Germany
Germany is the second-most populous country in Europe (after Russia). 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.
Throughout the Medieval and Early Modern periods, Germany existed as a multitude of independant Germanic States, many of which formed the core of Holy Roman Empire. These independant states were unified into a single nation in 1871, prompted by the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire during the Napoleonic Wars.
The Nazi party seized control of the country's government in 1933, initially via election, although they quickly established a dictatorship, leading to the Holocaust and World War II. After the end of the war, the country was divided into two; the capitalist West Germany, which would go on to be a founding member of the EEC and EU, and the communist East Germany, part of the Wawsaw Pact. The country was not reunified until October 1990, after the fall of communism in Europe.
Germany has the largest economy in Europe, and the world's fourth-largest economy by GDP. It ranks highly on the Human Development Index, offering social security and universal health care, environmental protections, and free university education. Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the G7, and the G20.
Founding Date
1871
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Alternative Names
German: Deutschland
Demonym
German
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Related Ethnicities