
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a Central European country bordered by the Baltic and North Seas to the north and the Alps to the south. It consists of sixteen states and has a population of over 82 million in an area of 357,596 km² (138,069 sq mi), making it the most populous member of the European Union. The capital is Berlin, while Frankfurt serves as the main financial center.
Settlement in Germany dates back to the Lower Paleolithic, with various tribes, including the Celts and Germanic tribes, inhabiting the region over the millennia. The Kingdom of Germany emerged from the Frankish Empire in 962 and was a significant part of the Holy Roman Empire. The German Confederation was established in 1815 after the Napoleonic Wars.
Germany unified into a modern nation-state in 1871 after the North German Confederation was formed. Post-World War I, the Weimar Republic replaced the German Empire. The rise of the Nazis in 1933 led to a totalitarian regime and World War II. After the war, Germany was divided into West Germany and East Germany. Reunification occurred on October 3, 1990.
Germany has the largest economy in Europe by nominal GDP and is a global leader in various sectors, being the third-largest exporter and importer worldwide. The country offers social security, universal healthcare, and tuition-free university education. Germany is a member of numerous international organizations and has 54 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, mostly cultural.
Image Credit | By Rob984 – Derived from Germany on the globe (Germany centered).svg, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70142693