px|[[Nazi Germany]]]]
===Before 19th century===
Germany gained importance as the [[Holy Roman Empire]] of the German Nation, which was the first ''Reich'' (this word means ''empire''). It was started by [[Charlemagne]] who became the first [[Holy Roman Emperor]] in 800&nbsp;AD, and it lasted until 1806, the time of the [[Napoleonic Wars]].<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=The foundation of the first German emipre|url=http://laender-lexikon.com/fdtlhi1r.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713181044/http://laender-lexikon.com/fdtlhi1r.htm|archive-date=13 July 2011|accessdate=20 March 2012|website=}}</ref> After, German [[Nation state|nation-states]] were made sovereign in [[Central Europe]].
===19th century===
During the mid-1800s, [[Prussia]] was led by [[Chancellor of Germany|Chancellor]] [[Otto von Bismarck]], who is sometimes known as the "Father of Germany". He led a process to bring the German people together under one country. In 1866, Prussia won a war against [[Austrian Empire|Austria]] and their allies. During this time, Prussia founded the [[North German Confederation]]. The treaty of [[unification of Germany]] was made in [[Palace of Versailles|Versailles]] after Germany won the [[Franco-Prussian War]] in 1871.<ref name="timetable">{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=A timeline of German – The second German empire|url=http://www.stefanjacob.de/Geschichte/Unterseiten/Zeittafel.php?Intern=5&PHPSESSID=b90e60702ee906731aa362b243a99d20|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060501110725/http://www.stefanjacob.de/Geschichte/Unterseiten/Zeittafel.php?Intern=5&PHPSESSID=b90e60702ee906731aa362b243a99d20|archive-date=1 May 2006|accessdate=20 March 2012|website=|language=German}}</ref> This began the Second Reich. The biggest state in the new German Empire was Prussia. The rulers were called [[Kaiser]]s or "German Emperors", but they did not call themselves "Emperors ''of'' Germany". There were many smaller states in the Empire, but not [[Austria]].

Germany stayed an empire for 50 years. It joined the other European empires in the [[Scramble for Africa]] and fought wars to make large parts of Africa and [[Oceania]] its [[colonies]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=January 2005|title=Facing the Past to Liberate the Future: Colonial Africa in the German Mind|url=https://www.humanityinaction.org/knowledge_detail/facing-the-past-to-liberate-the-future-colonial-africa-in-the-german-mind/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304214927/https://www.humanityinaction.org/knowledge_detail/facing-the-past-to-liberate-the-future-colonial-africa-in-the-german-mind/|archive-date=4 March 2021|access-date=7 February 2021|website=Humanity in Action|language=en-US}}</ref> It [[Herero and Namaqua genocide|killed many Nama and Herero people]] who did not want to be ruled by Germany.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Gross|first=Daniel A.|date=28 October 2015|title=A Brutal Genocide in Colonial Africa Finally Gets its Deserved Recognition|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/brutal-genocide-colonial-africa-finally-gets-its-deserved-recognition-180957073/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211033420/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/brutal-genocide-colonial-africa-finally-gets-its-deserved-recognition-180957073/|archive-date=11 February 2021|access-date=7 February 2021|website=[[Smithsonian]] Magazine|language=en}}</ref> Today, those colonies have become seven states: [[Togo]], [[Cameroon]], [[Namibia]], [[Rwanda]], [[Burundi]], [[Tanzania]], and [[Papua New Guinea]].<ref name=":0" />
===Early 20th century===
Germany was in [[World War I]] with their ally [[Austria-Hungary]], and again declared war on France.<ref name="timetable" /> The war became slow in the west and became [[trench warfare]]. Many men were killed on both sides without winning or losing. In the [[Eastern Front (World War I)|Eastern Front]] the soldiers fought with the [[Russian Empire]] and won there after the Russians gave up. The war ended in 1918 because the Germans could not win in the west and gave up. Germany's emperor also had to give up his power, and most of Germany's African colonies were taken by other European empires.<ref name="timetable" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Schilling|first=Britta|date=12 June 2019|title=German Colonialism in Africa|url=https://academic.oup.com/ehr/article/134/567/390/5384501|journal=The English Historical Review|language=en|volume=134|issue=567|pages=390–403|doi=10.1093/ehr/cez006|issn=0013-8266|access-date=7 February 2021|archive-date=8 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208212729/https://academic.oup.com/ehr/article/134/567/390/5384501|url-status=live}}</ref> France took [[Alsace]] from Germany and Poland got the [[Danzig]] corridor. After a revolution, the Second Reich ended, and the [[democracy|democratic]] [[Weimar Republic]] began.
===Interwar period===
After the war, there were a lot of problems with money in Germany because of the [[Treaty of Versailles|Peace Treaty of Versailles]], which made Germany pay for the costs of World War I and the worldwide [[Great Depression]].<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=A timeline of German – The Third ''Reich''|url=http://www.stefanjacob.de/Geschichte/Unterseiten/Zeittafel.php?Intern=6&PHPSESSID=b90e60702ee906731aa362b243a99d20|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060501111009/http://www.stefanjacob.de/Geschichte/Unterseiten/Zeittafel.php?Intern=6&PHPSESSID=b90e60702ee906731aa362b243a99d20|archive-date=1 May 2006|accessdate=20 March 2012|website=|language=German}}</ref>

The Third Reich was [[Nazi Germany]]; it lasted 12 years, from 1933 to 1945.<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=History of Nazi Germany|url=http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=22684|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513195543/http://123helpme.com/view.asp?id=22684|archive-date=13 May 2012|accessdate=20 March 2012|website=123HELPME}}</ref> It started after [[Adolf Hitler]] became the [[head of government]]. On 23 March 1933, the [[Reichstag (institution)|Reichstag]] (parliament) passed the Enabling Act, which let Hitler's government command the country without help from the Reichstag and the presidency. This gave him total control of the country and the government.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/267992/Adolf-Hitler | title = Adolf Hitler by britannica.com | accessdate = 20 March 2012 | archive-date = 20 March 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120320205208/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/267992/Adolf-Hitler/ | url-status = live }}</ref> Hitler, in effect, became a [[dictator]].
===World War II===
Hitler wanted to unify all Germans in one state and did this by [[Annexation|taking over]] places where Germans lived, such as [[Austria]] and [[Czechoslovakia]]; Hitler also wanted the land in Poland that Germany had owned before 1918, but Poland refused to give it to him. He then invaded Poland. This started [[World War II]] on 1 September 1939. In the beginning of the war, Germany was winning and even successfully invaded France. It managed to take over much of Europe. However, Germany attacked the [[Soviet Union]] in 1941 and after the [[Battle of Kursk]], the German Eastern Front began a slow retreat until war's end. On 8 May 1945, Germany gave up after Berlin was captured, Hitler had killed himself a week earlier. Because of the war, Germany lost a lot of German land east of [[Oder-Neisse line|the Oder-Neiße line]], and for 45 years, Germany was split into West Germany and [[German Democratic Republic|East Germany]]. Other events happened during the war in Nazi Germany, including [[the Holocaust]], the mass [[genocide]] of Jews and other peoples, for which some Nazis were punished in the [[Nuremberg Trials]].
===Cold War===
After [[World War II]] Germany was [[Allied-occupied Germany|occupied by the allies]] and in 1949 it was divided into 2 states: [[West Germany]] and [[East Germany]], who were stuck in the [[Cold War]]. The capital city of [[Berlin]] was divided between the two by the [[Berlin Wall]]. In 1989 there was a process of [[reform]]s in East Germany, which lead to the opening of the [[Berlin Wall]] and to the end of socialist rule in Germany. These events are known as the ''[[Wende]]'' or the ''Friedliche Revolution'' (Peaceful Revolution) in Germany. After that, East Germany [[German reunification|joined]] West Germany in 1990.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history |title=This Day in History – History.com – What Happened Today in History |work=history.com |year=2012 |accessdate=20 March 2012 |archive-date=9 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309133503/http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history |url-status=live }}</ref> The new Germany is a part of the [[European Union]].<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|year=2012|title=List of Countries - European Union (EU)|url=http://www.statcan.gc.ca/subjects-sujets/standard-norme/sgc-cgt/eu-ue-eng.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20110519215124/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/subjects-sujets/standard-norme/sgc-cgt/eu-ue-eng.htm|archive-date=19 May 2011|accessdate=20 March 2012|work=statcan.gc.ca}}</ref>

=== Timeline ===
*1914''–''1918: [[World War I]]
*1939''–''1945: [[World War II]]
*1949-1990: [[Cold War]]

== Politics ==
{{main|Politics of Germany}}
[[File:Olaf Scholz 2021 cropped.jpg|thumbnail|left|150px|upright|Chancellor [[Olaf Scholz]]]]
[[File:Chart Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany EN.svg|thumb|250px|[[Politics of Germany|Political system of Germany]]]]
[[File:Berlin reichstag CP.jpg|thumbnail|The [[Reichstag (building)|Reichstag Building]] in Berlin is the site of the German parliament.]]

Germany is a [[constitution]]al [[Federal republic|federal]] [[democracy]].<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland|url=http://www.bundestag.de/parlament/funktion/gesetze/grundgesetz/gg_02.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060524132627/http://www.bundestag.de/parlament/funktion/gesetze/grundgesetz/gg_02.html|archive-date=24 May 2006|accessdate=20 March 2012|website=|publisher=The German Bundestag|language=German, English|quote=Artikel 20(1) Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland ist ein demokratischer und sozialer Bundesstaat.}}</ref> Its political rules come from the 'constitution' called ''[[Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany|Basic Law]]'' (''Grundgesetz''), written by West Germany in 1949. It has a [[parliamentary system]], and the parliament elects the head of government, the [[Chancellor of Germany|Federal Chancellor]] (''Bundeskanzler''). The current Chancellor, [[Olaf Scholz]], is a man who used to live in [[West Germany]].

The people of Germany vote for the parliament, called the ''[[Bundestag]]'' (Federal Assembly), every four years.<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|year=2012|title=German Bundestag: Elections|url=http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/bundestag/elections/index.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605072254/http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/bundestag/elections/index.jsp|archive-date=5 June 2010|accessdate=20 March 2012|work=bundestag.de}}</ref> Government members of the 16 [[States of Germany]] (''Bundesländer'') work in the ''[[Bundesrat (Germany)|Bundesrat]]'' (Federal Council). The ''Bundesrat'' can help make some laws.<ref name="de-book">{{cite book| last1 = Thom| first1 = Bruce G.| last2 = Australia| first2 = Random House| title = Geographica's World Reference| date = 2008| publisher = Random House Australia| isbn = 978-0-09-184119-5| page = 446 }}</ref>

{{office-table}}
|[[President of Germany|President]]
|[[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]]
|[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]
|19 March 2017
|-
|[[Chancellor of Germany|Chancellor]]
|[[Olaf Scholz]]
|[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]
|8 December 2021
|-
|Other government parties
|
|[[Alliance 90/The Greens|Green]], [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]
|
|}

The [[head of state]] is the ''[[President of Germany|Bundespräsident]]'' (Federal President). This person has no real powers but can order [[elections]] for the Bundestag. The current president is [[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]] (SPD).

The [[courts of Germany|judiciary branch]] (the part of German politics that deals with courts) has a ''[[Federal Constitutional Court of Germany|Bundesverfassungsgericht]]'' (Federal Constitutional Court). It can stop any [[Law|act]] by the law-makers or other leaders if they feel they go against Germany's constitution.

The opposition parties are the [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]], [[Christian Social Union in Bavaria|CSU]], [[Die Linke]] and the [[Alternative for Germany|AfD]].

== Geography ==
[[File:Deutschland topo.jpg|thumbnail|upright|Topographic map]]
Germany is one of the largest countries in Europe. It stretches from the [[North Sea]] and [[Baltic Sea]] in the north to the high mountains of the [[Alps]] in the south. The highest point is the [[Zugspitze]] on the Austrian [[border]], at {{convert|2962|m|ft}}.<ref name="de-book"/>

Germany's northern part is very low and flat (lowest point: [[Neuendorf-Sachsenbande]] at {{convert|-3.54|m|ft|disp=or|abbr=on}}). In the middle, there are low mountain ranges covered in large forests. Between these and the Alps, there is another plain created by [[glacier]]s during the [[ice age]]s.

Germany also contains parts of Europe's longest rivers, such as the [[Rhine]] (which makes up a part of Germany's western border, while [[Oder River]] is on its eastern border), the [[Danube]] and the [[Elbe]].<ref name="de-book"/>

=== States ===
{{main|States of Germany}}
[[File:Germany general map.png|thumbnail|270px|Map of Germany]]

In Germany there are sixteen states (''Bundesländer''):

{| style="background:none;" cellspacing="2"
|
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%;"
|- style="font-size:100%; text-align:right;"
! style="width:140px;"| [[States of Germany|State]] !! style="width:85px;"| [[Capital (political)|Capital]] !! style="width:85px;"| Area (km²)!! style="width:85px;"| [[Population]]<ref name="population-by-states">{{cite web
| author = Statistisches Bundesamt
| url = https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Population/Current-Population/Tables/population-by-laender.html
| title = Population by nationaly and federal states
| date = 31 December 2020
| website = destatis.de
| access-date = 12 July 2021
| archive-date = 12 July 2021
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210712164923/https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Population/Current-Population/Tables/population-by-laender.html
| url-status = live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Baden-Württemberg]] || [[Stuttgart]] || style="text-align:right"|35,752|| style="text-align:right"|11,103,043
|-
| [[Bavaria]] || [[Munich]] || style="text-align:right"|70,549|| style="text-align:right"|13,140,183
|-
| [[Berlin]] || [[Berlin]] ||style="text-align:right"|892|| style="text-align:right"|3,664,088
|-
| [[Brandenburg]] || [[Potsdam]] || style="text-align:right"|29,477|| style="text-align:right"|2,531,071
|-
| [[Bremen (state)|Bremen]] || [[Bremen]] || style="text-align:right"|404|| style="text-align:right"|680,130
|-
| [[Hamburg]] || [[Hamburg]] ||style="text-align:right"|755|| style="text-align:right"|1,852,478
|-
| [[Hesse]] || [[Wiesbaden]] || style="text-align:right"|21,115|| style="text-align:right"|6,293,154
|-
| [[Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania]] || [[Schwerin]] || style="text-align:right"|23,174|| style="text-align:right"|1,610,774
|-
| [[Lower Saxony]] || [[Hanover]] || style="text-align:right"|47,618|| style="text-align:right"|8,003,421
|-
| [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] || [[Düsseldorf]] || style="text-align:right"|34,043|| style="text-align:right"|17,925,570
|-
| [[Rhineland-Palatinate]] || [[Mainz]] || style="text-align:right"|19,847|| style="text-align:right"|4,098,391
|-
| [[Saarland]] || [[Saarbrücken]] || style="text-align:right"|2,569|| style="text-align:right"|983,991
|-
| [[Saxony]] || [[Dresden]] || style="text-align:right"|18,416|| style="text-align:right"|4,056,941
|-
| [[Saxony-Anhalt]] || [[Magdeburg]] || style="text-align:right"|20,445|| style="text-align:right"|2,180,684
|-
| [[Schleswig-Holstein]] || [[Kiel]] || style="text-align:right"|15,763|| style="text-align:right"|2,910,875
|-
| [[Thuringia]] || [[Erfurt]] || style="text-align:right"|16,172|| style="text-align:right"|2,120,237
|}
|}
[[File:Germany, administrative divisions - es - colored.svg|thumb|States of Germany]]
In these states there are 301 ''[[List of German districts|Kreise]]'' (districts) and 114 independent cities, which do not belong to any district.

==Climate==

Germany has a mostly [[continental climate]], but the northern German coast has an [[oceanic climate]]. 

The highest temperature ever recorded in Germany was {{cvt|41.2|C|F}}, on 25 July 2019 in [[Duisburg]] and [[Tönisvorst]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dwd.de/DE/presse/pressemitteilungen/DE/2020/20201217_annulierung_lingen_news.html | title=Wetter und Klima - Deutscher Wetterdienst - Presse - DWD-Stationen Duisburg-Baerl und Tönisvorst jetzt Spitzenreiter mit 41,2 Grad Celsius }}</ref>

The lowest temperature ever recorded in Germany was {{cvt|-45.9|C|F}}, on 24 December 2001 in Funtensee.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.unwetterzentrale.de/uwz/495.html | title=Wetterextreme }}</ref>

== Economy ==
[[File:Frankfurt Skyline 2014.jpg|thumb|[[Frankfurt]] is one of the largest financial centers in Europe.]]
Germany has one of the world's largest [[technology|technologically]] powerful [[economy|economies]]. Bringing West and East Germany together and making their economy work is still taking a long time and costing a lot of money.<ref>{{cite book| last1 = Thom| first1 = Bruce G.| last2 = Australia| first2 = Random House| title = Geographica's Worl Reference| date = 2008| publisher = Random House Australia| isbn = 978-0-09-184119-5| page = 451 }}</ref> Germany is the largest economy in [[Europe]] and the fourth-largest in the world by nominal [[gross domestic product]] (GDP).<ref name=":1">{{cite web |url=http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/germany/ |title=Germany Economy &#124; Economy Watch |work=economywatch.com |year=2012 |accessdate=20 March 2012 |archive-date=26 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126094051/http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/germany |url-status=live }}</ref> In September 2011, the [[inflation|inflation rate]] in Germany was 2.5%. The [[unemployment|unemployment rate]] of Germany was 5.5% as of October 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3997.htm |title=Germany |work=state.gov |year=2012 |accessdate=20 March 2012 |archive-date=29 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829203430/https://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3997.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Germany is one of the [[G8]] countries. The main industry area is the [[Ruhr area]].<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|year=2012|title=Companies in Germany|url=http://www.mapsofworld.com/germany/german-companies.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061016190510/http://www.mapsofworld.com/germany/german-companies.html|archive-date=16 October 2006|accessdate=20 March 2012|work=mapsofworld.com}}</ref>

The country has companies like [[BMW]], [[Mercedes-Benz]], [[Audi]], [[Porsche]], [[Siemens]], [[Bosch]], [[SAP]], [[BASF]] and more. Germany's most exported products are cars.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sauerbrey|first=Anna|date=2019-12-30|title=Does Germany’s Vaunted Car Industry Have Long to Live?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/30/opinion/germany-cars-tesla-audi.html|access-date=2024-09-19|website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

Nearly all German companies are small- or medium-sized.<ref name=":1" />

== People ==
[[File:Castle Neuschwanstein.jpg|thumbnail|[[Neuschwanstein Castle]]]]
Most of the people in Germany are ethnically [[Germans]], but the country also has many [[ethnic minorities]]. There are at least seven million people from other countries living in Germany. Some have [[political asylum]], and some are [[guest worker]]s (''Gastarbeiter''). Many people from poor or dangerous countries go to Germany for safety. Many others move to Germany without permission.

About 50,000 ethnic Danish people live in Schleswig-Holstein, in the north. About 60,000 [[Sorbs]] (a [[Slavic peoples|Slavic]] people) live in Germany too, in [[Saxony]] and [[Brandenburg]]. About 12,000 people in Germany speak [[Frisian]]; this language is the closest language to English that is still spoken today. In northern Germany, people outside towns speak [[Low Saxon]].

Most of the people who have come to Germany are from [[Turkey]]. Germany has about 1.9 million [[Turks in Germany|Turkish]] immigrants and they own many businesses there. [[Turkish people]] introduced the [[Doner kebab]] and became a popular fast food in Germany. Other small groups of people in Germany are [[Croatia|Croats]] (0.2 million), [[Italy|Italians]] (0.6 million), Greeks (0.4 million), Russians, and [[Poland|Poles]] (0.3 million). There are also some ethnic Germans who lived in the old Soviet Union (1.7 million), Poland (0.7 million), and [[Romania]] (0.3 million). These people have German [[passport]]s, so they are not counted as foreigners. A lot of these people do not speak German at home.<ref name="de-book" />

Christianity is the biggest religion; [[Protestant]]s are 38% of the people (mostly in the north) and [[Catholicism|Catholics]] are 34% of the people (mostly in the south).<ref name="de-book"/> There are also many [[Muslims]], while the other people (26.3%) are either not religious, or belong to smaller religious groups.<ref name="de-book"/> In the eastern regions, the former territory of the [[GDR]] (known as the ''DDR'' in German), only one fifth of the population is religious.

Germany has one of the world's highest levels of schooling, technology, and businesses. The number of young people who attend universities is now three times more than it was after the end of World War II, and the [[trade school|trade]] and [[technical school]]s of Germany are some of the best in the world. German income is, on average, $25,000 a year, making Germany a highly middle class society. A large [[social welfare]] system gives people money when they are ill, unemployed, or similarly disadvantaged. Millions of Germans travel outside of their country each year.

The four recognized minorities in Germany are Danes 50,000 (concentrated in Schleswig-Holstein state), Frisians 60,000-70,000 (based in Eastern and Northern Frisia), Sorbs 60,000 (primarily in Saxony and Brandenburg) and [[Roma people|Romani]] and [[Sinti]].<ref>[https://minorityrights.org/country/germany/]</ref>

== Immigration ==
Germany is a very densely populated country, and especially in cities the housing situation is difficult and rents are high. Already in 2014 there were 39,000 [[Homelessness|homeless people]] in Germany and 339,000 people without an apartment.<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Zahl der Wohungslosen|url=http://www.bag-wohnungslosenhilfe.de/de/themen/zahl_der_wohnungslosen/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207153636/http://www.bag-wohnungslosenhilfe.de/de/themen/zahl_der_wohnungslosen/|archive-date=7 December 2013|accessdate=26 November 2016|website=|publisher=BAG Wohungslosenhilfe e.V.|language=German}}</ref> Here is a link to a German video report<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Video: "Flüchtlinge müssen länger in Sporthallen bleiben"|url=http://www.spiegel.de/video/fluechtlinge-in-berlin-muessen-laenger-in-sporthallen-bleiben-video-1723388.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128100937/http://www.spiegel.de/video/fluechtlinge-in-berlin-muessen-laenger-in-sporthallen-bleiben-video-1723388.html|archive-date=28 November 2016|accessdate=26 November 2016|website=|publisher=Spiegel Online}}</ref> from a German news magazine. The video is about refugees, who have been living in a sports gym in Berlin for over a year with no privacy. In the video people discuss amongst others why there are problems to find living space in containers. The containers are similar to those in [[Zaatari refugee camp]].

== Religion ==
[[File:Colognecathedralatnight.JPG|thumb|upright|The [[Cologne Cathedral]] at the [[Rhine]] river is a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]].]]
[[File:Frauenkirche interior 2008 001-Frauenkirche interior 2008 009.jpg|thumb|left|Inside the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in [[Dresden]]]]
Germany's constitution says that all people can believe in any religion they want to, and that no one is allowed to discriminate against somebody because of the person's religion.

In ancient times, Germany was largely [[Germanic paganism|pagan]]. [[Roman Catholicism]] was the biggest religion in Germany up to the 15th century, but a major religious change called the [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]] changed this. In 1517, [[Martin Luther]] said that the Catholic Church used religion to make money. Luther started [[Protestant]]ism, which is as big as the Catholic religion in Germany today. Before World War II, about two-thirds of the German people were Protestant and one-thirds were Roman Catholic. In the north and northeast of Germany, there were a lot more Protestants than Catholics. Today, about two-thirds of German people (more than 55 million people) call themselves Christian, but most of them do not practice it. About half of them are Protestants and about half are Roman Catholics.<ref name="cia">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html|title=CIA Factbook: Germany|accessdate=1 September 2009|archive-date=11 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160211075204/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Most German Protestants are members of the [[Evangelical Church in Germany]]. The previous Pope, [[Pope Benedict XVI|Benedict XVI]], was born in Germany.

Before World War II, about one percent of the country's people were [[German Jews]]. Today, Germany has the fastest-growing group of [[Jewish]] people in the world. Many of them are in Berlin. Ten thousand Jews have moved to Germany since the fall of the [[Berlin Wall]]; many came from countries that were in the Soviet Union. Schools teaching about the things that happened when the Nazis were in power, as well as teaching against the ideas of the Nazis, has helped to make Germany very [[Toleration|tolerant]] towards other people and cultures, and now many people move there from countries that may not be so tolerant.

About three million [[Muslim]]s live in Germany, 3.7% of the total population.<ref name="cia"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ilaam.net/Intl/PopStats.html |title=Ilaam.net |accessdate=18 May 2009 |archive-date=8 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008191040/http://www.ilaam.net/Intl/PopStats.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The country also has a large [[Atheism|atheist]] and agnostic population, and there are also large about 0.6 million [[Hinduism]] follower and some small group of Jain, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities. The 20th century has also seen a [[Germanic neopaganism|neopagan]] revival.

== Culture ==
[[File:Beethoven.jpg|thumbnail|right|upright|[[Ludwig van Beethoven]] (1770–1827), composer
[[File:Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphonie 5 c-moll - 1. Allegro con brio.ogg|right|140x140px]]]]

[[File:Franz Marc 003.jpg|thumbnail|upright|left|''Blaues Pferd I'' (''Blue Horse I''), 1911 by [[Franz Marc]] (1880–1916)]]
Germany has a long history of poets, thinkers, and artists. There are 240 supported theaters, hundreds of orchestras, thousands of museums and over 25,000 [[library|libraries]] in Germany. Millions of tourists visit these attractions every year. Some of the greatest classical musicians including [[Johann Sebastian Bach]], [[Ludwig van Beethoven]] and possibly [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]] were German. Some of the most revered scientists today like [[Albert Einstein]] are German. [[Artists]] like Marc Engelhard are active in the 21st century.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinterest.de/MarcEngelhardCelebrity/tanzdance-engelhard/ |title=Marc Engelhard Overview I|date=2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinterest.de/MarcEngelhardCelebrity/marc-engelhard-stage/ |title=Marc Engelhard Overview II|date=2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinterest.de/MarcEngelhardCelebrity/acting-marc-engelhard-some-moods-sides/ |title=Marc Engelhard Overview III|date=2022}}</ref>


Germany has created a high level of gender equality, disability rights, and accepts homosexuality. [[Gay marriage]] has been legal in Germany since 2017.

=== Food ===
[[Doner kebab]] is often considered a popular German-Turkish fast food. But more traditional foods of German cuisine are [[sausage]] based such as [[Bratwurst]] and [[Currywurst]]. German food varies from region to region. For example, in the southern regions, such as [[Bavaria]] and [[Baden-Württemberg]], they share their type of food with [[Switzerland]] and [[Austria]]. Everywhere in Germany, meat is eaten as a sausage. Even though wine use is increasing, the national alcoholic drink is beer. The number of Germans who drink [[beer]] is one of the highest in the world. German restaurants are often rated the second-best, with [[France]] rated first place.

=== Sports ===
[[File:Signal iduna park stadium dortmund 6.jpg|thumb|left|260px|[[Signal Iduna Park]] is the biggest [[Association football|football]] stadium in Germany.]]
Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Germany. The [[Germany national football team|national team]] has won the [[FIFA World Cup]] 4 times, and appears in the finals a lot. The top football league in Germany is [[Bundesliga]]. Also, the [[German Football Association]] (''Deutscher Fußball-Bund'') is the largest in the world. A lot of big football teams are from Germany, like [[FC Bayern Munich]], [[Borussia Dortmund]], [[RB Leipzig]] and many others. Some of the world's best [[footballer]]s come from Germany too. These would include [[Mesut Özil]], [[Manuel Neuer]], [[Serdar Tasci]], [[Michael Ballack]], [[Bastian Schweinsteiger]], [[Franz Beckenbauer]], and so on. Plus, many tournaments have taken place in Germany. The most recent was the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]], and the [[2011 FIFA Women's World Cup]]. The [[Audi Cup]] takes place in Germany every year in [[Munich]].

Germany is also known for its motor sports. Successful German racing drivers include [[Michael Schumacher]] and [[Sebastian Vettel]].

Successful [[tennis]] players have also come from Germany, including [[Steffi Graf]] and [[Boris Becker]]. More recently, [[Sabine Lisicki]] reached the Women's Singles final at Wimbledon in 2013.

Lastly, Germany is one of the best countries in the [[Olympic Games]]. Germany is the third in the list of the most Olympic Games medals in history (mixed with [[West Germany|West]] and [[East Germany]] medals). The country finished first place in the [[2006 Winter Olympics]], second place in the [[2010 Winter Olympics]]. Germany also got fifth place in the [[2008 Summer Olympics]].

==Related pages==
* [[Germany at the Olympics]]
* [[Germany national football team]]
* [[List of rivers of Germany]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|2|refs=
<!--
<ref name="CIA">{{cite web| url = https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html| title = World Factbook | accessdate =26 March 2011|publisher=CIA}}</ref>

<ref name="pop">[https://www.destatis.de/DE/Publikationen/Thematisch/Bevoelkerung/MigrationIntegration/Migrationshintergrund2010220107004.pdf?__blob=publicationFile Bevölkerung und Erwerbstätigkeit: Bevölkerung mit Migrationshintergrund – Ergebnisse des Mikrozensus 2010], p. 64 statistics</ref>
-->
}}

== Other websites ==
{{Sister project links|voy=Germany}}
* [http://www.deutschland.de/en Deutschland.de] ''–'' topical multilingual website about Germany
* [http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Germany Germany] on Citizendium
* [http://www.statistikportal.de/ Statistikportal.de] ''–'' website with statistical data
* [http://eng.bundesregierung.de/frameset/ Bundesregierung Deutschland] ''–'' website of the German Federal Government
* [http://eng.bundespraesident.de/frameset/ Bundespräsident]{{Dead link|date=April 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ''–'' website of the German President
* [http://www.bundeskanzlerin.de/Webs/BKin/EN/Homepage/homepage_node.html Bundeskanzlerin.de]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023042055/http://www.bundeskanzlerin.de/Webs/BKin/EN/Homepage/homepage_node.html |date=23 October 2014 }}. Official website of the first female Bundeskanzler, [[Angela Merkel]] (in English).
* [http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/ Bundestag] ''–'' website of the German Parliament
* [http://www.panorama-cities.net/ City Panoramas] ''–'' panoramic views and virtual tours of German cities and towns
* Axel Boldt at http://math-www.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/ ''[http://math-www.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/us-d.html A Subjective Comparison of Germany and the United States]''
* [[wikia:scratchpad:Allemagne_fédérale|Allemagne in easy French]]
* [http://wiki.worldflicks.org/germany.html WorldFlicks in Germany: photos and interesting places on Google Maps]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309093253/http://wiki.worldflicks.org/germany.html |date=9 March 2008 }}.

{{Germany topics}}
{{European Union}}
{{Europe}}
{{G8}}
{{Group of 7}}
{{North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Germany| ]]
[[Category:G7 nations]]
[[Category:European Union member states]]
[[Category:German-speaking countries]]
[[Category:G8 nations]]
[[Category:Federations]]