Country in Central Europe
"Deutschland" redirects here. For other uses, see Deutschland (disambiguation) and Germany (disambiguation).
"Federal Republic of Germany" redirects here. For the country from 1949–1990, see West Germany.
Federal Republic of Germany Bundesrepublik Deutschland (German) | |
|---|---|
| Anthem: "Das Lied der Deutschen"[a] ("The Song of the Germans") | |
Show globe Show map of Europe Location of Germany (dark green) – in Europe (light green & dark grey) | |
| Capital and largest city | Berlin[b] 52°31′N13°23′E / 52.517°N 13.383°E / 52.517; 13.383 |
| Official languages | German[c] |
| Demonym(s) | German |
| Government | Federal parliamentary republic[4] |
• President | Frank-Walter Steinmeier |
• Chancellor | Olaf Scholz |
| Legislature | Bundestag, Bundesrat[d] |
• Total | 357,596 km2 (138,069 sq mi)[6] (63rd) |
• Water (%) | 1.27[5] |
• Q1 2024 estimate | 83,465,411[7] |
• 2022 census | 82,719,540[8] (19th) |
• Density | 236/km2 (611.2/sq mi) (58th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | $6.017 trillion[9] (6th) |
• Per capita | $70,930[9] (22nd) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | $4.710 trillion[9] (3rd) |
• Per capita | $55,521[9] (17th) |
| Gini (2023) | 29.4[10] low inequality |
| HDI (2022) | 0.950[11] very high (7th) |
| Currency | Euro (€) (EUR) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Date format |
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| Drives on | Right |
| Calling code | +49 |
| ISO 3166 code | DE |
| Internet TLD | .de |
Germany,[e] officially the Federal Republic of Germany,[f] is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen constituent states have a total population of over 82 million in an area of 357,596 km2 (138,069 sq mi), making it the most populous member state of the European Union. 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. The nation's capital and most populous city is Berlin and its main financial centre is Frankfurt; the largest urban area is the Ruhr.
Settlement in the territory of modern Germany began in the Lower Paleolithic, with various tribes inhabiting it from the Neolithic onward, chiefly the Celts. Various Germanictribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity. A region named Germania was documented before AD 100. In 962, the Kingdom of Germany formed the bulk of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation. Following the Napoleonic Wars and the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the German Confederation was formed in 1815.
Formal unification of Germany into the modern nation-state commenced on 18 August 1866 with the North German Confederation Treaty establishing the Prussia-led North German Confederation, which became the German Empire in 1871. After World War I and the German Revolution of 1918–1919, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic. The Nazi rise to power in 1933 led to the establishment of a totalitarian dictatorship, World War II, and the Holocaust. In 1949, after the war and a period of Allied occupation, Germany was organized into two separate polities with limited sovereignty: the Federal Republic of Germany, or West Germany, and the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany. Berlin continued its de jureFour Power status. The Federal Republic of Germany was a founding member of the European Economic Community and the European Union, while the German Democratic Republic was a communist Eastern Bloc state and member of the Warsaw Pact. After the fall of the communist led-government in East Germany, German reunification saw the former East German states join the Federal Republic of Germany on 3 October 1990.
Germany has been described as a great power with a strong economy; it has the largest economy in Europe by nominal GDP. As a global power in industrial, scientific and technological sectors, it is both the world's third-largest exporter and importer. As a developed country, it offers social security, a universal health care system, and tuition-free university education. Germany is a member of the United Nations, Council of Europe, NATO and OECD, and a founding member of the European Union, G7 and G20. It has the third-highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 54, of which 51 are cultural.
Further information: Names of Germany, Germani, and Germania
The English word Germany derives from the Latin Germania, which came into use after Julius Caesar adopted it for the peoples east of the Rhine.[13] The German term Deutschland, originally diutisciu land ('the German lands'), is derived from deutsch (cf.Dutch), descended from Old High Germandiutisc 'of the people' (from diot or diota 'people'), originally used to distinguish the language of the common people from Latin and its Romance descendants. This in turn descends from Proto-Germanic*þiudiskaz 'of the people' (see also the Latinised form Theodiscus), derived from *þeudō, descended from Proto-Indo-European *tewtéh₂- 'people', from which the word Teutons also originates.[14]
Main article: History of Germany
For a chronological guide, see Timeline of German history.
Main articles: Linear Pottery culture, Unetice culture, Urnfield culture, and Celts
Pre-human ancestors, the Danuvius guggenmosi, who were present in Germany over 11 million years ago, are theorized to be among the earliest ones to walk on two legs.[15] Ancient humans were present in Germany at least 600,000 years ago.[16] The first non-modern human fossil (the Neanderthal) was discovered in the Neander Valley.[17] Similarly dated evidence of modern humans has been found in the Swabian Jura, including 42,000-year-old flutes which are the oldest musical instruments ever found,[18] the 40,000-year-old Lion Man,[19] and the 41,000-year-old Venus of Hohle Fels.[20][21] The Nebra sky disk, created during the European Bronze Age, has been attributed to a German site.[22]
Main articles: Jastorf culture, Germanic peoples, Germania, Migration Period, and Frankish Realm
The Germanic peoples are thought to have emerged from the Jastorf culture during the Nordic Bronze Age or early Iron Age.[23][24] From southern Scandinavia and northern Germany, they expanded south, east, and west, coming into contact with the Celtic, Iranian, Baltic, and Slavic tribes.[25][26] Southern Germany was inhabited by Celtic-speaking peoples, who belonged to the wider La Tène culture. They were later assimilated by the Germanic conquerors.[27]
Under Augustus, the Roman Empire began to invade lands inhabited by the Germanic tribes, creating a short-lived Roman province of Germania between the Rhine and Elbe rivers. In 9 AD, three Roman legions were defeated by Arminius in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.[28] The outcome of this battle dissuaded the Romans from their ambition of conquering Germania and is thus considered one of the most important events in European history. By 100 AD, when Tacitus wrote Germania, Germanic tribes had settled along the Rhine and the Danube (the Limes Germanicus), occupying most of modern Germany. However, Baden-Württemberg, southern Bavaria, southern Hesse and the western Rhineland had been incorporated into Roman provinces.[31][32]
Around 260, Germanic peoples broke into Roman-controlled lands.[33] After the invasion of the Huns in 375, and with the decline of Rome from 395, Germanic tribes moved farther southwest: the Franks established the Frankish Kingdom and pushed east to subjugate Saxony and Bavaria. Areas of what is today eastern Germany were inhabited by Western Slavic tribes.
Main articles: East Francia and Holy Roman Empire
Charlemagne founded the Carolingian Empire in 800; it was divided in 843. The eastern successor kingdom of East Francia stretched from the Rhine in the west to the Elbe river in the east and from the North Sea to the Alps.