Germany

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Federal Republic of Germany

Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: 
Third stanza of
Das Lied der Deutschen
(also called "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit")


Capital
(and largest city) Berlin
13°23′E / 52.517°N 13.383°E / 52.517; 13.383
Official language(s) German[2]
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 2 February 962 
 -  Unification 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
 -  Jan. 1, 2010 estimate ▼ 81,757,600[2] (14th)
 -  Density 229/km² (55th)
593/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2008 estimate
 -  Total $2.918 trillion[3] (5th)
 -  Per capita $35,539[3] (21st)
GDP (nominal) 2008 estimate
 -  Total $3.673 trillion[3] (4th)
 -  Per capita $44,728[3] (19th)
Gini (2000) 28.3 (low) 
HDI (2007) ▲ 0.947[4] (very high) (22nd)
Currency Euro (€)[3] (EUR)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 -  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Internet TLD .de [4]
Calling code 49
¹ ^ Danish, Low German, Sorbian, Romany and Frisian are officially recognised and protected by the ECRML.
² ^ Before 2002: Deutsche Mark (DEM).
³ ^ Also .eu, shared with other European Union member states.

Germany (ⁱ /ˈdʒɜrməni/), 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 81.8 million inhabitants in January 2010,[2] it has the largest population among member states of the European Union, and it is also 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, which 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] Germany was reunified 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, G20, OECD, and the WTO. It is a major power with the world's fourth largest economy by nominal GDP and the fifth largest in purchasing power parity. It is the second 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.[11]

History

The English word "Germany" derives from the Latin word Germania. The name "Germania" came into use after Julius Caesar adopted it from a Gallic term for the peoples east of the Rhine that probably meant "neighbour".[12][13]

Germanic tribes