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Germany

geography Maturity 11-13 Vital Level 3 Next article →

Germany is a large country in Western and Central Europe.

EU-Germany
EU-Germany

It sits between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to the north. To the south, the high Alps mountains mark the landscape. Many different lands border Germany. You can find Denmark to the north and Poland to the east. The Czech Republic is also nearby. To the south, it touches Austria and Switzerland. To the west, it borders France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

EU-Germany (orthographic projection)
EU-Germany (orthographic projection)

This place is home to over 82 million people. This makes it the most populous member of the European Union.

Flag of Europe
Flag of Europe

Life in Germany happens in many different types of places. Berlin is the capital city and has the most people. Frankfurt is a very important center for money and banks.

Frankfurt Skyline 2022 (cropped)
Frankfurt Skyline 2022 (cropped)

If you look for the largest urban area, you will find the Ruhr. The country is divided into sixteen different states. Each state has its own unique character and history. These states work together to form the whole nation. Germany is a very developed country with a strong economy. It is a leader in science and new technology.

People have lived on this land for a very long time. Ancient humans were in Germany at least 600,000 years ago. Scientists found the first Neanderthal fossil in the Neander Valley. Very old musical instruments were also found here. These flutes are 42,000 years old. Later, Germanic tribes and Celts lived in these lands. The Romans called the area Germania. In the year 962, the Kingdom of Germany became part of the Holy Roman Empire. This was a long period of history that shaped the region.

History in Germany has seen many big changes. In 1871, the German Empire was formed under Prussia. This was a time of great growth and power. Later, the country went through two World Wars. After the second war, Germany was split into two separate parts. One was West Germany and the other was East Germany. They stayed separate for many years. Finally, on 3 October 1990, the two sides became one nation again. This event is called German reunification. It brought all the states back together as one country.

Today, Germany is a very important part of the whole world. It is a major force in trade and industry. It is the third-largest exporter and importer in the world. This means it sells and buys a huge amount of goods. Germany also has many special places to see. It has 55 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Most of these, about 52 sites, are cultural places.

Coat of arms of Germany
Coat of arms of Germany

These sites show the deep history of the people. You can see many beautiful things across the different states.

Arms of the Free State of Bavaria
Arms of the Free State of Bavaria
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🖼️ Images & Media (46)
File:EU-Germany.svg
EU-Germany.svg
File:EU-Germany (orthographic projection).svg
EU-Germany (orthographic projection).svg
File:Flag of Europe.svg
Flag of Europe.svg
File:European Union main map.svg
European Union main map.svg
File:Coat of arms of Lower Saxony.svg
Coat of arms of Lower Saxony.svg
File:Brandenburg Wappen.svg
Brandenburg Wappen.svg
File:Coat of arms of Hesse.svg
Coat of arms of Hesse.svg
File:Coat of arms of Saxony.svg
Coat of arms of Saxony.svg
File:Coat of arms of Thuringia.svg
Coat of arms of Thuringia.svg
File:DEU Brandenburg COA.svg
DEU Brandenburg COA.svg
File:Coat of arms of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (great).svg
Coat of arms of Mecklenburg-Western...
File:East Francia 843.svg
East Francia 843.svg

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