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{{Dablink|This article is about the country. For other uses of terms redirecting here, see [[Germany (disambiguation)]] and [[Deutschland (disambiguation)]].}}
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{{Infobox Country
|native_name=<span style="line-height:1.33em;">{{lang|de|''Bundesrepublik Deutschland''}} {{de icon}}</span>
|conventional_long_name=<span style="line-height:1.33em;">Federal Republic of Germany</span>
|common_name=Germany
|national_anthem=<br /><small>Third stanza of</small><br />{{lang|de|''[[Deutschlandlied|Das Lied der Deutschen]]''}}<br /><small>(also called {{lang|de|"''Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit''"}})
|image_flag=Flag of Germany.svg
|image_coat=Coat of Arms of Germany.svg
|image_map=EU-Germany.svg
|map_caption={{map_caption|location_color=dark green|region=[[Europe]]|region_color=dark grey|subregion=the [[European Union]]|subregion_color=light green|legend=EU-Germany.svg}}
|official_languages=[[German language|German]]{{ref|1}}
|demonym=German
|ethnic_groups=91.5% [[Germans|German]], 2.4% [[Turkish people|Turkish]], 6.1% other<ref name="CIA"/>
|capital=[[Berlin]]
|latd=52|latm=31|latNS=N|longd=13|longm=23|longEW=E
|largest_city=capital
|government_type=[[Federal republic|Federal]] [[Parliamentary republic]]
|leader_title1=[[President of Germany|President]]
|leader_name1=[[Horst Köhler]] ([[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|CDU]])
|leader_title2=[[Chancellor of Germany (Federal Republic of Germany)|Chancellor]]
|leader_name2=[[Angela Merkel]] ([[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|CDU]])
|sovereignty_type=[[Kingdom of Germany|Formation]]
|sovereignty_note=
|established_event1=[[Holy Roman Empire]]
|established_date1=2 February 962
|established_event2=[[Unification of Germany|Unification]]
|established_date2=18 January 1871
|established_event3=[[History of Germany|Federal Republic]]
|established_date3=23 May 1949
|established_event4=[[German reunification|Reunification]]
|established_date4=3 October 1990
|accessionEUdate=25 March 1957
|EUseats=99
|area_km2=357,021
|area_sq_mi=137,847 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|area_rank=63rd
|area_magnitude=1 E11
|percent_water=2.416
|population_estimate ={{decrease}} 81,757,600<ref name=population>{{cite web|url=http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-QA-09-047/EN/KS-QA-09-047-EN.PDF|title=First demographic estimates for 2009|publisher=[[Eurostat]]|accessdate=2010-01-31}}</ref>
|population_estimate_year = Jan.&nbsp;1,&nbsp;2010
|population_estimate_rank = 14th
|population_density_km2 = 229
|population_density_sq_mi = 593 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|population_density_rank = 55th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2008
|GDP_PPP = $2.918 trillion<ref name=IMF>{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2009/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2006&ey=2009&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=134&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=64&pr.y=4|title=Germany|publisher=International Monetary Fund|accessdate=2009-10-01}}</ref>
|GDP_PPP_rank=5th
|GDP_PPP_per_capita=$35,539<ref name=IMF/>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank=21st
|GDP_nominal=$3.673 trillion<ref name=IMF/>
|GDP_nominal_rank=4th
|GDP_nominal_year=2008
|GDP_nominal_per_capita=$44,728<ref name=IMF/>
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank=19th
|HDI_year=2007
|HDI={{increase}} 0.947<ref>[http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2009_EN_Complete.pdf Human Development Report 2009]. The United Nations. Retrieved 5 October 2009.</ref>
|HDI_rank=22nd
|HDI_category=<span style="color:#090;">very&nbsp;high</span>
|Gini=27 {{Update after|2011|04|reason=Regularly check CIA factbook or http://www.wider.unu.edu/research/Database/en_GB/wiid/ }}
|Gini_year=2006
|Gini_category=<span style="color:#090;">low</span>
|currency=[[Euro]] ([[Euro sign|€]]){{ref|2}}
|currency_code=EUR
|time_zone=CET
|utc_offset=+1
|time_zone_DST=CEST
|utc_offset_DST=+2
|cctld= [[.de]] {{ref|3}}
|calling_code=[[Telephone numbers in Germany|49]]
|ISO_3166-1_alpha2=DE
|ISO_3166-1_alpha3=DEU
|ISO_3166-1_numeric=?
|alt_sport_code=GER
|vehicle_code=D
|aircraft_code=D
|footnote1={{note|1}} [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Low German]], [[Sorbian languages|Sorbian]], [[Romani language|Romany]] and [[Frisian languages|Frisian]] are officially recognised and protected by the [[European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages|ECRML]].
|footnote2= {{note|2}} Before 2002: [[Deutsche Mark]] (DEM).
|footnote3={{note|3}} Also [[.eu]], shared with other [[European Union]] member states.
}}


IF YOU AGREE WITH ME, CLICK [[Adolf Hitler | HERE]].
'''Germany''' ({{IPAc-en|En-uk-Germany.ogg|ˈ|dʒ|ɜr|m|ən|i}}), officially the '''Federal Republic of Germany''' ({{lang-de|Bundesrepublik Deutschland}}, {{IPA-de|ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant|pron|De-Bundesrepublik_Deutschland.ogg}}),<ref name="Duden6">{{cite book|editor=Max Mangold (ed.)|title=Duden, Aussprachewörterbuch (Duden Pronunciation Dictionary)|edition=6th|year=1995|publisher=Dudenverlag (Bibliographisches Institut & F.A. Brockhaus AG|location=Mannheim|language=German|isbn=3-411-04066-1|pages=271, 53f}}</ref> 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 {{convert|357021|km2|mi2|0|sp=us}} and is influenced by a [[temperate climate|temperate seasonal climate]].
With 81.8 million inhabitants in January 2010,<ref name=population /> it has the largest population among member states of the [[European Union]], and it is also home to the [[List of countries by immigrant population|third-largest number of international migrants]] worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.migrationinformation.org/datahub/countrydata/country.cfm |title=Germany: Inflow of foreign population by country of nationality, 1994 to 2003 |publisher=Migrationinformation.org |date= |accessdate=2010-01-04}}</ref>

A region named [[Germania]], inhabited by several [[Germanic people]]s, has been known and [[Germania (book)|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 [[Unification of Germany|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]] as well as into two further entities of special status, Berlin and the [[Saar (protectorate)|Saar]]—along the lines of Allied occupation.<ref>[[Federal Constitutional Court of Germany]] (2 BvF 1/73; BVerfGE 36, 1): The [[German Reich]] as the German state is identically the very same to the [[West Germany|Federal Republic of Germany]] [because it exists as a nation-state and ''international legal personality'' ([[public international law]]) since 1871]. In 1949, at [[East Germany|East]] – West Germany division there was no foundation of a new West German state and no successor of the German Reich, instead of that a part of Germany was reorganised.</ref> Germany was [[German reunification|reunified]] in 1990. West Germany was a founding member of the European Community ([[European Communities|EC]]) in 1957, which became the European Union in 1993. It is part of the [[Schengen Agreement|Schengen zone]] and adopted the European currency, the [[euro]], in 1999.

Germany is a [[Federation|federal]] [[parliamentary republic]] of [[States of Germany|sixteen states]] ({{lang|de|''Länder''}}). The capital and largest city is [[Berlin]]. Germany is a member of the [[United Nations]], [[NATO]], [[G8]], [[G-20 major economies|G20]], [[OECD]], and the [[World Trade Organisation|WTO]]. It is a [[Great power#Aftermath of the Cold War|major power]] with the world's [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|fourth largest economy]] by nominal [[GDP]] and the [[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|fifth largest]] in [[purchasing power parity]]. It is the [[List of countries by exports|second largest exporter]] and [[List of countries by imports|third largest importer]] of goods. In absolute terms, Germany allocates the second biggest annual budget of [[development aid]] in the world,<ref>[http://www.topnews.in/germany-worlds-second-biggest-aid-donor-after-us-229970 Germany world's second biggest aid donor after US] TopNews, India. Retrieved 2008-04-10.</ref>
while its [[List of countries by military expenditures#Stockholm International Peace Research Institute figures|military expenditure ranked sixth]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sipri.org/contents/milap/milex/mex_major_spenders.pdf/download|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070814224502/http://www.sipri.org/contents/milap/milex/mex_major_spenders.pdf/download|archivedate=2007-08-14|title=The fifteen major spenders in 2006|accessdate=2007-08-23|year=2007|format=PDF|work=Recent trends in military expenditure|publisher=Stockholm International Peace Research Institute}}</ref> The country has developed a [[List of countries by Human Development Index|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.<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/04/europe/poll.php The leader of Europe? Answers an ocean apart] International Herald Tribune. April 4, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-04.</ref> Germany is recognised as a scientific and technological leader in several fields.<ref>[http://www.innovations-report.de/html/berichte/informationstechnologie/bericht-109339.html Confidently into the Future with Reliable Technology] www.innovations-report.de. May 7, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-04.</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of Germany|Names of Germany}}

The English word "Germany" derives from the [[Latin]] word [[Germania]]. The name "Germania" came into use after [[Julius Caesar]] adopted it from a [[Gaulish language|Gallic]] term for the peoples east of the [[Rhine]] that probably meant "neighbour".<ref>{{cite book|last=[[Hagen Schulze|Schulze]]|first=[[Hagen Schulze|Hagen]]|title=Germany: A New History|origyear=1998|publisher=[[Harvard University Press]]|location=Cambridge, MA|page=4}}</ref><ref>[http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t27.e6407 "German"], ''The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology''. Ed. T. F. Hoad. [[Oxford, England|Oxford]]: [[Oxford University Press]], 1996. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Retrieved March 4, 2008.</ref>

===Germanic tribes===
{{Main|Germanic peoples|Germania|List of country name etymologies}}
[[File:Germanic tribes (750BC-1AD).png|thumb|left|Expansion of the [[Germanic peoples|Germanic tribes]] 750 BC – AD 1.]]
The [[ethnogenesis]] of the [[Germanic peoples|Germanic tribes]] is assumed to have occurred during the [[Nordic Bronze Age]], or at the latest, during the [[Pre-Roman Iron Age]]. From southern [[Scandinavia]] and northern Germany, the tribes began expanding south, east and west in the 1st century&nbsp;BC, coming into contact with the [[Celt]]ic tribes of [[Gaul]] as well as [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]], [[Balts|Baltic]], and [[Slavic peoples|Slavic]] tribes in [[Eastern Europe]]. Little is known about early Germanic history, except through their recorded interactions with the [[Roman Empire]], etymological research and archaeological finds.<ref name="Claster">Jill N. Claster: ''Medieval Experience: 300–1400''. [[New York University Press]] 1982, p. 35. ISBN 0-8147-1381-5.</ref>

Under [[Augustus]], the Roman General [[Publius Quinctilius Varus]] began to invade Germania (a term used by the Romans to define a territory running roughly from the [[Rhine]] to the [[Ural Mountains]]), and it was in this period that the Germanic tribes became familiar with Roman tactics of warfare while maintaining their tribal identity. In AD&nbsp;9, three [[Roman legion]]s led by Varus were defeated by the [[Cheruscan]] leader [[Arminius]] in the [[Battle of the Teutoburg Forest]]. Modern Germany, as far as the [[Rhine]] and the [[Danube]], thus remained outside the Roman Empire. By AD&nbsp;100, the time of [[Tacitus]]' ''[[Germania (book)|Germania]]'', Germanic tribes settled along the Rhine and the Danube (the [[Limes Germanicus]]) , occupying most of the area of modern Germany; Austria, southern [[Bavaria]] and the western [[Rhineland]], however, were Roman provinces. The 3rd century saw the emergence of a number of large West Germanic tribes: [[Alamanni]], [[Franks]], [[Chatti]], [[Saxons]], [[Frisians]], [[Sicambri]], and [[Thuringii]]. Around 260, the Germanic peoples broke through the Limes and the Danube frontier into Roman-controlled lands.<ref name="Cambridge ancient history">The [[Cambridge Ancient History]], vol. 12, p. 442. ISBN 0-521-30199-8.</ref>

===Holy Roman Empire (962–1806)===
{{Main|Holy Roman Empire}}
{{See also|Medieval demography|Ostsiedlung}}
[[File:Weltliche Schatzkammer Wien (169)pano.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire|Imperial Crown]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] (Created around AD 1000).]]

On 25 December 800, [[Charlemagne]] founded the [[Carolingian Empire]], which was [[Treaty of Verdun|divided in 843]]. The medieval empire resulted from the [[East Francia|eastern portion]] of this division and existed in varying forms from 962 until 1806. Its territory stretched from the [[Eider River]] in the north to the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] coast in the south. Often referred to as the [[Holy Roman Empire]] (or the Old Empire), it was officially called the ''Sacrum Romanum Imperium Nationis Germanicæ'' (Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation) starting in 1448, to adjust the title to its then reduced territory.
[[File:Martin Luther by Lucas Cranach der Ältere.jpeg|thumb|left|130px|[[Martin Luther]], (1483–1546) initiated the [[Protestant Reformation]].]]

Under the reign of the [[Ottonian]] emperors (919–1024), the [[Stem duchy|duchies]] of [[Duchy of Lorraine|Lorraine]], [[Duchy of Saxony|Saxony]], [[Franconia]], [[Swabia]], [[Thuringia]], and [[Bavaria]] were consolidated, and the German king was crowned [[Holy Roman Emperor]] of these regions in 962. Under the reign of the [[Salian]] emperors (1024–1125), the Holy Roman Empire absorbed northern [[Italy]] and [[Burgundy (region)|Burgundy]], although the emperors lost power through the [[Investiture Controversy]]. Under the [[House of Hohenstaufen|Hohenstaufen]] emperors (1138–1254), the German princes increased their influence further south and east into territories inhabited by [[Slavic peoples|Slavs]], preceding [[History of German settlement in Eastern Europe|German settlement]] in these areas and further east ''([[Ostsiedlung]])''. Northern German towns grew prosperous as members of the [[Hanseatic League]]. Starting with the [[Great Famine of 1315–1317|Great Famine]] in 1315, then the [[Black Death]] of 1348–50, the population of Germany plummeted.<ref>[http://www.vlib.us/medieval/lectures/black_death.html The Great Famine (1315–1317) and the Black Death (1346–1351)]. Lynn Harry Nelson. The [[University of Kansas]].</ref>

The edict of the [[Golden Bull of 1356|Golden Bull]] in 1356 provided the basic constitution of the empire that lasted until its dissolution. It codified the election of the emperor by seven [[prince-elector]]s who ruled some of the most powerful principalities and archbishoprics. Beginning in the 15th century, the emperors were elected nearly exclusively from the [[Habsburg]] dynasty of [[Archduchy of Austria|Austria]].

The monk [[Martin Luther]] publicised his [[The 95 Theses|95 Theses]] in 1517, challenging practices of the [[Roman Catholic Church]], initiating the [[Protestant Reformation]]. A separate [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] church became the official religion in many German states after 1530. Religious conflict led to the [[Thirty Years' War]] (1618–1648), which devastated German lands.<ref>[http://mars.wnec.edu/~grempel/courses/wc2/lectures/30yearswar.html The Thirty-Years-War], Gerhard Rempel, Western [[New England College]].</ref> The population of the German states was reduced by about 30%.<ref>[http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat0.htm#30YrW The Thirty Years War (1618–48)], Alan McFarlane, The Savage Wars of Peace: England, Japan and the Malthusian Trap (2003)</ref> The [[Peace of Westphalia]] (1648) ended religious warfare among the German states, but the empire was ''de facto'' divided into numerous independent principalities. From 1740 onwards, the [[German dualism|dualism]] between the Austrian [[Habsburg Monarchy]] and the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] dominated German history. In 1806, the ''Imperium'' was overrun and dissolved as a result of the [[Napoleonic Wars]].<ref name="concise h">Fulbrook, Mary: ''A Concise History of Germany'', Cambridge University Press 1991, p. 97. ISBN 0-521-54071-2</ref>

===Restoration and revolution (1814–1871)===
{{Main|German Confederation}}
[[File:Nationalversammlung.jpg|thumb|[[Frankfurt Parliament]] in 1848.]]

Following the fall of [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon Bonaparte]], the [[Congress of Vienna]] convened in 1814 and founded the [[German Confederation]] (Deutscher Bund), a loose league of [[List of German Confederation member states|39 sovereign states]]. Disagreement with [[European Restoration|restoration]] politics partly led to the rise of [[Liberalism in Germany|liberal]] movements, demanding unity and freedom. These, however, were followed by new measures of repression on the part of the Austrian statesman [[Klemens Wenzel von Metternich|Metternich]]. The ''[[Zollverein]]'', a tariff union, profoundly furthered economic unity in the German states. During this era many Germans had been stirred by the ideals of the [[French Revolution]], and [[nationalism]] became a more significant force, especially among young intellectuals. For the first time, the colours of black, red and gold were chosen to represent the movement, which later became the [[Flag of Germany|national colours]].<ref>Martin, Norman. [http://www.fotw.net/flags/de1848.html German Confederation 1815–1866 (Germany)] Flags of the World. October 5, 2000. Retrieved 2006-12-07.</ref>

In light of a [[Revolutions of 1848|series of revolutionary movements in Europe]], which successfully established a republic [[Revolutions of 1848 in France|in France]], intellectuals and commoners started the [[Revolutions of 1848 in the German states]]. The monarchs initially yielded to the revolutionaries' liberal demands. King [[Frederick William IV of Prussia]] was offered the title of [[Emperor]], but with a loss of power; he rejected the crown and the proposed constitution, leading to a temporary setback for the movement. Conflict between King [[William I, German Emperor|William I]] of [[Prussia]] and the increasingly liberal parliament erupted over military reforms in 1862, and the king appointed [[Otto von Bismarck]] the new [[Prime Minister of Prussia]]. Bismarck successfully waged [[Second War of Schleswig|war on Denmark]] in 1864. Prussian victory in the [[Austro-Prussian War]] of 1866 enabled him to create the [[North German Federation]] (Norddeutscher Bund) and to exclude [[Austrian Empire|Austria]], formerly the leading German state, from the affairs of the remaining German states.

===German Empire (1871–1918)===
{{Main|German Empire|World War I}}
[[File:Wernerprokla.jpg|thumb|right|Foundation of modern Germany in [[Versailles]], [[France]], 1871. [[Otto von Bismarck|Bismarck]] is at the centre in a white uniform.]]

The state known as ''Germany'' was [[political union|unified]] as a modern nation-state in 1871, when the [[German Empire]] was forged, with the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] as its largest constituent.
After the French defeat in the [[Franco-Prussian War]], the German Empire was proclaimed in [[Palace of Versailles|Versailles]] on 18 January 1871. The [[House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern]] dynasty of Prussia ruled the new empire, whose capital was [[Berlin]]. The empire was a unification of all the scattered parts of Germany except Austria ({{lang|de|[[Kleindeutsche Lösung|''Kleindeutschland'']]}}, or "Lesser Germany"). But internally the official political unification came rather sequentially: Germany had no national flag until 1892 and no national hymn until after WW I. Beginning in 1884, Germany began establishing [[List of former German colonies|several colonies]] outside of Europe.

In the {{lang|de|''[[Gründerzeit]]''}} period following the [[unification of Germany]], Emperor [[William I, German Emperor|William I's]] foreign policy secured Germany's position as a great nation by forging alliances, isolating [[French Third Republic|France]] by diplomatic means, and avoiding war. Under [[William II, German Emperor|William II]], however, Germany, [[New Imperialism|like other European powers]], took an [[imperialism|imperialistic]] course leading to friction with neighbouring countries. Most alliances in which Germany had been previously involved were not renewed, and new alliances excluded the country. Specifically, France established new relationships by signing the [[Entente Cordiale]] with the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] and securing ties with the [[Russian Empire]]. Aside from its contacts with [[Austria-Hungary]], Germany became increasingly isolated.

[[File:Map-DR-Prussia.svg|left|thumb|Imperial Germany (1871–1918), with the dominant [[Kingdom of Prussia]] in blue.]]

Germany's imperialism reached outside of its own country and joined many other powers in Europe in claiming their share of [[Africa]]. The [[Berlin Conference]] divided Africa between the European powers. Germany owned several pieces of land in Africa including [[German East Africa]], [[German South-West Africa|South-West Africa]], [[Togoland|Togo]], and [[Cameroon]]. The [[Scramble for Africa]] caused tension between the [[great power]]s that may have contributed to the conditions that led to [[World War I]].

The [[Assassination in Sarajevo|assassination]] of [[Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria|Austria's crown prince]] on 28 June 1914 triggered [[World War I]]. Germany, as part of the unsuccessful [[Central Powers]], suffered defeat against the [[Allies of World War I|Allied Powers]] in [[World War I casualties|one of the bloodiest]] conflicts of all time. An estimated two million German soldiers died in World War I.<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,530319,00.html Last German World War I Veteran Believed to Have Died]. Spiegel Online. January 22, 2008.</ref> The [[German Revolution]] broke out in November 1918, and Emperor William II and all German ruling princes [[abdication|abdicated]]. An [[Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)|armistice]] putting an end to the war was signed on 11 November and Germany was forced to sign the [[Treaty of Versailles]] in June 1919. Its negotiation, contrary to traditional post-war diplomacy, excluded the defeated Central Powers. The treaty was perceived in Germany as a humiliating continuation of the war by other means and its harshness is often cited as having facilitated the later rise of [[Nazism]] in the country.<ref name="lee h">Stephen J. Lee: ''Europe, 1890–1945''. Routledge 2003, p. 131. ISBN 0-415-25455-8.</ref>

===Weimar Republic (1919–1933)===
{{Main|Weimar Republic}}
[[File:Dreigroschenoper.JPG|upright|thumb|Billboard advertising [[Die Dreigroschenoper]] by [[Bertolt Brecht]]. The [[Weimar Republic|Weimar]] era was dominated by political unrest.]]

At the beginning of the German Revolution, Germany was declared a [[republic]] and the monarchy collapsed. However, the struggle for power continued, with radical-left communists [[Bavarian Socialist Republic|seizing power in Bavaria]], but failing to take control of all of Germany. The revolution came to an end in August 1919, when the [[Weimar Republic]] was formally established. The [[Weimar Constitution]] came into effect with its signing by [[President of Germany|President]] [[Friedrich Ebert]] on 11 August 1919.
Suffering from the [[Great Depression]], the harsh peace conditions dictated by the [[Treaty of Versailles]], and a long succession of more or less unstable governments, the people of Germany increasingly lacked identification with their political system and the "Establishment Parties" in their [[parliamentary democracy]]. This was exacerbated by a widespread right-wing ([[monarchism|monarchist]], ''[[Völkisch movement|völkisch]]'', and Nazi) {{lang|de|''[[Dolchstoßlegende]]''}}, which promoted the view that Germany had lost World War I because of the efforts and influence of those who wanted to overthrow the government. The [[top brass]] of the Weimar government was accused of betraying the German Nation by signing the Versailles Treaty, while the radical left-wing [[communism|communists]], such as the [[Spartacist League]], had wanted a revolution to abolish "[[capitalism|capitalist rule]]" in favour of a {{lang|de|''[[Council communism|Räterepublik]]''}}, and were also targeted.

Nevertheless, discontentment with the new Weimar government helped fuel the growth of the [[Communist Party of Germany|German Communist Party]]. Many conservatives were drawn towards the reactionary/revolutionary right, particularly the National Socialist German Workers Party—the [[Nazi Party]]. By 1932, these two parties controlled the majority of parliament (296 total parliamentary seats by July 1932). After a series of unsuccessful cabinets, President [[Paul von Hindenburg]] made a crucial decision: on 30 January 1933, seeing little alternative and pushed by right-wing advisors, von Hindenburg appointed [[Adolf Hitler]] as [[Chancellor of Germany (German Reich)|Chancellor of Germany]], honoring Hitler's request.

===Third Reich (1933–1945)===
{{Main|Nazi Germany}}
[[File:Adolf Hitler cph 3a48970.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Adolf Hitler]], chancellor of the [[Nazi Germany|Großdeutsches Reich]].]]

On 27 February 1933, the [[Reichstag fire|Reichstag]] building went up in flames, and a consequent [[Reichstag Fire Decree|emergency decree]] abrogated basic citizen rights. An [[Enabling Act]] passed in parliament gave Hitler unrestricted legislative power. Only the [[Social Democratic Party]] voted against it, while [[KPD|Communist]] [[Member of Parliament|MP]]s had already been imprisoned.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dhm.de/lemo/html/nazi/innenpolitik/ermaechtigungsgesetz/index.html|title=Das Ermächtigungsgesetz 1933|accessdate=2008-09-12|author=Deutsches Historisches Museum|authorlink=Deutsches Historisches Museum|publisher=Deutsches Historisches Museum|language=German|quote=An der Abstimmung nicht teilnehmen konnten die 81 Abgeordneten der Kommunistischen Partei Deutschlands (KPD). Ihre Mandate waren auf Basis der Reichstagsbrandverordnung bereits am 8. März 1933 annulliert worden. }}<br/>Roderick Stackelberg, ''Hitler's Germany: origins, interpretations, legacies''. Routledge 1999, p. 103. ISBN 0-415-20114-4. <br/>Scheck, Raffael. [http://www.colby.edu/personal/r/rmscheck/GermanyE1.html Establishing a Dictatorship: The Stabilization of Nazi Power] Colby College. Retrieved 2006-07-12.</ref> Using his powers to crush any actual or potential resistance, Hitler established a centralised [[totalitarian state]] within months. Industry was revitalised with a focus on military rearmament.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dhm.de/lemo/html/nazi/wirtschaft/index.html|title=Industrie und Wirtschaft|accessdate=2008-09-12|author=Deutsches Historisches Museum|last=|first=|authorlink=Deutsches Historisches Museum|coauthors=|date=|year=|month=|work=|publisher=Deutsches Historisches Museum|language=German|quote=Der Vierjahresplan sollte ab 1936 die wirtschaftliche Kriegsfähigkeit Deutschlands herbeiführen. . . .Bereits im Februar 1933 erklärte Hitler, dass alle öffentlichen Maßnahmen zur Arbeitsbeschaffung zugleich der "Wehrhaftmachung" zu dienen hätten und den Interessen des Staates untergeordnet seien. . . .}}</ref> In 1935, Germany reacquired control of the [[Saar (League of Nations)|Saar]] and in 1936 military control of the [[Rhineland]], both of which had been lost by the [[Treaty of Versailles]].

Leading to [[World War II]] and roughly in parallel with military rearmament, German foreign policy became more aggressive and [[Lebensraum|expansionistic]]. In 1938 and 1939, [[Anschluss|Austria]] and [[German occupation of Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovakia]] were brought under control and the [[invasion of Poland]] prepared ([[Hitler-Stalin pact]], [[Operation Himmler]]). On 1 September 1939, the German [[Wehrmacht]] launched a [[blitzkrieg]] on [[Second Polish Republic|Poland]], which was swiftly occupied by Germany and by the Soviet [[Red Army]]. The UK and France declared war on Germany marking the beginning of World War II in Europe. As the war progressed, Germany and its [[Axis powers|allies]] quickly gained control of much of [[Occupied Europe|continental Europe]].

[[File:Potsdamer Platz 1945.jpg|thumb|left|[[Berlin]] in ruins after [[World War II]], [[Potsdamer Platz]] 1945.]]On 22 June 1941, Germany broke the [[Hitler-Stalin pact]] and [[Operation Barbarossa|invaded the Soviet Union]]. The same year, [[Empire of Japan|Japan]] [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|attacked the American base at Pearl Harbor]], and Germany declared war on the [[United States]] as a consequence of its alliance with Japan. Although the German army advanced into the Soviet Union quite rapidly, the [[Battle of Stalingrad]] marked a major turning point in the war. Subsequently, the German army started to retreat on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern front]]. In September 1943, Germany's ally Italy surrendered, and German forces were forced to defend an additional front in Italy. [[Normandy Landings|D-Day]] marked another major turning point in the war, opening up a [[Western Front (World War II)|Western front]]; the Allied forces landed on the beaches of [[Normandy]] and made advances towards German territory. Germany's defeat soon followed. On 8 May 1945, [[Victory in Europe Day|the German armed forces surrendered]] after the [[Red Army]] occupied [[Berlin]]. Approximately seven million [[Germans|German]] soldiers and civilians—including [[ethnic Germans]] from Eastern Europe—died during World War II.<ref>Steinberg, Heinz Günter. ''Die Bevölkerungsentwicklung in Deutschland im Zweiten Weltkrieg : mit einem Überblick über die Entwicklung von 1945 bis 1990.'' Bonn 1991.</ref>

In what later became known as [[The Holocaust]], the Third Reich regime enacted governmental policies directly subjugating many dissidents and minorities. About seventeen million people were murdered during the Holocaust, including six million [[Jews]] and a sizable number of [[Porajmos|Gypsies]], [[Generalplan Ost|Poles and other Slavs]], including [[Nazi crimes against Soviet POWs|Soviet POWs]], the mentally ill, homosexuals, and members of the political opposition.<ref>Niewyk, Donald L. and Nicosia, Francis R. ''[http://books.google.ca/books?id=lpDTIUklB2MC&pg=PP1&dq=Niewyk,+Donald+L.+The+Columbia+Guide+to+the+Holocaust&sig=4igufxQHRCNrkjwRuMt1if_mf5M#PPA45,M1 The Columbia Guide to the Holocaust]'', [[Columbia University Press]], 2000, pp. 45-52.</ref> World War II and the Nazi genocide were responsible for more than 40 million dead in Europe.<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4530565.stm Leaders mourn Soviet wartime dead]". BBC News. May 9, 2005.</ref> The [[Nuremberg trials]] of [[Nazi war criminals]] were held after World War II.<ref>"[http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/nuremberg_article_01.shtml Nuremberg: Nazis On Trial]". Professor Richard Overy. BBC - History.</ref>
{{clear}}

===Division and reunification (1945–1990)===
{{Main|History of Germany (1945–1990)}}
[[File:Map-Germany-1945.svg|thumb|1947, [[Allied Occupation Zones in Germany|Occupation zones]] of Germany, in its 1919 borders, with territories east of the [[Oder-Neisse line]] given to Poland or annexed by Soviets, plus the [[Saar (protectorate)|Saar protectorate]] and divided Berlin. [[East Germany]] was formed by the Soviet Zone, while [[West Germany]] was formed by the American, British and French zones in 1949 and the Saar in 1957.]]

The war resulted in the death of nearly ten million German soldiers and civilians;{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}} [[Oder-Neisse line|large territorial losses]]; [[Expulsion of Germans after World War II|the expulsion of about 15 million Germans]] from [[Former eastern territories of Germany|the eastern areas of Germany]] and other countries; [[Mass rape of German women by Soviet Red Army|rape of up to two million German women]]; and the destruction of multiple major cities. The remaining national territory and [[Berlin]] were partitioned by the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] into four military occupation zones.

The western sectors, controlled by [[France]], the [[United Kingdom]], and the [[United States]], were merged on 23 May 1949, to form the ''[[West Germany|Federal Republic of Germany]]'' (''Bundesrepublik Deutschland''); on 7 October 1949, the Soviet Zone became the ''[[East Germany|German Democratic Republic]]'' (''Deutsche Demokratische Republik'', or DDR). They were, mainly outside Germany, informally known as "West Germany" and "East Germany" (in West Germany, East Germany referred to the areas east of the GDR, while the GDR was often referred to as Middle Germany), and the two parts of Berlin as "[[West Berlin]]" and "[[East Berlin]]". East Germany selected East Berlin as its capital, while West Germany chose [[Bonn]]. However, West Germany declared the status of its capital Bonn as provisional, in order to emphasise its stance that the two-state solution was an artificial ''status quo'' that was to be overcome one day.<ref name="provisional">{{cite book | last = Wise | first = Michael Z. | title = Capital dilemma: Germany's search for a new architecture of democracy| year = 1998| publisher = Princeton Architectural Press, 1998 | isbn =9781568981345 | page = 23 | chapter = Bonn, Capital of Self-Effacement}}</ref>

West Germany, established as a federal parliamentary republic with a "[[social market economy]]", was allied with the United States, the UK and France. The country came to enjoy prolonged economic growth beginning in the early 1950s ({{lang|de|''[[Wirtschaftswunder]]''}}). West Germany joined [[NATO]] in 1955 and was a founding member of the [[European Economic Community]] in 1957. On 1 January 1957, [[Saarland]] gave in its adhesion to West Germany by virtue of article 23 {{lang|de|''[[Grundgesetz]]''}}.

[[File:Thefalloftheberlinwall1989.JPG|thumb|left|The [[Berlin Wall]] in front of the [[Brandenburg Gate]] shortly after the opening in 1989.]]

East Germany was an [[Eastern bloc]] state under political and military control by the [[USSR]] via the latter's occupation forces and the [[Warsaw Pact]]. While claiming to be a democracy, political power was solely executed by leading members (''[[Politburo]]'') of the communist-controlled [[Socialist Unity Party of Germany|SED (''Socialist Unity Party of Germany'')]]. Their power was ensured by the [[Stasi]], a secret service of immense size, and a variety of SED suborganizations controlling every aspect of society. In return, the basic needs of the population were satisfied at low cost by the state. A Soviet-style [[command economy]] was set up; later, the GDR became a [[Comecon]] state. While [[Communist propaganda|East German propaganda]] was based on the benefits of the GDR's social programs and the alleged constant threat of a West German invasion, many of her citizens looked to the West for political freedoms and economic prosperity.<ref>Colchester, Nico. [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/504285c4-68b6-11da-bd30-0000779e2340,dwp_uuid=6f876a3c-e19f-11da-bf4c-0000779e2340.html D-mark day dawns] [[Financial Times]]. January 1, 2001. Retrieved 2006-12-07.</ref> The [[Berlin Wall]], built in 1961 to stop East Germans from escaping to West Germany, became a symbol of the [[Cold War]].

Tensions between East and West Germany were somewhat reduced in the early 1970s by Chancellor [[Willy Brandt]]'s {{lang|de|''[[Ostpolitik]]''}}, which included the ''de facto'' acceptance of Germany's territorial losses in World War II.

In the summer of 1989, [[Hungary]] decided (May 2) to dismantle the [[Iron Curtain]] and open the borders (August 23), causing an exodus of thousands of [[East Germans]] (September 11) going to [[West Germany]] via [[Hungary]].
The effects of the Hungarian events had devastating effects on the [[GDR]], with [[Monday demonstrations in East Germany|mass demonstrations]]. The East German authorities unexpectedly eased the border restrictions in November, allowing East German citizens to travel to the West. Originally intended as a pressure valve to retain East Germany as a state, the opening of the border actually led to an acceleration of the [[Die Wende|''Wende'' reform process]] in East Germany, which finally concluded with the ''[[Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany|Two Plus Four Treaty]]'' a year later on 12 September 1990, under which the four occupying powers renounced their rights under the Instrument of Surrender, and Germany regained full [[sovereignty]]. This permitted [[German reunification]] on 3 October 1990, with the accession of the five re-established states in the former GDR ([[New states of Germany|New states]] or "neue Länder").

[[File:Euro banknotes.png|thumb|In 1999 Germany adopted the single European currency, the [[euro]] with German Euro-notes bearing serial numbers starting with a capital X.]]

===Berlin Republic and EU integration (1990–)===
{{Main|History of Germany since 1990}}

Based on the Bonn-Berlin Act, adopted by the parliament on 10 March 1994, Berlin once again became the capital of the reunified Germany, while Bonn obtained the unique status of a ''Bundesstadt'' (federal city) retaining some federal ministries.<ref>{{de icon}} [http://www.wdr.de/themen/politik/nrw03/bonn_berlin/060914.jhtml?rubrikenstyle=politik Landtag einstimmig gegen Komplettumzug] WDR; 14 September 2006.</ref><ref>{{de icon}} [http://www.wdr.de/themen/politik/deutschland/bonn_berlin/060619.jhtml?rubrikenstyle=politik Deutschlands heimliche Hauptstadt Landtag einstimmig gegen Komplettumzug] WDR; 20 June 2006.</ref> The relocation of the government was completed in 1999.

Since reunification, Germany has taken a more active role in the [[European Union]] and NATO. Germany sent a peacekeeping force to secure stability in the [[1999 NATO bombing in Yugoslavia|Balkans]] and sent a force of [[Bundeswehr|German troops]] to [[Afghanistan]] as part of a NATO effort to provide [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|security in that country]] after the ousting of the [[Taliban]].<ref name="ARM">Dempsey, Judy. [http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/10/31/news/germany.php Germany is planning a Bosnia withdrawal] International Herald Tribune. October 31, 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-30.</ref> These deployments were controversial, since after the war, Germany was bound by domestic law only to deploy troops for defence roles. Deployments to foreign territories were understood not to be covered by the defence provision; however, the parliamentary vote on the issue effectively legalised the participation in a peacekeeping context.

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Germany}}
[[File:Deutschland topo.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Topographic map]]

The territory of Germany covers {{convert|357021|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}, consisting of {{convert|349223|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}} of land and {{convert|7798|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}} of water. It is the seventh largest country by area in Europe and the 63rd largest in the world. Elevation ranges from the mountains of the [[Alps]] (highest point: the [[Zugspitze]] at {{convert|2962|m|ft|0|disp=s}}) in the south to the shores of the [[North Sea]] (Nordsee) in the north-west and the [[Baltic Sea]] (Ostsee) in the north-east. Between lie the forested uplands of central Germany and the low-lying lands of northern Germany (lowest point: [[Wilstermarsch]] at {{convert|3.54|m|ft|1|disp=s}} below sea level), traversed by some of Europe's major [[river]]s such as the [[Rhine]], [[Danube]] and [[Elbe]].<ref name="CIA">{{cite web| url = https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html| title = CIA Factbook | accessdate = 2009-08-02| author = CIA | authorlink = Central Intelligence Agency}}</ref>

Germany shares borders with more European countries than any other country on the continent. Its neighbours are [[Denmark]] in the north, [[Poland]] and the [[Czech Republic]] in the east, [[Austria]] and [[Switzerland]] in the south, [[France]] and [[Luxembourg]] in the south-west and [[Belgium]] and the [[Netherlands]] in the north-west.

===State division===
{{Main|States of Germany|List of administrative divisions of Germany}}

Germany comprises [[States of Germany|16 states]] (''Bundesländer''), which are further subdivided into 439 [[Districts of Germany|districts]] (''Kreise'') and cities (''kreisfreie Städte'').

{{German Federal States|options=float:left; font-size:90%; border:3px; max-width:480px; width:50%;}}
{| style="background:none;" cellspacing="2px"
|
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%;"
|- style="font-size:100%; text-align:right;"
! style="width:140px;"| [[States of Germany|State]] !! style="width:85px;"| [[Capital (political)|Capital]] !! style="width:85px;"| [[Area]] (km²)!! style="width:85px;"| [[Population]] </tr>
|-
| [[Baden-Württemberg]] || [[Stuttgart]] || style="text-align:right"|35,752|| style="text-align:right"|10,717,000
|-
| [[Bavaria]] || [[Munich]] || style="text-align:right"|70,549|| style="text-align:right"|12,444,000
|-
| [[Berlin]] || [[Berlin]] ||style="text-align:right"|892|| style="text-align:right"|3,400,000
|-
| [[Brandenburg]] || [[Potsdam]] || style="text-align:right"|29,477|| style="text-align:right"|2,568,000
|-
| [[Bremen (state)|Bremen]] || [[Bremen]] || style="text-align:right"|404|| style="text-align:right"|663,000
|-
| [[Hamburg]] || [[Hamburg]] ||style="text-align:right"|755|| style="text-align:right"|1,735,000
|-
| [[Hesse]] || [[Wiesbaden]] || style="text-align:right"|21,115|| style="text-align:right"|6,098,000
|-
| [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]] || [[Schwerin]] || style="text-align:right"|23,174|| style="text-align:right"|1,720,000
|-
| [[Lower Saxony]] || [[Hanover]] || style="text-align:right"|47,618|| style="text-align:right"|8,001,000
|-
| [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] || [[Düsseldorf]] || style="text-align:right"|34,043|| style="text-align:right"|18,075,000
|-
| [[Rhineland-Palatinate]] || [[Mainz]] || style="text-align:right"|19,847|| style="text-align:right"|4,061,000
|-
| [[Saarland]] || [[Saarbrücken]] || style="text-align:right"|2,569|| style="text-align:right"|1,056,000
|-
| [[Saxony]] || [[Dresden]] || style="text-align:right"|18,416|| style="text-align:right"|4,296,000
|-
| [[Saxony-Anhalt]] || [[Magdeburg]] || style="text-align:right"|20,445|| style="text-align:right"|2,494,000
|-
| [[Schleswig-Holstein]] || [[Kiel]] || style="text-align:right"|15,763|| style="text-align:right"|2,829,000
|-
| [[Thuringia]] || [[Erfurt]] || style="text-align:right"|16,172|| style="text-align:right"|2,355,000
|}
|}

===Climate===
[[File:Hintersee.jpg|thumb|[[Alps|Alpine]] scenery in [[Bavaria]].]]

Most of Germany has a [[temperate|temperate seasonal climate]] in which humid westerly winds predominate. The climate is moderated by the [[North Atlantic Current|North Atlantic Drift]], which is the northern extension of the [[Gulf Stream]]. This warmer water affects the areas bordering the North Sea including the area along the Rhine, which flows into the North Sea. Consequently in the north-west and the north, the climate is [[oceanic climate|oceanic]]; [[Precipitation (meteorology)|rainfall]] occurs year round with a maximum during summer.

Winters are mild and summers tend to be cool, though temperatures can exceed {{convert|30|°C|°F|lk=on}} for prolonged periods. In the east, the climate is more [[continental climate|continental]]; winters can be very cold, summers can be very warm, and long dry periods are often recorded. Central and southern Germany are transition regions which vary from moderately oceanic to continental.

===Biodiversity===
[[File:Cervus elaphus 11.jpg|thumb|[[Red Deer|Deer]] is a widespread species to be found in the wild.]]
[[Phytogeography|Phytogeographically]], Germany is shared between the Atlantic European and Central European provinces of the [[Circumboreal Region]] within the [[Boreal Kingdom]]. The territory of Germany can be subdivided into two [[ecoregion]]s: European-Mediterranean montane mixed forests and Northeast-Atlantic shelf marine.<ref>[http://www.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/ecoregion_list/ List of Ecoregions: Terrestrial Ecoregions] WWF. Retrieved 21 November 2000.</ref> The majority of Germany is covered by either [[arable land]] (33%) or [[forestry]] and [[woodland]] (31%). Only 15% is covered by permanent pastures.

[[File:Thüringerwald.JPG|thumb|left|Around one third of the country's area is covered with forests. ([[Thuringian Forest]])]]

Plants and animals are those generally common to middle Europe. Beeches, oaks, and other deciduous trees constitute one-third of the forests; conifers are increasing as a result of reforestation. Spruce and fir trees predominate in the upper mountains, while pine and larch are found in sandy soil. There are many species of ferns, flowers, fungi, and mosses. Fish abound in the rivers and the North Sea. Wild animals include deer, wild boar, mouflon, fox, badger, hare, and small numbers of beaver. Various migratory birds cross Germany in the spring and autumn.

The [[List of national parks of Germany|national parks in Germany]] include the [[Wadden Sea National Parks]], the [[Jasmund National Park]], the [[Vorpommern Lagoon Area National Park]], the [[Müritz National Park]], the [[Lower Oder Valley National Park]], the [[Harz National Park]], the [[Saxon Switzerland National Park]] and the [[Bavarian Forest National Park]].

Germany is known for its many [[zoological garden]]s, wildlife parks, aquaria, and bird parks.<ref>[http://www.eupedia.com/europe/zoological_gardens_europe.shtml List of famous Zoological gardens in European countries] www.eupedia.com. Retrieved 2008-10-17.</ref> More than 400 registered zoos and animal parks operate in Germany, which is believed to be the largest number in any single country of the world.<ref>[http://www.americanzoos.info/Zoofacts.html Some interesting zoo facts] www.americanzoos.info/. Retrieved 2008-10-17.</ref> The [[Berlin Zoological Garden|Zoologischer Garten Berlin]] is the oldest zoo in Germany and presents the most comprehensive collection of species in the world.<ref>{{de icon}}[http://www.zoo-berlin.de/en/understand/zahlen-fakten.html Tierstatistik 2008], Zoo Berlin. Retrieved 19 November 2009.</ref>

===Environment===
[[File:Windgermany.JPG|thumb|The largest [[wind farm]] and [[solar power]] capacity in the world is installed in Germany.<ref>[http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10961890 German lessons], The Economist. Retrieved 2008-11-29.</ref>]]

Germany is known for its environmental consciousness.<ref>[http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:zXGikuS_5GIJ:www.dzforum.de/downloads/020101311.pdf+germany+%22environmental+consciousness%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&client=news Starting points and focus of environmental communication] German Federal Environmental Foundation. Retrieved 2007-12-28.</ref> Most Germans consider [[anthropogenic]] causes to be a significant factor in [[global warming]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/pdf/sep07/BBCClimate_Sep07_rpt.pdf| title = All Countries Need to Take Major Steps on Climate Change: Global Poll| accessdate = 2008-02-11 | author = PIPA| date =2007-09-24| format = PDF| work = BBC World service Poll, carried out by Globescan| publisher = [[Program on International Policy Attitudes]] at the [[University of Maryland, College Park]]|quote=Eighty-seven percent of German respondents agree that human activity is a significant cause of climate change and 95 percent think it is necessary to take measures to deal with the problem.}}</ref> The state is committed to the [[Kyoto protocol]] and several other treaties promoting biodiversity, low emission standards, recycling, and the use of renewable energy, and supports sustainable development at a global level.<ref>[http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/uba-info-presse-e/2004/pe04-056.htm Reinforcing Germany's environmental protection industry] Umweltbundesamt. Retrieved 2007-11-25.</ref>

[[File:Aquila chrysaetos Flickr.jpg|thumb|left|The [[golden eagle|eagle]] is a protected bird of prey and the national [[heraldic animal]].]]

The German government has initiated wide-ranging emission reduction activities and the country´s overall emissions are falling.<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Earth/Germany_greenest_country_in_the_world/articleshow/3151766.cms Germany greenest country in the world] Times of India. Retrieved 2008-11-25.</ref> For example, since [[1964]], air pollution in Germany has been regulated by strict "[[TA Luft]]" legislation. Nevertheless Germany's [[List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions per capita|carbon dioxide emissions per capita]] are among the highest in the EU, although they are significantly lower than those of Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution. Acid rain, resulting from sulphur dioxide emissions, continues to damage German [[forest]]s. Pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in former East Germany have been reduced. The government under Chancellor Schröder announced the intention to end the use of nuclear power for producing electricity. Germany is working to meet EU commitments to identify nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive. Germany's last glaciers in the Alpine region are experiencing deglaciation. Natural hazards are river flooding in spring and stormy winds occurring in all regions.

==Government==
{{Main|Politics of Germany}}
[[File:Reichstag building Berlin view from west before sunset.jpg|thumb|280px|The [[Reichstag (building)|Reichstag]] in Berlin is the site of the German parliament.]]

Germany is a [[federal republic|federal]], [[parliamentary democratic|parliamentary]], [[representative democracy|representative]] [[democracy|democratic]] [[republic]]. The German political system operates under a framework laid out in the 1949 [[constitution|constitutional document]] known as the [[Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany|''Grundgesetz'']] ([[Basic Law]]). By calling the document ''Grundgesetz'', rather than ''Verfassung'' ([[constitution]]), the authors expressed the intention that it would be replaced by a proper constitution once Germany was reunited as one state. Amendments to the ''Grundgesetz'' generally require a two-thirds majority of both chambers of the [[parliament]]; the fundamental principles of the constitution, as expressed in the articles guaranteeing human dignity, the separation of powers, the federal structure, and the rule of law are valid in perpetuity.<ref name="Art 79">{{cite web|url=http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg/art_79.html|title=Article 79 of the ''Grundgesetz''|work=Bundesministerium der Justiz|publisher=www.gesetze-im-internet.de|language=German|accessdate=2008-12-07}}</ref> Despite the initial intention, the ''Grundgesetz'' remained in effect after the [[German reunification]] in 1990, with only minor amendments.

[[File:Horst Köhler.jpg|thumb|left|140px|upright|President [[Horst Köhler]].]]

The [[Chancellor of Germany|Chancellor]]—currently [[Angela Merkel]]—is the [[head of government]] and exercises [[executive (government)|executive power]], similar to the role of a [[Prime Minister]] in other [[parliamentary system|parliamentary democracies]]. Federal [[legislative power]] is vested in the parliament consisting of the ''[[Bundestag]]'' (Federal Diet) and ''[[Bundesrat of Germany|Bundesrat]]'' (Federal Council), which together form a unique type of legislative body. The ''Bundestag'' is elected through [[direct election]]s, by [[proportional representation]] ([[mixed member proportional representation|mixed-member]]). The members of the ''Bundesrat'' represent the governments of the [[States of Germany|sixteen federal states]] and are members of the state cabinets. The respective state governments have the right to appoint and remove their envoys at any time.

The [[President of Germany|President]]—currently [[Horst Köhler]]—is the [[head of state]], invested primarily with representative responsibilities and powers. He is elected by the ''[[Bundesversammlung (Germany)|Bundesversammlung]]'' (federal convention), an institution consisting of the members of the ''Bundestag'' and an equal number of state delegates. The second highest official in the [[German order of precedence]] is the ''Bundestagspräsident'' ([[President of the Bundestag|President of the ''Bundestag'']]), who is elected by the ''Bundestag'' and responsible for overseeing the daily sessions of the body. The third-highest official and the [[head of government]] is the Chancellor, who is nominated by the ''Bundespräsident'' after being elected by the ''Bundestag''. The Chancellor can be removed by a constructive [[motion of no confidence]] by the ''Bundestag'', where constructive implies that the ''Bundestag'' simultaneously elects a successor.

Since 1949, the party system has been dominated by the [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|Christian Democratic Union]] and the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany]] with all chancellors hitherto being member of either party. However, the smaller liberal [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (which has had members in the ''Bundestag'' since 1949) and the [[Alliance '90/The Greens]] (which has controlled seats in parliament since 1983) have also played important roles,<ref>[http://countrystudies.us/germany/159.htm Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union] U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2006-12-07.</ref> as they are regularly the smaller partner of a [[coalition government]].

==Law==
{{Main|Judiciary of Germany}}
[[File:Karlsruhe bundesverfassungsgericht.jpg|right|thumb|The [[Federal Constitutional Court of Germany]] in [[Karlsruhe]].]]

The [[Judiciary of Germany]] is independent of the executive and the legislative branches. Germany has a [[civil law (legal system)|civil or statute law system]] that is based on [[Roman law]] with some references to [[Germanic law]]. The ''[[Federal Constitutional Court of Germany|Bundesverfassungsgericht]]'' (Federal Constitutional Court), located in Karlsruhe, is the German Supreme Court responsible for constitutional matters, with power of [[judicial review]].<ref>[http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/en/index.html Federal Constitutional Court], Bundesverfassungsgericht.de. Retrieved April 13, 2007.</ref> It acts as the highest legal authority and ensures that legislative and judicial practice conforms to the [[Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany]] (Basic Law). It acts independently of the other state bodies, but cannot act on its own behalf.

<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Grundgesetz cover.jpg|thumb|left|[[Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany]], 1949.]] -->

Germany's supreme court system, called ''Oberste Gerichtshöfe des Bundes'', is specialised. For civil and criminal cases, the highest court of appeal is the [[Federal Court of Justice of Germany|Federal Court of Justice]], located in [[Karlsruhe]] and [[Leipzig]]. The courtroom style is [[inquisitorial system|inquisitorial]]. Other Federal Courts are the [[Federal Labor Court of Germany|Federal Labour Court]] in [[Erfurt]], the [[Bundessozialgericht|Federal Social Court]] in [[Kassel]], the [[Federal Finance Court of Germany|Federal Finance Court]] in [[Munich]] and the [[Federal Administrative Court of Germany|Federal Administrative Court]] in Leipzig.

[[Criminal law]] and [[private law]] are codified on the national level in the ''[[Strafgesetzbuch]]'' and the ''[[Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch]]'' respectively. The German penal system is aimed towards rehabilitation of the criminal; its secondary goal is the protection of the general public.<ref>{{de icon}} [http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/stvollzg/__2.html § 2 Strafvollzugsgesetz] Bundesministerium der Justiz. Retrieved 19 November 2009.</ref> To achieve the latter, a convicted criminal can be put in preventive detention (''Sicherungsverwahrung'') in addition to the regular sentence if he is considered to be a threat to the general public. The ''[[Völkerstrafgesetzbuch]]'' regulates the consequences of [[crimes against humanity]], [[genocide]] and [[war crimes]]. It gives German courts [[universal jurisdiction]] if prosecution by a court of the country where the crime was committed, or by an international court, is not possible.

[[File:HH Polizeihauptmeister MZ.jpg|thumb|upright|German [[Landespolizei|state police]] officer in [[Hamburg]].]]

===State legislation===
{{Main|Law enforcement in Germany}}

Legislative power is divided between the federation and the state level. The Basic Law presumes that all legislative power remains at the state level unless otherwise designated by the Basic Law itself.

Any federal law overrides state law if the legislative power lies at the federal level. A famous example is the purported Hessian provision for the death penalty, which goes against the ban on capital punishment under the Basic Law, rendering the Hessian provision invalid. The ''[[Bundesrat of Germany|Bundesrat]]'' is the federal organ through which the states participate in national legislation. State participation in federal legislation is necessary if the law falls within the area of concurrent legislative power, requires states to administer federal regulations, or is so designated by the Basic Law. Every state has its own constitutional court. The ''[[Amtsgericht]]e'', ''Landgerichte'' and ''Oberlandesgerichte'' are state courts of [[general jurisdiction]]. They are competent whether the action is based on federal or state law.

Many of the fundamental matters of [[administrative law]] remain in the jurisdiction of the states, though most states base their own laws in that area on the 1976 ''Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetz'' (Administrative Proceedings Act) covering important points of administrative law. The ''Oberverwaltungsgerichte'' are the highest level of administrative jurisdiction concerning the state administrations, unless the question of law concerns federal law or state law identical to federal law. In such cases, final appeal to the Federal Administrative Court is possible.

==Foreign relations==
{{Main|Foreign relations of Germany}}
[[File:33rdG8Leaders.jpg|thumb|Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] hosting the [[G8]] summit in [[Heiligendamm]].]]

Germany has played a leading role in the [[European Union]] since its inception and has maintained a [[Franco-German cooperation|strong alliance with France]] since the end of World War II. The alliance was especially close in the late 1980s and early 1990s under the leadership of [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|Christian Democrat]] [[Helmut Kohl]] and [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist]] [[François Mitterrand]]. Germany is at the forefront of European states seeking to advance the creation of a more unified European political, defence and security apparatus.<ref>[http://www.elysee.fr/elysee/anglais/speeches_and_documents/2004/declaration_by_the_franco-german_defence_and_security_council.1096.html Declaration by the Franco-German Defence and Security Council] Elysee.fr May 13, 3004. Retrieved 2006-12-03.</ref> For a number of decades after WWII, the Federal Republic of Germany kept a notably low profile in international relations, because of both its recent history and its occupation by foreign powers.<ref>Glaab, Manuela.&nbsp;[http://web.archive.org/web/20071121072523/http://en.internationalepolitik.de/archiv/2003/spring2003/german-foreign-policy.html German Foreign Policy: Book Review] Internationale Politik. Spring 2003. Retrieved 2007-01-03.</ref>

[[File:Rometreaty.jpg|thumb|left|Germany is a founding member of the [[European Economic Community|EEC]] in 1957, which became the [[European Union]] in 1993. It maintains close relations with its neighbours to coordinate EU politics.]]

During the Cold War, Germany's partition by the [[Iron Curtain]] made it a symbol of East-West tensions and a political battleground in Europe. However, Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik was a key factor in the ''[[détente]]'' of the 1970s.<ref>Harrison, Hope. {{PDFlink|[http://www.ghi-dc.org/files/publications/bu_supp/supp1/supp-01_005.pdf ''The Berlin Wall, Ostpolitik and Détente]|91.1&nbsp;KB}} German historical institute, Washington, DC, Bulletin supplement 1, 2004, ''American détente and German ostpolitik, 1969–1972".</ref> In 1999, Chancellor [[Gerhard Schröder]]'s government defined a new basis for German foreign policy by taking a full part in the decisions surrounding the [[Kosovo War|NATO war against Yugoslavia]] and by sending German troops into combat for the first time since World War II.<ref>[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1741310,00.html Germany's New Face Abroad] [[Deutsche Welle]]. October 14, 2005. Retrieved 2006-12-03.</ref>

The governments of Germany and the [[United States]] are close political allies.<ref>[http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3997.htm Background Note: Germany] U.S. Department of State. July 6, 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-03.</ref> The 1948 [[Marshall Plan]] and strong cultural ties have crafted a strong bond between the two countries, although Schröder's very vocal opposition to the [[Iraq War]] suggested the end of [[Atlanticism]] and a relative cooling of German-American relations.<ref>[http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7141311 ''Ready for a Bush hug?''], [[The Economist]], July 6, 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-31.</ref> The two countries are also economically interdependent: 8.8% of German exports are U.S.-bound and 6.6% of German imports originate from the U.S.<ref name="econ_factsheet_may2006">{{PDFlink|[http://germany.usembassy.gov/germany/img/assets/9336/econ_factsheet_may2006.pdf U.S.-German Economic Relations Factsheet]|32.8&nbsp;KB}} U.S. Embassy in Berlin. May 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-03.</ref> The other way around, 8.8% of U.S. exports ship to Germany and 9.8% of U.S. imports come from Germany.<ref name="econ_factsheet_may2006"/> Other signs of the close ties include the continuing position of German-Americans as the largest ethnic group in the U.S.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/census_2000/001870.html German Still Most Frequently Reported Ancestry] [[U.S. Census Bureau]] June 30, 2004. Retrieved 2006-12-03.</ref> and the status of [[Ramstein Air Base]] (near [[Kaiserslautern]]) as the largest U.S. military community outside the U.S.<ref>[http://benefits.military.com/misc/installations/Base_Content.jsp?id=1675 Kaiserslautern, Germany Overview] U.S. Military. Retrieved 2006-12-03.</ref>
{{clear}}

===Development aid===
The development policy of the Federal Republic of Germany is an independent area of German foreign policy. It is formulated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and carried out by the implementing organisations. The German government sees development policy as a joint responsibility of the international community.<ref>[http://www.bmz.de/en/index.html Aims of German development policy] Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development April 10, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-07.</ref>

Germany's official [[development assistance|development aid]] and [[humanitarian aid]] for 2007 amounted to 8.96 billion euros (12.26 billion dollars), an increase of 5.9 per cent from 2006. It has become the world's second biggest aid donor after the United States.<ref>[http://www.young-germany.de/news-verwaltung/news-singleview/article/7fbf309b04/germany-is-a-leader-in-development-funding.html Germany is a leader in development funding] www.young-germany.de April 17, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-07.</ref> Germany spent 0.37 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on development, which is below the government's target of increasing aid to 0.51 per cent of GDP by 2010. The international target of 0.7% of GNP would have not been reached either.

==Military==
{{Main|Bundeswehr}}
[[File:Fregatte Mecklenburg-Vorpommern F218.jpg|right|thumb|The ''Mecklenburg-Vorpommern'' participated in a [[United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon|UNIFIL II]] operation off the coast of [[Lebanon]].]]

Germany's military, the ''[[Bundeswehr]]'', is a military force with ''[[German Army|Heer]]'' (Army), ''[[German Navy|Marine]]'' (Navy), ''[[Luftwaffe]]'' (Air Force), [[Central Medical Services|''Zentraler Sanitätsdienst'']] (Central Medical Services) and ''[[Streitkräftebasis]]'' (Joint Support Service) branches. Military service is compulsory for men at the age of 18, and conscripts serve nine-month tours of duty. Conscientious objectors may instead opt for an equal length of ''[[Zivildienst]]'' (roughly translated as civilian service), or a six year commitment to (voluntary) emergency services like a [[Volunteer fire department|fire department]], the [[German Red Cross|Red Cross]] or the [[Technisches Hilfswerk|THW]]. In 2003, military spending constituted 1.5% of the country's [[Gross Domestic Product|GDP]].<ref name="CIA"/> In peacetime, the Bundeswehr is commanded by the Minister of Defence, currently [[Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg]]{{Update after|2013|11}}. If Germany went to war, which according to the constitution is allowed only for defensive purposes, the Chancellor would become commander in chief of the ''Bundeswehr''.<ref>{{de icon}} [http://www.bundestag.de/parlament/funktion/gesetze/grundgesetz/gg_10a.html Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland: Article 115a] Bundestag.de. Retrieved 19 November 2009.</ref>

[[File:Eurofighter 9803.ogg|thumb|thumbtime=32|left|A [[Eurofighter Typhoon|Eurofighter]] flight demonstration]]

The Bundeswehr employs 200,500 professional soldiers, 55,000 18–25&nbsp;year-old conscripts who serve for at least nine months under current rules, and 2,500 active reservists at any given time. Roughly 300,000 reservists are available to the Armed Forces and participate in defense exercises as well as deployments abroad. Since 2001 women can serve in all functions of service without restriction, but they are not subject to conscription. There are presently around 14,500 women on active duty and a number of female reservists who take part in all duties including peacekeeping missions and other operations. Two female medical officers have been promoted to a General rank so far.

{{As of|2009|11}}, the German military had about 8,300 troops stationed in foreign countries as part of various international peacekeeping forces, including 2,470 Bundeswehr soldiers in [[Kosovo]], 4,520 German troops in the NATO-led [[International Security Assistance Force|ISAF]] force in [[Afghanistan]] and [[Uzbekistan]], and 450 troops with [[UNIFIL]] in [[Lebanon]].<ref name="Bundeswehr1">{{cite web|url=http://www.bundeswehr.de/portal/a/bwde/einsaetze/einsatzzahlen?yw_contentURL=/C1256EF4002AED30/W264VFT2439INFODE/content.jsp|title=Einsatzzahlen – Die Stärke der deutschen Einsatzkontingente|accessdate=2009-11-08|publisher=[[Bundeswehr]]|language=German}}</ref>

In 2009, Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg stated that conditions in Afghanistan were "like a war", while it previously had been referred to as "stabilisation and civilian reconstruction", avoiding the word "war".<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2009/1104/1224258027039.html| title = Taboo broken as minister says German troops at war| accessdate = 2009-11-08| author = Derek Scally| date = 2009-11-04| work = IRISHTIMES.com| quote = 'Certain traditional choices of words do not really work in the current situation. In parts of Afghanistan, there are, without question, conditions that are like a war,' said Mr zu Guttenberg yesterday.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.bundesregierung.de/Content/DE/Interview/2009/11/2009-11-03-interview-guttenberg-bild.html| title = zu Guttenberg: Kriegsähnliche Zustände in Teilen Afghanistan (verbatim)| accessdate = 2009-11-20| date = 2009-11-03| work = Regierung online (Government Online)| publisher = [[Government of Germany]]| language = German| quote = zu Guttenberg: Ich will ganz offen sein. In Teilen Afghanistans gibt es fraglos kriegsähnliche Zustände (zu Guttenberg: I will be quite frank. In parts of Afghanistan, there are, without question, conditions like a war)}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{Main|Germans|Demographics of Germany|Social issues in Germany}}
[[File:Population of German territories 1800 - 2000.JPG|thumb|Population of German territories 1800–2000 and [[immigrant]] population from 1975–2000]]

With 82 million inhabitants in January 2010,<ref name=population /> Germany is the most populous country in the European Union. However, its [[Total fertility rate|fertility rate]] of 1.38 children per mother is one of the lowest in the world,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.destatis.de/jetspeed/portal/cms/Sites/destatis/Internet/DE/Presse/pm/2010/01/PD10__034__12641,templateId=renderPrint.psml|title=Durchschnittliche Kinderzahl 2008 in den neuen Ländern angestiegen|author=[[Federal Statistical Office of Germany|Destatis]] |language=German|accessdate=2010-01-31}}</ref> and the federal statistics office estimates the population will shrink to between 65 and 70 million by 2060 (65 million assuming a net migration of +100,000 per year; 70 million assuming a net migration of +200,000 per year).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.destatis.de/jetspeed/portal/cms/Sites/destatis/Internet/DE/Presse/pm/2009/11/PD09__435__12411,templateId=renderPrint.psml|title=
Im Jahr 2060 wird jeder Siebente 80 Jahre oder älter sein |author=[[Federal Statistical Office of Germany|Destatis]] |language=German|accessdate=2010-01-31}}</ref> Germany has a number of large cities, the most populous of which are [[Berlin]], [[Hamburg]], [[Munich]], [[Cologne]], [[Frankfurt]] and [[Stuttgart]]. By far the largest [[conurbation]] is the [[Rhine-Ruhr]] region (12 million), including [[Düsseldorf]] (the capital of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]]) and the cities of [[Cologne]], [[Essen]], [[Dortmund]], [[Duisburg]], and [[Bochum]].

[[File:Cityscapeberlin2006.JPG|thumb|left|[[Berlin]] is the largest city with a population of 3.4 million people.]]

As of December 2004, about seven million foreign citizens were registered in Germany, and 19% of the country's residents were of foreign or partially foreign descent. The young are more likely to be of foreign descent than the old. 30% of Germans aged 15 years and younger have at least one parent born abroad. In the big cities 60% of children aged 5 years and younger have at least one parent born abroad.<ref>BiBB: [http://www.good-practice.de/zielgruppen_beitrag3533.php Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund – neue Definition, alte Probleme] retrieved 25 of May 2008</ref>

{{As of|2008}}, the largest national group of people with a migrant background was from Turkey (2.5 million), followed by [[Italy]] (776,000) and [[Poland]] (687,000).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.destatis.de/jetspeed/portal/cms/Sites/destatis/Internet/DE/Content/Statistiken/Bevoelkerung/MigrationIntegration/Migrationshintergrund/Tabellen/Content100/MigrationshintergrundStaatsangehoerigkeit,templateId=renderPrint.psml|title=Bevölkerung nach Migrationshintergrund|accessdate=2010-03-26|publisher=German Federal Statistical Office|language=German}}</ref>

The [[United Nations Population Fund]] lists Germany as host to the [[List of countries by immigrant population|third-highest number of international migrants worldwide]], about 5% or 10 million of all 191 million migrants, or about 12% of the population of Germany.<ref>[http://www.unfpa.org/publications/detail.cfm?ID=294&filterListType= State of World Population 2006] United Nations Population Fund. 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-01.</ref> As a consequence of [[Immigration to Germany|restrictions]] to Germany's formerly rather unrestricted laws on [[right of asylum|asylum]] and immigration, the number of immigrants seeking asylum or claiming German ethnicity (mostly from the former Soviet Union) has been declining steadily since 2000.<ref>"[http://www.focus-migration.de/Germany.1509.0.html?&L=1 Focus-Migration: Germany]".</ref>

Large numbers of people with full or significant [[Germans|German]] ancestry are found in the
[[United States]] (50 million),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/IPTable?_bm=y&-reg=ACS_2005_EST_G00_S0201:535;ACS_2005_EST_G00_S0201PR:535;ACS_2005_EST_G00_S0201T:535;ACS_2005_EST_G00_S0201TPR:535&-qr_name=ACS_2005_EST_G00_S0201&-qr_name=ACS_2005_EST_G00_S0201PR&-qr_name=ACS_2005_EST_G00_S0201T&-qr_name=ACS_2005_EST_G00_S0201TPR&-ds_name=ACS_2005_EST_G00_&-TABLE_NAMEX=&-ci_type=A&-redoLog=false&-charIterations=047&-geo_id=01000US&-format=&-_lang=en|coauthors=United States Census Bureau|title=U.S. Census Bureau, 2005 American Community Survey|accessdate=2007-04-15}} The 1990 census gives 57.9 million, or 23.3% of the U.S. population.</ref> [[Brazil]] (5 million)<ref>{{pt icon}} [http://www.passeiweb.com/na_ponta_lingua/sala_de_aula/geografia/geografia_do_brasil/demografia_imigracoes/brasil_imigracoes_alemanha A Imigração Alemã no Brasil] Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 19 November 2009.</ref> and [[Canada]] (3 million).<ref>[http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/highlight/ETO/Table1.cfm?Lang=E&T=501&GV=1&GID=0 2001 Canadian Census] gives 2,742,765 total respondents stating their ''ethnic origin'' as partly German, with 705,600 stating "single-ancestry".</ref> About 3 million "Aussiedler"—ethnic Germans, mainly from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union—have resettled in Germany since 1987.<ref>[http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=201 "Fewer Ethnic Germans Immigrating to Ancestral Homeland"]. ''Migration Information Source.'' February 2004</ref>

===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in Germany}}
[[File:Colognecathedralatnight.JPG|thumb|upright|The [[Cologne Cathedral]] at the [[Rhine]] river is a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]]]

[[Christianity]] is the largest religion in Germany, with 52.116 million adherents (63%) in 2007.<ref name=ekd>{{de icon}} {{cite web|url=http://www.ekd.de/statistik/mitglieder.html |title=EKD-Statistik: Christen in Deutschland 2007 |publisher=Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland |date= |accessdate=2010-02-13}}</ref> 26.5 million are [[Protestantism|Protestants]] (32.3%) and 25.5 million are [[Catholicism|Catholics]] (31.0%) in 2007.<ref>[http://www.remid.de/remid_info_zahlen.htm Religionen in Deutschland: Mitgliederzahlen](German), Religionswissenschaftlicher Medien- und Informationsdienst, Retrieved 2009, May 05-30.</ref> The second largest religion is [[Islam in Germany|Islam]] with 4.3 million adherents (5%)<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,632290,00.html Germany Has 1 Million More Muslims than Previously Thought]. Spiegel Online. June 24, 2009.</ref> followed by [[Buddhism]] and [[Judaism]], both with around 200,000 adherents (c. 0.25%). [[Hinduism]] has some 90,000 adherents (0.1%) and [[Sikhism]] 75,000 (0.09%). All other religious communities in Germany have fewer than 50,000 (or less than 0.05%) adherents. About 24.4 million Germans (29.6%) have [[irreligion|no registered religious denomination]].

[[File:Frauenkirche interior 2008 001-Frauenkirche interior 2008 009.jpg|thumb|left|Inside the [[Dresden Frauenkirche|Frauenkirche in Dresden]].]]

[[Protestantism]] is concentrated in the north and east and [[Roman Catholicism in Germany|Roman Catholicism]] is concentrated in the south and west. The current [[Pope]], [[Benedict XVI]], was born in [[Bavaria]]. [[irreligion|Non-religious]] people, including [[atheism|atheists]] and [[agnosticism|agnostics]], make up 29.6% of the population, and are especially numerous in the former [[German Democratic Republic|East Germany]] and major metropolitan areas.<ref>{{de icon}} [http://www.remid.de/remid_info_zahlen.htm Religionen in Deutschland: Mitgliederzahlen] Religionswissenschaftlicher Medien- und Informationsdienst; 31 October 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2009.</ref>

Of the 4.3 million [[Muslim]]s, most are [[Sunni Islam|Sunnis]] and [[Alevites]] from [[Turkey]], but there are a small number of [[Shia Islam|Shi'ites]].<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20080124090425/http://www.euro-islam.info/pages/germany.html Germany] Euro-Islam.info. Retrieved 2006-11-30.</ref> 1.7% of the country's overall population declare themselves [[Orthodox Christians]], [[Serbs]] and [[Greeks]] being the most numerous.<ref name=ekd/> Germany has Europe's third-largest [[History of the Jews in Germany|Jewish population]] (after [[France]] and the [[United Kingdom]]).<ref>Blake, Mariah. [http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1110/p25s02-woeu.html In Nazi cradle, Germany marks Jewish renaissance] [[Christian Science Monitor]]. November 10, 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-30.</ref> In 2004, twice as many Jews from former [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] republics settled in Germany as in [[Israel]], bringing the total Jewish population to more than 200,000, compared to 30,000 prior to [[German reunification]]. Large cities with significant Jewish populations include [[Berlin]], [[Frankfurt]] and [[Munich]].<ref>[http://www.eurojewcong.org/ejc/news.php?id_article=81 The Jewish Community of Germany] European Jewish Congress. Retrieved 2006-11-30.</ref> Around 250,000 active [[Buddhism|Buddhists]] live in Germany; 50% of them are Asian immigrants.<ref>{{de icon}} [[Die Zeit]] 12/07, page 13</ref>

According to the [[Eurobarometer|Eurobarometer Poll]] 2005, 47% of German citizens agreed with the statement "I believe there is a God", whereas 25% agreed with "I believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 25% said "I do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force".<ref name=EUROBAROMETER>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf|title=Eurobarometer on Social Values, Science and technology 2005 (page 11)|accessdate=2007-05-05|format=PDF}}</ref>

===Languages===
{{Main|Languages of Germany}}
[[File:Knowledge German EU map.png|thumb|Knowledge of German in EU countries (plus [[Croatia]], [[Switzerland]], and [[Turkey]]).]]

[[German language|German]] is the official and predominant spoken language in Germany.<ref name="Eurobarometer Languages"/> It is one of 23 official languages in the European Union, and one of the three [[working language]]s of the [[European Commission]], along with English and French. Recognised native minority languages in Germany are [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Sorbian languages|Sorbian]], [[Romany language|Romany]], and [[Frisian languages|Frisian]]. They are officially protected by the [[ECRML]]. The most used immigrant languages are [[Turkish language|Turkish]], [[Polish language|Polish]], the [[Balkan languages]], and [[Russian language|Russian]].

Standard German is a [[West Germanic languages|West Germanic language]] and is closely related to and classified alongside [[English language|English]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]], and the [[Frisian languages]]. To a lesser extent, it is also related to the [[East Germanic languages|East]] (extinct) and [[North Germanic languages]]. Most German vocabulary is derived from the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family.<ref name="Many tongues, one family">{{cite web|title=Many tongues, one family. Languages in the European Union|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)]] |author=[[European Commission]] |year=2004|url=http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/move/45/en.pdf|format=PDF |accessdate=2007-02-03}}</ref> Significant minorities of words are derived from [[Latin]] and [[Greek language|Greek]], with a smaller amount from [[French language|French]] and most recently English (known as [[Denglisch]]). German is written using the Latin alphabet. In addition to the 26 standard letters, German has three vowels with [[Umlaut (diacritic)|Umlauts]], namely ä, ö, and ü, as well as the [[Eszett]] or ''scharfes S'' (''sharp s'') which is written "ß".

German [[dialect]]s are distinguished from [[variety (linguistics)|varieties]] of [[standard German]]. German dialects are traditional local varieties and are traced back to the different German tribes. Many of them are not easily understandable to a speaker of standard German, since they often differ in [[lexicon]], [[phonology]], and [[syntax]].

Around the world, German has approximately 100 million [[First language|native speakers]] and also about 80 million non-native speakers.<ref name=natgeo2006>{{cite book|authorlink=National Geographic|title=National Geographic Collegiate Atlas of the World|publisher=R.R Donnelley & Sons Company|year=2006|month=April|location=Willard, Ohio|pages=257–270|isbn=Regular:0-7922-3662-9, 978-0-7922-3662-7. Deluxe:0-7922-7976-X, 978-0-7922-7976-1}}</ref> German is the main language of about 90 million people (18%) in the EU. 67% of German citizens claim to be able to communicate in at least one foreign language, 27% in at least two languages other than their own.<ref name="Eurobarometer Languages">{{cite web|title=Special Eurobarometer 243: Europeans and their Languages (Survey)|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)]] |author=[[European Commission]]|year=2006|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf| format=PDF |accessdate=2007-02-03}}<br />{{cite web|title=Special Eurobarometer 243: Europeans and their Languages (Executive Summary)|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)]] |author=[[European Commission]]|year=2006|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_sum_en.pdf|format=PDF|doi=|accessdate=2007-02-03}}</ref>

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Germany}}
[[File:S-Klasse W221.jpg|thumb|Germany was the world's leading [[exporter]] of goods from 2003 to 2008.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/20/business/economy/20charts.html | work=The New York Times | title=A Shift in the Export Powerhouses | first=Floyd | last=Norris | date=2010-02-20 | accessdate=2010-03-31}}</ref>]]
Germany has the largest national economy in [[Europe]], the [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|fourth largest by nominal GDP]] in the world, and ranked [[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|fifth by GDP (PPP)]] in 2008.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2001rank.html Rank Order – GDP (purchasing power parity)] CIA Factbook 2005. Retrieved 31 December 2006.</ref> Since the age of [[industrialisation]], the country has been a driver, innovator, and beneficiary of an ever more globalised economy. Germany was the world's largest [[exporter]] from 2003 to 2008. It was surpassed by China in 2009 and is currently the [[List of countries by exports|second largest exporter]] and generates a large [[trade surplus]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4692638.stm German trade surplus hits record], [[BBC]], 8 February 2006. Retrieved 3 January 2007.</ref> The [[Tertiary sector of industry|service sector]] contributes around 70% of the total GDP, industry 29.1%, and agriculture 0.9%. Most of the country's products are in engineering, especially in automobiles, machinery, metals, and chemical goods.<ref name="CIA"/> Germany is the leading producer of wind turbines and solar power technology in the world. The largest annual international trade fairs and congresses are held in several German cities such as Hanover, Frankfurt, and Berlin.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20061210163253/http://www.german-renewable-energy.com/Renewables/Navigation/Englisch/wind-power.html Wind Power] Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (Germany) Retrieved 30 November 2006.</ref>

[[File:FrankfurterPanorama.JPG|thumb|left|[[Frankfurt am Main|Frankfurt]] is a major financial centre, seat of the [[European Central Bank]], and a global aviation hub.]]

Of the world's 500 largest stock market listed companies measured by [[revenue]], the [[Fortune Global 500]], 37 are headquartered in Germany. In 2007 the ten largest were [[Daimler AG|Daimler]], [[Volkswagen]], [[Allianz]] (the most profitable company), [[Siemens AG|Siemens]], [[Deutsche Bank]] (2nd most profitable company), [[E.ON]], [[Deutsche Post]], [[Deutsche Telekom]], [[Metro AG|Metro]], and [[BASF]].<ref>[http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2007/countries/Germany.html Global 500 Germany], CNN Money. Retrieved 26 November 2007.</ref> Among the largest employers are also [[Deutsche Post]], [[Robert Bosch GmbH]], and [[Edeka]].<ref>[http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2007/performers/companies/biggest_employers/index.html Global 500 Biggest Employers], CNN Money. Retrieved 26 November 2007.</ref> Well known global brands are [[Mercedes Benz]], [[SAP AG|SAP]], [[BMW]], [[Adidas]], [[Audi]], [[Porsche]], [[Volkswagen]], and [[Nivea]].<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20080106165521/http://bwnt.businessweek.com/brand/2006/ The 100 Top Brands 2006], Businessweek. Retrieved 26 November 2007.</ref> It is estimated that German companies were losing about €50 billion ($87 billion) and 30,000 jobs to [[industrial espionage]] every year, reportedly sponsored by [[China]] and [[Russia]].<ref>"[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/22/germany-china-industrial-espionage Germany accuses China of industrial espionage]". The Guardian. July 22, 2009.</ref>

Germany is a strong advocate of closer European economic and political integration, and its commercial policies are increasingly determined by agreements among [[European Union]] (EU) members and EU [[single market]] legislation. Germany uses the common European currency, the [[euro]], and its monetary policy is set by the [[European Central Bank]] in Frankfurt. Prior to 1999, the official currency was the [[Deutsche Mark]]. As of 1 January 1999, this was converted to the euro at an exchange rate of 1 euro for 1.95583 [[German mark]]s, for accounting purposes. Actual [[euro coins]] and [[euro banknotes|banknotes]] followed on 1 January 2002.

Two decades after [[German reunification]], [[standard of living|standards of living]] and per capita incomes remain significantly higher in the states of the former West Germany than in the former East.<ref name="FR">Berg, S., Winter, S., Wassermann, A. [http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,373639,00.html The Price of a Failed Reunification] Spiegel Online International. 5 September 2005. Retrieved 28 November 2006.</ref> The modernisation and integration of the eastern German economy continues to be a long-term process scheduled to last until the year 2019, with annual transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $80 billion. The overall unemployment rate has consistently fallen since 2005 and reached a 15-year low in June 2008 with 7.5%.<ref>{{de icon}} [http://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/arbeitslosenzahlen10.html Zahl der Arbeitslosen sinkt weiter] Tagesschau, 1 July 2008.</ref> In 2009 the unemployment rate was 8% in the whole of Germany; in the former West Germany it was half the rate compared to the east.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/germany/unemployment_rate.html |title=Germany Unemployment rate - Economy |publisher=Indexmundi.com |date=2009-09-17 |accessdate=2010-01-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/world/europe/19germany.html | work=The New York Times | title=In East Germany, a Decline as Stark as a Wall | first=Nicholas | last=Kulish | date=2009-06-19 | accessdate=2010-03-31}}</ref>

The nominal GDP of Germany contracted in the second and third quarters of 2008, putting the country in a technical recession following a global and [[Late 2000s recession in Europe|European recession]] cycle.<ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/14/oecd-recession-germany-inflation-deflation | title= Germany officially in recession as OECD expects US to lead recovery|publisher=The Guardian |date=14 November 2008 | location=London | first=Kathryn | last=Hopkins | accessdate=2010-03-31}}</ref> In January 2009 the German government under Angela Merkel approved a €50 billion ($70 billion) economic stimulus plan to protect several sectors from a downturn and a subsequent rise in unemployment rates.<ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.france24.com/en/20090106-germany-agrees-new-50-billion-euro-stimulus-plan| title= Germany agrees on 50-billion-euro stimulus plan|publisher = France 24| date=6 January 2009}}</ref>

===Infrastructure===
{{Main|Energy in Germany|Transport in Germany|Rail transport in Germany}}
[[File:Two Ships-Hamburg.jpg|right|thumb|[[Hamburg]] harbour is the second-largest port in [[Europe]].]]
With its central position in Europe, Germany is an important transportation hub. This is reflected in its dense and modern transportation networks. The extensive motorway ([[Autobahn]]) network that ranks worldwide third largest in its total length and features a lack of blanket speed limits on the majority of routes.<ref name=adac>{{cite web|authorlink=www.adac.de/verkehrs-experten|title=Autobahn-Temporegelung|publisher=[[ADAC]]|date=October 2007|url=http://www.adac.de/images/SP_Tempolimit_V%201%2E0_tcm8-199598.pdf|format=PDF|language=German|accessdate=2008-11-15}}</ref>

Germany has established a polycentric network of [[high-speed rail|high-speed trains]]. The [[InterCityExpress]] or ''ICE'' is the most advanced service category of the [[Deutsche Bahn]] and serves major German cities as well as destinations in neighbouring countries. The train maximum speed varies between 160&nbsp;km/h and 300&nbsp;km/h. Connections are offered at either 30-minute, hourly, or two-hourly intervals.<ref>{{de icon}} [http://web.archive.org/web/20070809140315/http://www.db.de/site/bahn/de/unternehmen/investor__relations/finanzberichte/geschaeftsbericht/geschaeftsbericht__2006.html Geschäftsbericht 2006 der Deutschen Bahn AG], [[Deutsche Bahn]]. Retrieved 19 November 2009.</ref>

[[File:ICE 3M KRM.jpg|thumb|left|The [[ICE 3]] trainset]]

Germany is the world's fifth largest consumer of energy, and two-thirds of its primary energy was imported in 2002. In the same year, Germany was Europe's largest consumer of electricity, totaling 512.9 terawatt-hours. Government policy promotes energy conservation and the development of [[renewable energy]] sources, such as solar, [[wind power|wind]], [[biomass]], hydroelectric, and [[geothermal power|geothermal]] energy. As a result of energy-saving measures, [[energy efficiency]] has been improving since the beginning of the 1970s. The government has set the goal of meeting half the country's energy demands from renewable sources by 2050.

In 2000, the government and the [[Nuclear power in Germany|German nuclear power industry]] agreed to phase out all [[nuclear power plant]]s by 2021.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4295389.stm Germany split over green energy], BBC. Retrieved 13 April 2007.</ref> Renewable energy still plays a more modest role in energy consumption. In 2006, energy consumption was met by the following sources: oil (36%); coal, including lignite (24%); natural gas (23%); nuclear (13%); hydro and wind power (1%); and other (4%). However, the share of renewable energy in electricity supply has been rapidly increasing, reaching 14% in 2007. The German government has set a new target to increase this share to 27% by 2020.

==Science==
{{Main|Science and technology in Germany}}
[[File:Max-Planck-und-Albert-Einstein.jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[Max Planck]] presents [[Albert Einstein]] with the Max-Planck medal in 1929.]]

Germany has been the home of some of the most prominent researchers in various scientific fields.<ref>[http://www.campus-germany.de/english/2.60.260.html Back to the Future: Germany – A Country of Research] German Academic Exchange Service (2005-02-23). Retrieved 2006-12-08.</ref> The [[Nobel Prize]] has been awarded to [[Nobel laureates by country|103 German laureates]].<ref>[http://nobelprize.org/ Nobel Prize], Nobelprize.org. Retrieved 19 November 2009.</ref>{{Failed verification|date=November 2009}} The work of [[Albert Einstein]] and [[Max Planck]] was crucial to the foundation of modern [[physics]], which [[Werner Heisenberg]] and [[Max Born]] developed further.<ref>Roberts, J. M. ''The New Penguin History of the World'', Penguin History, 2002. Pg. 1014. ISBN 0-14-100723-0.</ref> They were preceded by physicists such as [[Hermann von Helmholtz]], [[Joseph von Fraunhofer]], and [[Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit]]. [[Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen]] discovered [[X-ray]]s, which are called ''Röntgenstrahlen'' (Röntgen-rays) in German and many other languages. This accomplishment made him the first winner of the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] in 1901.<ref>[http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=226611 The Alfred B. Nobel Prize Winners, 1901–2003] History Channel from ''The World Almanac and Book of Facts'' 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-02.</ref>

[[Aerospace engineering|Aerospace engineer]] [[Wernher von Braun]] developed the [[V-2 rocket|first space rocket]] and later on was a prominent member of [[NASA]] and developed the [[Saturn V]] Moon rocket, which paved the way for the success of the US [[Apollo program]]. [[Heinrich Rudolf Hertz]]'s work in the domain of [[electromagnetic radiation]] was pivotal to the development of modern [[telecommunication]].<ref>[http://www.itu.int/aboutitu/HistoricalFigures.html Historical figures in telecommunications.] International Telecommunication Union. January 14, 2004. Retrieved 2007-01-02.</ref> Through his construction of the first laboratory at the [[University of Leipzig]] in 1879, [[Wilhelm Wundt]] is credited with the establishment of [[psychology]] as an independent empirical science.<ref>Kim, Alan. [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/wilhelm-wundt/ Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt] Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. June 16, 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-02.</ref> [[Alexander von Humboldt]]'s work as a natural scientist and explorer was foundational to [[biogeography]].<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070807011540/http://www.eaglehill.us/ahumb.html The Natural History Legacy of Alexander von Humboldt (1769 to 1859)], Humboldt Field Research Institute and Eagle Hill Foundation. Retrieved 2007-01-02.</ref>

[[File:Cleanroom1.jpg|thumb|left|Extensive [[cleanroom]] complex for microelectronic manufacturing in [[Stuttgart]].]]

Numerous significant [[mathematician]]s were born in Germany, including [[Carl Friedrich Gauss]], [[David Hilbert]], [[Bernhard Riemann]], [[Gottfried Leibniz]], [[Karl Weierstrass]] and [[Hermann Weyl]]. Germany has been the home of many famous [[inventor]]s and [[engineer]]s, such as [[Johannes Gutenberg]], who is credited with the invention of [[movable type]] [[printing]] in Europe; [[Hans Geiger]], the creator of the [[Geiger counter]]; and [[Konrad Zuse]], who built the first fully automatic digital computer.<ref>Horst, Zuse. [http://www.epemag.com/zuse/ The Life and Work of Konrad Zuse] Everyday Practical Electronics (EPE) Online. Retrieved 2007-01-02.</ref> German inventors, engineers and industrialists such as [[Count]] [[Ferdinand von Zeppelin]], [[Otto Lilienthal]], [[Gottlieb Daimler]], [[Rudolf Diesel]], [[Hugo Junkers]] and [[Karl Benz]] helped shape modern automotive and air transportation technology.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761576902_5/Automobile.html|title=Automobile|publisher=Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006|accessdate=2007-01-02|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080420212258/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761576902_5/Automobile.html|archivedate=2008-04-20}}</ref><ref>[http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Lighter_than_air/zeppelin/LTA8.htm The Zeppelin] U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. Retrieved 2007-01-02.</ref>

Important research institutions in Germany are the [[Max Planck Society]], the [[Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft]] and the [[Fraunhofer Society]]. They are independently or externally connected to the university system and contribute to a considerable extent to the scientific output. The prestigious [[Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize]] is granted to ten scientists and academics every year. With a maximum of €2.5 million per award it is one of highest endowed research prizes in the world.<ref>[http://www.dfg.de/en/research_funding/scientific_prizes/gw_leibniz_prize.html Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize], DFG. Retrieved March 12, 2007.</ref>

==Education==
{{Main|Education in Germany}}
[[File:Kindergartenfrankfurt.jpg|thumb|Kindergarten in [[Hesse]]]]

Responsibility for educational oversight in Germany lies primarily with the [[States of Germany|federal states]] individually, whilst the federal government only has a minor role.<!--Kulturhoheit--> Optional [[kindergarten]] education is provided for all children between three and six years old, after which school attendance is [[compulsory education|compulsory]] for at least nine years. [[Primary education]] usually lasts for four years and public schools are not stratified at this stage.<ref name="ED">{{PDFlink|[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Germany.pdf Country profile: Germany]|177&nbsp;KB}} U.S. Library of Congress. December 2005. Retrieved 2006-12-04.</ref> In contrast, [[secondary education]] includes three traditional types of schools based on a pupil's ability as determined by teacher recommendations: the ''[[Gymnasium (school)|Gymnasium]]'' enrolls the most gifted children and prepares students for university studies, and attendance lasts eight or nine years depending on the state; the ''[[Realschule]]'' has a broader range of emphasis for intermediate students and lasts six years; the ''[[Hauptschule]]'' prepares pupils for vocational education.

[[File:Heidelberg Universitätsbibliothek 2003.jpg|thumb|left|The [[University of Heidelberg]] was established in 1386.]]

Since the 1960s, a reform movement attempted to unify secondary education in a ''Gesamtschule'' ([[comprehensive school]]). However, instead of overcoming the stratification, Gesamtschule just became a fourth type of secondary school. Since about 2000, several West German Länder simplified their school system to two or three tiers. Motives were: The example of Eastern Germany where in the 1990s, following reunification, a two-tier school system was established; mediocre scores in the [[Programme for International Student Assessment]] (PISA), first published in 2001, prompted a nation-wide debate about the school system, and in particular about the social selectivity of early stratification;<ref>In PISA 2000, Germany was the country with the highest correlation between test score and social background index. In the following test periods, this result could not be replicated.</ref> catering mostly for students from immigrant families, inner-city Hauptschulen were increasingly considered dysfunctional; outside the metropoles, the population is shrinking, so that it becomes increasingly unpractical to maintain a three- or four-tier school system.

A special system of apprenticeship called ''Duale Ausbildung'' ("dual education") allows pupils in [[vocational training]] to learn in a company as well as in a state-run vocational school.<ref name="ED"/>

To enter a [[List of universities in Germany|university in Germany]], high school students are generally required to take the ''[[Abitur]]'' examination, which is similar to [[Advanced Level (UK)|A-levels in the UK]] and typically done at the age of 18 or 19. However, students possessing a diploma from a [[vocational school]] may also apply for [[matriculation]] in certain subjects. Germany's universities are recognised internationally, indicating the high education standards in the country. In the [[Academic Ranking of World Universities|ARWU]] ranking for 2008, six of the top 100 universities in the world are in Germany, and 18 in the top 200.<ref name=ARWU>{{cite web|title=Top 100 World Universities|publisher=[[Academic Ranking of World Universities|ARWU]]|url=http://www.arwu.org/rank2008/ARWU2008_A(EN).htm|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080822124509/http://www.arwu.org/rank2008/ARWU2008_A(EN).htm|archivedate=2008-08-22|accessdate=2009-03-14}}</ref> Nearly all German universities are public (i.e. non-private) institutions, charging tuition fees ranging from €50–500 per semester for each student.<ref>[http://www.daad.de/deutschland/studium/studienplanung/00493.en.html#headline_0_1 Tuition Fees in Germany] German Academic Exchange Service. Retrieved 2006-11-30.</ref>

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Germany}}
[[File:Beethoven.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Ludwig van Beethoven]] (1770–1827), composer.
[[File:Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphonie 5 c-moll - 1. Allegro con brio.ogg|right|140px|]]]]

Germany is historically called ''Das Land der Dichter und Denker'' (the land of poets and thinkers).<ref>Wasser, Jeremy. [http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,410135,00.html Spätzle Westerns] Spiegel Online International. April 6, 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-06.</ref> German culture began long before the rise of Germany as a [[nation-state]] and spanned the entire German-speaking world. From its roots, culture in Germany has been shaped by major intellectual and popular currents in Europe, both religious and [[secularism|secular]]. As a result, it is difficult to identify a specific German tradition separated from the larger framework of European [[high culture]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761576917_4/Germany.html|title=Federal Republic of Germany: Culture|publisher=Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006|accessdate=2007-01-02|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080328162029/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761576917_4/Germany.html|archivedate=2008-03-28}}</ref> Another consequence of these circumstances is the fact that some historical figures, such as [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]], [[Franz Kafka]] and [[Paul Celan]], though not citizens of Germany in the modern sense, must be considered in the context of the German cultural sphere in order to understand their historical situation, work and social relations.

[[File:Franz Marc 003.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Blaues Pferd I, 1911 by [[Franz Marc]] (1880–1916).]]

In Germany, the Federal States are in charge of the cultural institutions. There are 240 subsidised theatres, hundreds of symphonic orchestras, thousands of museums and over 25,000 libraries spread over the 16 states. These cultural opportunities are enjoyed by many millions: there are over 91 million German museum visits every year; annually, 20 million go to theatres and operas; while 3.6 million listen to the great symphonic orchestras.<ref>[http://www.study-in-germany.de/english/4.303.659.html Unbelievable Multitude] www.study-in-germany.de Retrieved 2008-10-17.</ref>

Germany claims some of the world's most renowned [[classical music]] composers, including [[Ludwig van Beethoven]], [[Johann Sebastian Bach]], [[Johannes Brahms]] and [[Richard Wagner]]. As of 2006, Germany is the fifth largest music market in the world and has influenced [[pop music|pop]] and [[rock music]] through artists such as [[Kraftwerk]], [[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]] and [[Rammstein]].<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070205193206/http://news.warez.com/p2pnet/music-market-worth-us32-billion.html Music market worth US$ 32 billion] P2pnet.net April 7, 2004. Retrieved 2006-12-07.</ref>

Numerous German painters have enjoyed international prestige through their work in diverse artistic styles. [[Hans Holbein the Younger]], [[Matthias Grünewald]], and [[Albrecht Dürer]] were important artists of the [[Renaissance]], [[Caspar David Friedrich]] of [[Romanticism]], and [[Max Ernst]] of [[Surrealism]]. [[Architecture|Architectural]] contributions from Germany include the [[Carolingian architecture|Carolingian]] and [[Ottonian architecture|Ottonian styles]], which were important precursors of [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]]. The region later became the site of significant works in styles such as [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]], [[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance]] and [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]]. Germany was particularly important in the early [[modern architecture|modern movement]], especially through the [[Bauhaus]] movement founded by [[Walter Gropius]]. [[Ludwig Mies van der Rohe]], also from Germany, became one of the world's most renowned architects in the second half of the 20th century. The glass façade skyscraper was his idea.<ref>2006 A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (Paperback) , Second (in English) , Oxford University Press, 880. ISBN 0-19-860678-8</ref>

German literature can be traced back to the Middle Ages and the works of writers such as [[Walther von der Vogelweide]] and [[Wolfram von Eschenbach]]. Various German authors and poets have won great renown, including [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]] and [[Friedrich Schiller]]. The collections of folk tales published by the [[Brothers Grimm]] popularised [[German folklore]] on an international level.
Influential authors of the 20th century include [[Thomas Mann]], [[Berthold Brecht]], [[Hermann Hesse]], [[Heinrich Böll]], and [[Günter Grass]].<ref name="nobel">{{cite web|url=http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/articles/espmark/index.html|title=The Nobel Prize in Literature|publisher=Nobelprize.org|date=1999-12-03|author=Kjell Espmark|accessdate=2006-08-14}}</ref>

===Philosophy===
[[File:Immanuel Kant (painted portrait).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Immanuel Kant]] (1724–1804), philosopher.]]
{{Main|German philosophy}}

Germany's influence on philosophy is historically significant and many notable German philosophers have helped shape [[Western philosophy]] since the Middle Ages. [[Gottfried Leibniz]]'s contributions to [[rationalism]]; the establishment of classical [[German idealism]] by [[Immanuel Kant]], [[Johann Gottlieb Fichte]], [[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel]] and [[Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling]]; [[Arthur Schopenhauer]]'s composition of metaphysical pessimism; [[Karl Marx]]'s and [[Friedrich Engels]]' formulation of [[communist theory]]; [[Friedrich Nietzsche]]'s development of [[perspectivism]]; [[Gottlob Frege]]'s contibutions to the dawn of [[analytic philosophy]]; [[Martin Heidegger]]'s works on Being; and the social theories of [[Jürgen Habermas]] have been especially influential.

===Media===
[[File:FrankfurterBuchmesse2008.JPG|thumb|left|The [[Frankfurt Book Fair]] in 2008.]]

Germany's television market is the largest in Europe, with some 34 million TV households.
The many regional and national public broadcasters are organised in line with the federal political structure. Around 90% of German households have cable or satellite TV, and viewers can choose from a variety of free-to-view public and commercial channels. Pay-TV services have not become popular or successful while public TV broadcasters [[ZDF]] and [[ARD (broadcaster)|ARD]] offer a range of digital-only channels.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/1047864.stm Country profile: Germany], BBC News. Retrieved 2007-12-07.</ref>

Germany is home to some of the world's largest media conglomerates, including [[Bertelsmann]] and the [[Axel Springer AG]]. Some of Germany's top free-to-air commercial TV networks are owned by ProSiebenSat1.

The German book market produces around 60,000 new publications every year. It represents 18% of all the books published worldwide and puts Germany in third place among the world’s book producers. The [[Frankfurt Book Fair]] is considered to be the most important book fair in the world for international deals and trading and has a tradition that spans over 500 years.

The country's news is provided for English speakers by news magazine [[Der Spiegel]], state broadcaster [[Deutsche Welle]] and news site [[The Local]].

In December 2008 the top visited websites by German internet users were [[Google]].de, Google.com, [[YouTube]], [[eBay]], [[Wikipedia]], [[Yahoo]], [[Amazon.de]] and [[gmx.net]].<ref>[http://www.alexa.com/site/ds/top_sites?cc=DE&ts_mode=country&lang=none Top Sites Germany] Alexa. Retrieved 2008-12-31.</ref>

===Cinema===
{{Main|Cinema of Germany}}
[[File:Derblaueengel.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Marlene Dietrich]] in ''[[The Blue Angel]]'' in 1930, Germany's first major film with sound.]]

German cinema dates back to the very early years of the medium with the work of [[Max Skladanowsky]]. It was particularly influential during the years of the Weimar Republic with [[German expressionism|German expressionists]] such as [[Robert Wiene]] and [[Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau]]. Austrian-based director [[Fritz Lang]], who became a German citizen in 1926 and whose career flourished in the pre-war German film industry, is said to have been a major influence on Hollywood cinema. His silent movie [[Metropolis (film)|Metropolis]] (1927) is referred to as the birth of modern Science Fiction movies.

In 1930 Austrian-American Josef von Sternberg directed ''[[The Blue Angel]]'', which was the first major German [[sound film]] and it brought world fame to actress [[Marlene Dietrich]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Bordwell |first= David |authorlink= David Bordwell |coauthors= Kristin Thompson|title= Film History: An Introduction|origdate= |origyear= 1994 |edition= 2nd |year= 2003 |publisher= McGraw-Hill |location= New York City |isbn= 978-0071151412 |page= 204 |chapter= The Introduction of Sound}}</ref> Impressionist documentary [[Berlin: Symphony of a Great City]], directed by [[Walter Ruttmann]], is a prominent example of the city symphony genre. The Nazi era produced mostly propaganda films although the work of [[Leni Riefenstahl]] still introduced new aesthetics to film.<ref>[http://www.filmbug.com/db/343340 Leni Riefenstahl], Filmbug Movie Stars. Retrieved April 13, 2007.</ref>

[[File:Berlinale2007.jpg|thumb|left|The Berlinale Palast during the [[Berlin Film Festival]] in February.]]

During the 1970s and 80s, [[New German Cinema]] directors such as [[Volker Schlöndorff]], [[Werner Herzog]], [[Wim Wenders]], and [[Rainer Werner Fassbinder]] put West German cinema back on the international stage with their often provocative films.<ref>[http://www.fassbinderfoundation.de/node.php/en/home Rainer Werner Fassbinder], Fassbinder Foundation. Retrieved April 13, 2007.</ref>
More recently, films such as ''[[Good Bye Lenin!]]'' (2003), ''[[Head-On|Gegen die Wand (Head-on)]]'' (2004), ''[[Der Untergang|Der Untergang (Downfall)]]'' (2004), and ''[[Der Baader Meinhof Komplex]]'' (2008) have enjoyed international success.

The [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]] went to the German production ''[[The Tin Drum (film)|Die Blechtrommel (The Tin Drum)]]'' in 1979, to ''[[Nowhere in Africa]]'' in 2002, and to ''[[The Lives of Others|Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others)]]'' in 2007.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405094/awards Awards:Das Leben der Anderen], IMDb. Retrieved April 13, 2007.</ref> Among the most famous German actors are Marlene Dietrich, [[Klaus Kinski]], [[Hanna Schygulla]], [[Armin Mueller-Stahl]], [[Jürgen Prochnow]], and [[Thomas Kretschmann]].

The [[Berlin Film Festival]], held annually since 1951, is one of the world's foremost film festivals. An international jury places emphasis on representing films from all over the world and awards the winners with the Golden and Silver Bears.<ref>''[http://www.fiapf.org/pdf/2006accreditedFestivalsDirectory.pdf 2006 FIAPF accredited Festivals Directory], International Federation of Film Producers Associations, retrieved on December 11, 2006.''</ref> The annual [[European Film Award]]s ceremony is held every second year in the city of Berlin, where the [[European Film Academy]] (EFA) is located. The [[Babelsberg Studios]] in Potsdam are the oldest large-scale film studios in the world and a centre for international film production.

===Sports===
{{Main|Sport in Germany}}
[[File:Michael Schumacher-I'm the man (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Michael Schumacher]] has won seven [[Formula One]] championships.]]

Sport forms an integral part of German life. Twenty-seven million Germans are members of a sports club and an additional twelve million pursue such an activity individually.<ref name="sports">{{cite web | url = http://www.germany.info/relaunch/culture/life/sports.html | title = Germany Info: Culture & Life: Sports | publisher = Germany Embassy in Washington, D.C | accessdate = 28 December 2006}}</ref> [[Association football]] is the most popular sport. With more than 6.3 million official members, the [[German Football Association]] (''Deutscher Fußball-Bund'') is the largest sports organisation of its kind worldwide.<ref name="sports"/> The [[Fußball-Bundesliga|Bundesliga]] attracts the second highest [[List of attendance figures at domestic professional sports leagues|average attendance]] of any professional sports league in the world. The [[Germany national football team|German national football team]] won the [[FIFA World Cup]] in 1954, 1974 and 1990 and the [[European Football Championship]] in 1972, 1980 and 1996. Germany has hosted the FIFA World Cup in [[FIFA World Cup 1974|1974]] and [[FIFA World Cup 2006|2006]] and the [[UEFA European Football Championship]] in [[UEFA Euro 1988|1988]]. Among the most successful and renowned footballers are
[[Franz Beckenbauer]], [[Gerd Müller]], [[Jürgen Klinsmann]], [[Lothar Matthäus]], and [[Oliver Kahn]]. Other popular spectator sports include [[team handball|handball]], [[volleyball]], [[basketball]], [[ice hockey]], and [[tennis]].<ref name="sports"/>

[[File:AllianzArenaSunset.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Allianz Arena]] is host to the football club [[Bayern Munich]] and was a venue for the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]].]]

Germany is one of the leading motorsports countries in the world. Race winning cars, teams and drivers have come from Germany. The most successful [[Formula One]] driver in history, [[Michael Schumacher]], has set the most significant motorsport records during his career and won more [[Formula One]] championships and races than any other driver since Formula One's debut season in 1946. He is one of the highest paid sportsmen in history and became a billionaire athlete.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://sport.guardian.co.uk/formulaone/story/0,,1929091,00.html | title = What we will miss about Michael Schumacher | publisher = Guardian Unlimited | accessdate = 19 October 2007 | location=London | first=David | last=Ornstein | date=2006-10-23}}</ref> Constructors like [[BMW]] and [[Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes]] are among the leading teams in motorsport sponsorship. [[Porsche]] has won the [[24 hours of Le Mans]], a prestigious annual race held in France, 16 times. The [[Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters]] is a popular series in Germany.

Historically, German sportsmen have been some of the most successful contenders in the [[Olympic Games]], ranking third in an [[all-time Olympic Games medal count]], combining East and West German medals. In the [[2008 Summer Olympics]], Germany finished fifth in the medal count,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/GL/95A/GL0000000.shtml | title = Beijing 2008 Medal Table | publisher = The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games | accessdate = 8 September 2008}}</ref> while in the [[2006 Winter Olympics]] they finished first.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/table_uk.asp?OLGT=2&OLGY=2006 | title = Turin 2006 Medal Table | publisher = International Olympic Committee | accessdate = 28 December 2006}}</ref>
Germany has hosted the [[Summer Olympic Games]] twice, in [[Berlin]] in [[1936 Summer Olympics|1936]] and in [[Munich]] in [[1972 Summer Olympics|1972]]. The [[Winter Olympic Games]] took place in Germany once in [[1936 Winter Olympics|1936]] when they were staged in the [[Bavaria]]n twin towns of [[Garmisch]] and [[Partenkirchen]].

===Cuisine===
{{Main|German cuisine}}
[[File:144215094 be5e39f10f b.jpg|thumb|A ''[[Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte]]'' (Black Forest cake).]]

German cuisine varies from region to region. The southern regions of [[Bavarian cuisine|Bavaria]] and Swabia, for instance, share a culinary culture with Switzerland and Austria. Pork, beef, and poultry are the main varieties of meat consumed in Germany, with [[pork]] being the most popular.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.nationmaster.com/country/gm-germany/foo-food | title = German food stats | publisher = www.nationmaster.com | accessdate = 26 November 2007}}</ref> Throughout all regions, meat is often eaten in sausage form. More than 1500 different types of [[sausage]] are produced in Germany. [[Organic food]] has gained a market share of around 3.0%, and is predicted to increase further.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.organic-europe.net/country_reports/germany/default.asp | title = Organic Agriculture in Germany | publisher = organic-Europe | accessdate = 26 November 2007}}</ref>

A popular German saying has the meaning: "Breakfast like an emperor, lunch like a king, and dine like a beggar." Breakfast is usually a selection of breads and rolls with jam and honey or cold meats and cheese, sometimes accompanied by a boiled egg. [[Cereal]]s or muesli with milk or yoghurt is less common but widespread.<ref>[http://www.cp-pc.ca/english/germany/eating.html Eating the German way], Cultural Profiles Project. Retrieved 2007, November 26.</ref> More than 300 types of [[bread]] are sold in bakery shops across the country.<ref>[http://www.germany-tourism.de/ENG/culture_and_events/culinary_germany_brot.htm 300 Types of Bread], www.germany-tourism.de. Retrieved 2007, November 26.</ref>

[[File:Buffet Germany.jpg|thumb|left|A typical [[cheese]] and cold meat [[buffet]] served at private festivities.]]

As a country with many immigrants, Germany has adopted many international dishes into its cuisine and daily eating habits. [[Italian cuisine|Italian]] dishes like [[Pizza]] and [[Pasta]], [[Turkish cuisine|Turkish]] and [[Arab]] dishes like [[Döner Kebab]] and [[Falafel]] are well established, especially in bigger cities. International [[Hamburger|burger]] chains, as well as [[Chinese cuisine|Chinese]] and [[Greek cuisine|Greek]] restaurants, are widespread. [[Indian cuisine|Indian]], [[Thai cuisine|Thai]], [[Japanese cuisine|Japanese]], and other Asian cuisines have gained popularity in recent decades.
Among nine high-profile restaurants in Germany, the [[Michelin guide]] has awarded three stars, the highest designation, while 15 more received two stars.<ref>[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2914502,00.html Schnitzel Outcooks Spaghetti in Michelin Guide], Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 2007, November 26.</ref> German restaurants have become the world's second most decorated after eateries in France.<ref>[http://in.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idINL1447732320071114 German cuisine beats Italy, Spain in gourmet stars], Reuters India. Retrieved 2007, November 26.</ref>

Although [[wine]] is becoming more popular in many parts of Germany, the national alcoholic drink is [[beer]]. German beer consumption per person is declining but—at 116 litres annually—it is still among the highest in the world.<ref>[http://www.royalunibrew.com/Default.aspx?ID=266 Europe's largest beer market], royalunibrew.com. Retrieved 2007, November 26.</ref> Beer varieties include [[Altbier|Alt]], [[Bock]], [[Dunkel]], [[Kölsch (beer)|Kölsch]], [[Lager]], [[Malzbier]], [[Pilsener|Pils]], and [[Weizenbier]]. Among 18 surveyed western countries, Germany ranked 14th in the list of per capita consumption of soft drinks in general, while it ranked third in the consumption of fruit juices.<ref>[http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/foo_sof_dri_con-food-soft-drink-consumption Soft drink consumption], www.nationmaster.com. Retrieved 2007, November 26.</ref> Furthermore, carbonated mineral water and ''[[Spritzer#Non-alcoholic Spritzer|Schorle]]'' (its mixture with fruit juice) are very popular in Germany.

===Society===
[[File:Cs.JPG|thumb|upright|Germany has established a [[Nation Brands Index|positive reputation]] around the globe. ([[Claudia Schiffer]], model)]]

Since the 2006 World Cup celebrations the internal and external perception of Germany's national image has changed.<ref>[http://www.brandovation.net/ How Germany won the World Cup of Nation Branding] BrandOvation. Retrieved 2007-11-25.</ref> In annually conducted global surveys known as [[Nation Brands Index]], Germany became significantly and repeatedly higher ranked after the tournament. People in 20 different states were asked to assess the country's reputation in terms of culture, politics, exports, its people and its attractiveness to tourists, immigrants and investments. Germany has been named the [[nation branding|world's most valued nation]] among 50 countries in 2008.<ref>{{cite press release | title = GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media and Simon Anholt Release Global Reputation Study Ranking 50 Countries: Germany on Top, U.S. Seventh in Nation Brands IndexSM | publisher = [[GfK]] | date = 2008-09-24 | url = http://www.gfk.com/group/press_information/press_releases/003055/index.en.html | accessdate = 2009-02-08 | quote = }}</ref> Another global opinion poll based on 13,575 responses in 21 countries for the [[BBC]] revealed that Germany is recognised for the most positive influence in the world in 2009, leading 16 investigated countries. A majority of 61% have a positive view of the country, while 15% have a negative view.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7873050.stm Russia and China 'approval down'] [[BBC NEWS]]. Retrieved 2008-04-02.</ref>

[[File:Insel Rügen-Strand von Sellin.jpg|thumb|left|Germans invest a large amount of money in international travel and domestic vacation trips (seaside resort in [[Sellin]]<ref>{{cite web | title = Rügen Sellin Seebrücke - Strand Video clip (video) | date = 2009-12-22 | url = http://bgvip.tv/play.php?vid=17321057 | accessdate = 2009-12-22 | quote = }}</ref> on the island of [[Rügen]]).]]

Germany is a legally and socially tolerant country towards homosexuals. [[Civil union]]s have been permitted since 2001.<ref>[http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1613010,00.html Germany extends gay rights] News24.com. Retrieved 2007-11-25.</ref> Gays and lesbians can legally adopt their partner's biological children (stepchild adoption). The Foreign Minister [[Guido Westerwelle]] and the mayors of the two largest German cities, Berlin and Hamburg, are openly gay.<ref name=gayscity>{{cite web|last=Weinthal|first=Benjamin|title=He’s Gay, and That’s Okay|publisher=[[Gay City News]]|date=2006-08-31|url=http://www.gaycitynews.com/articles/2006/08/31/gay_city_news_archives/past%20issues/17334472.txt|accessdate=2009-09-03}}</ref>{{Update after|2011|09|reason=elections in Berlin}}

During the last decade of the 20th century Germany has transformed its attitude towards immigrants considerably. Until the mid-nineties the opinion was widespread that Germany is not a country of immigration, even though about 10% of the population were of non-German origin. After the end of the influx of so-called ''[[Gastarbeiter]]'' (blue-collar guest-workers), refugees were a tolerated exception to this point of view. Today the government and German society are acknowledging the opinion that controlled immigration should be allowed based on the qualification of immigrants.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=l9yTtCAnQWwC&pg=PA53&lpg=PA53&dq=cdu+immigrant+einwanderungsland&source=web&ots=KKVpfi7CM5&sig=iojK_WCtFX1qxXZepvrllK0j6Vs#PPA53,M1 From ethnic nation to universalistic immigrant integration: Germany] The Integration of Immigrants in European Societies. Retrieved 2008-11-25.</ref>

With an expenditure of €67 billion on international travel in 2008, Germans spent more money on travel than any other country. The most visited foreign destinations were Spain, Italy and Austria.<ref>[http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ET-Cetera/Germans-spend-most-on-foreign-trips-Industry-group/articleshow/4250332.cms Germans spend most on foreign trips: Industry group] The Economic Times. Retrieved 2009-03-15.</ref>
{{-}}

== International rankings ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Organization
! Survey
! Ranking
|-
| Institute for Economics and Peace
| [[Global Peace Index]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/home.php |title=Vision of Humanity |publisher=Vision of Humanity |date= |accessdate=2010-02-04}}</ref>
| 16 out of 144
|-
| [[United Nations Development Programme]]
| [[Human Development Index]]
| 22 out of 182
|-
| [[Transparency International]]
| [[Corruption Perceptions Index]]
| 14 out of 180
|-
| [[World Economic Forum]]
| [[Global Competitiveness Report]]
| 7 out of 133
|}

==See also==
{{portal|Germany|Flag of Germany.svg}}
*[[Germania (personification)]]
*[[Index of Germany-related articles]]
*[[Outline of Germany]]
*[[Taxation in Germany]]
*[[Tourism in Germany]]

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Spoken Wikipedia-2|2008-06-24|Germany (Spoken Article) Part 1.ogg|Germany (Spoken Article) Part 2.ogg}}
{{sisterlinks|Germany}}
{{cookbook}}
<!--

Wikipedia is not a link list nor a Web directory. If your link points to a site that does not cover many subjects about Germany, it's most likely in the wrong place here and you should go and search for a more specific article.
-->
*[http://www.deutschland.de/ Deutschland.de] – Official Germany portal (non-profit)
*[http://www.bundeskanzlerin.de/ Official site of German Chancellor] ([[German language|German]] and English)
*[http://www.dw-world.de/ Deutsche Welle] – Germany's international broadcaster
*[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/world-leaders-g/germany.html Chief of State and Cabinet Members]
*{{CIA World Factbook link|gm|Germany}}
*[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/231186/Germany Germany] entry at ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''
*[http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/germany.htm Germany] at ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''
*{{dmoz|Regional/Europe/Germany}}
{{wikiatlas|Germany}}
*[http://www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de/en/ Facts about Germany] – by the German Federal Foreign Office
*[http://www.destatis.de/e_home.htm Destatis.de] – Federal Statistical Office Germany {{en icon}}

{{Template group
|title = Articles Related to Germany
|list =
{{Germany topics}}
{{Countries of Europe}}
{{Countries bordering the Baltic Sea}}
{{States of Germany |titlestyle=background:#ddf;}}
{{G8 nations}}
{{EU members}}
{{North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)}}
{{WTO}}
{{Council of Europe}}
{{Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development}}
{{National personifications}}
}}

[[Category:Germany| ]]
[[Category:European countries]]
[[Category:European Union member states]]
[[Category:Alpine countries]]
[[Category:Countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Countries bordering the Baltic Sea]]
[[Category:Republics]]
[[Category:Federal countries]]
[[Category:German-speaking countries]]
[[Category:G8 nations]]
[[Category:G20 nations]]
[[Category:Liberal democracies]]
[[Category:Western Europe]]
[[Category:Member states of the Union for the Mediterranean]]

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Revision as of 22:49, 5 April 2010

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