Outline of Germany

The Flag of Germany

The Coat of arms of Germany

The location of Germany

An enlargeable map of the Federal Republic of Germany

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Germany:

Germany – federal parliamentary republic in western-central Europe consisting of 16 constituent states, which retain limited sovereignty. Its capital and largest city is Berlin. With more than 80 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state in the European Union. Germany is a major economic and political power of the European continent and a historic leader in many cultural, theoretical and technical fields. After losing World War I, Germany fell under the control of Adolf Hitler, who started World War II. After losing World War II, Germany was divided into East Germany and West Germany, each on opposite sides in the Cold War. In October 1990, after the Cold War ended, the country was reunified. Germany has since grown to become the world's fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP.

General reference[edit]

An enlargeable basic map of Germany

Pronunciation: ⁱ/ˈdʒɜrməni/; (German: Deutschland; German pronunciation: [ˈdɔʏtʃlant]), the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, German pronunciation: [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant])
Common English country name: Germany
Official English country name: The Federal Republic of Germany
Common endonym(s): Deutschland
Official endonym(s): Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Adjectival(s): German
Demonym(s): Germans
Etymology: Name of Germany
International rankings of Germany
ISO country codes: DE, DEU, 276
ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:DE
Internet country code top-level domain: .de

Geography of Germany[edit]

An enlargeable topographic map of Germany

Germany is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The territory of Germany covers 357,021 square kilometres (137,847 sq mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate.

Germany is a:
- Country
  - Developed country
- Sovereign state
  - Member State of the European Union
Location:
- Northern Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere
  - Eurasia
    - Europe
      - Central Europe
      - Western Europe
- Time in Germany
  - Time zones:
    - Central European Time (UTC+01), Central European Summer Time (UTC+02)
- Extreme points of Germany (major towns):^[1]
  - North: Westerland (on the island of Sylt at the Danish border)
  - South: Oberstdorf, town at Austria^[2]
  - East: Goerlitz, town at Poland
  - West: Aachen, town at Belgium & the Netherlands
  - High: Zugspitze 2,962 m (9,718 ft)
  - Low: Neuendorf bei Wilster −3.5 m (−11 ft)

Coastline: 2,389 km (1,484 mi)

Population of Germany: 82,217,800 people (2007 estimate) – 14th most populous country
Area of Germany: 357,021 km² (137,847 sq mi) – 63rd largest country
Atlas of Germany
List of cities and towns in Germany
- Metropolitan regions in Germany
- Regiopolis

Neighbours of Germany[edit]

Land boundaries: 3,621 km (2,250 mi)

Austria 784 km (487 mi)

Czech Republic 646 km (401 mi)

Netherlands 577 km (359 mi)

Poland 456 km (283 mi)

France 451 km (280 mi)

Switzerland 334 km (208 mi)

Belgium 167 km (104 mi)

Luxembourg 138 km (86 mi)

Denmark 68 km (42 mi)

Environment of Germany[edit]

An enlargeable satellite image of Germany

Geographic features of Germany[edit]

Administrative divisions of Germany[edit]

Lower Saxony

Bremen

Hamburg

Mecklenburg-
Vorpommern

Saxony-
Anhalt

Saxony

Brandenburg

Berlin

Thuringia

Hesse

North Rhine-
Westphalia

Bavaria

States of Germany[edit]

Germany is composed of 16 constituent states, called Bundesländer (see map on the right).

Further subdivisions[edit]

Some German states are subdivided into administrative regions, called Regierungsbezirke.
Germany as a whole is further composed of approx. 400 districts, separated into:
- "Rural" districts (Landkreise or Kreise) and
- "Urban" districts (Kreisfreie Städte or Stadtkreise)
Cities of Germany
Municipalities of Germany

Demography of Germany[edit]

With over 82 million inhabitants, it comprises the largest population among the member states of the European Union and is home to the third-highest number of international migrants. See more at Immigration to Germany.

Government and politics of Germany[edit]

Form of government: federal parliamentary representative democratic republic
Capital of Germany: Berlin
Former Capital of West Germany and later seat of government of the reunified Federal Republic: Bonn
Federal budget of Germany
Elections in Germany
- Electoral reform in Germany
- Electoral system of Germany
Far-right politics in Germany
Federalism in Germany
Political parties in Germany
Political scandals of Germany
Security issues in Germany
Taxation in Germany
- Feed-in tariffs in Germany

Branches of the government of Germany[edit]

Executive branch of the government of Germany[edit]

Legislative branch of the government of Germany[edit]

Parliament of Germany (bicameral)
- Upper house: Bundesrat of Germany
- Lower house: Bundestag

Judicial branch of the government of Germany[edit]

Foreign relations of Germany[edit]

International organization membership[edit]

The Federal Republic of Germany is a member of:^[3]

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) (nonregional member)
Arctic Council (observer)
Asian Development Bank (ADB) (nonregional member)
Australia Group
Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
Black Sea Economic Cooperation Zone (BSEC) (observer)
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)
Central American Integration System (SICA) (observer)
Council of Europe (CE)
Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS)
Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC)
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
European Investment Bank (EIB)
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
European Space Agency (ESA)
European Union (EU)
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Group of Five (G5)
Group of Seven (G7)
Group of Eight (G8)
Group of Ten (G10)
Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (G20)
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
International Criminal Court (ICCt)
International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
International Development Association (IDA)
International Energy Agency (IEA)
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS)
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
International Labour Organization (ILO)
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Olympic Committee (IOC)

International Organization for Migration (IOM)
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO)
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
Nonaligned Movement (NAM) (guest)
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
Organization of American States (OAS) (observer)
Paris Club
Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)
Schengen Convention
Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) (observer)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)
United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS)
United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG)
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Universal Postal Union (UPU)
West African Development Bank (WADB) (nonregional)
Western European Union (WEU)
World Customs Organization (WCO)
World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU)
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
World Trade Organization (WTO)
World Veterans Federation
Zangger Committee (ZC)

Law and order in Germany[edit]

Laws in Germany
Crime in Germany
- Human trafficking in Germany
- Rape in Germany
Human rights in Germany
- LGBT rights in Germany
  - Recognition of same-sex unions in Germany
- Freedom of religion in Germany
Law enforcement in Germany
- National law enforcement agencies
- Regional law enforcement agencies
  - Landespolizei – are operated by individual German states and are responsible for the bulk of police work in Germany
  - Landespolizei forces are divided into the following operational sections:
    - - Schutzpolizei – ('Schupo') The uniformed police officers who patrol the streets, respond to emergency calls, do traffic policing etc.
      - Kriminalpolizei – ('Kripo') The plain clothes detective branch of the State police, responsible for investigations. For instance, if a car is broken into, the Schupo will respond, secure the car, notify the owner etc., and then hand the case over to Kripo for investigation.
      - Einsatzhundertschaften (EHU) / Bereitschaftspolizei (BePo) – Uniformed part of the LaPo that is used when manpower is required, for example during political demonstrations.
      - Landeskriminalamt (LKA) – The State Investigation Bureau is directly subordinate to the state ministry of the interior, supervises police operations aimed at preventing and investigating criminal offences, and coordinates investigations involving more than one Präsidium.
      - Wasserschutzpolizei (WSP) – The river police for patrolling rivers, lakes and harbours.
      - Spezialeinsatzkommando (SEK) – The SWAT teams of the German state police.
      - Autobahnpolizei – The highway patrol or motorway police in Germany.

Military of Germany[edit]

Command
- Commander-in-chief:
  - Ministry of Defence of Germany
Bundeswehr
- Army of Germany: Heer
- Navy of Germany: Marine
- Air force of Germany: Luftwaffe
- Special forces of Germany: Kommando Spezialkräfte
Military history of Germany
Military ranks of Germany

Local government in Germany[edit]

History of Germany[edit]

History of Germany, by period[edit]

18th-century history of Germany

Years in Germany[edit]

Years in Germany

1871- 1872- 1873- 1874- 1875- 1876- 1877- 1878- 1879- 1880- 1881- 1882- 1883- 1884- 1885- 1886- 1887- 1888- 1889- 1890- 1891- 1892- 1893- 1894- 1895- 1896- 1897- 1898- 1899- 1900- 1901- 1902- 1903- 1904- 1905- 1906- 1907- 1908- 1909- 1911- 1912- 1913- 1914- 1915- 1916- 1917- 1918- 1919- 1920- 1921- 1922- 1923- 1924- 1925- 1926- 1927- 1928- 1929- 1930- 1931- 1932- 1933- 1934- 1935- 1936- 1937- 1938- 1939- 1940- 1941- 1942- 1943- 1944- 1945- 1946- 1947- 1948- 1949- 1950- 1951- 1952- 1953- 1954- 1955- 1956- 1957- 1958- 1959- 1960- 1961- 1962- 1963- 1964- 1965- 1966- 1967- 1968- 1969- 1970- 1971- 1972- 1973- 1974- 1975- 1976- 1977- 1978- 1979- 1980- 1981- 1982- 1983- 1984- 1985- 1986- 1987- 1988- 1989- 1990- 1991- 1992- 1993- 1994- 1995- 1996- 1997- 1998- 1999- 2000- 2001- 2002- 2003- 2004- 2005- 2006- 2007- 2008- 2009- 2010- 2011- 2012- 2013- 2014- 2015- 2016- 2017- 2018- 2019

History of Germany, by region[edit]

History of Germany, by subject[edit]

Culture of Germany[edit]

Old Town of Regensburg (UNESCO world heritage)

The Oktoberfest in Munich is the world's largest fair

Art in Germany[edit]

Music of Germany[edit]

Music of Germany

People of Germany[edit]

Religion and belief systems in Germany[edit]

Cologne Cathedral

Sports in Germany[edit]

Economy and infrastructure of Germany[edit]

Germany was the largest exporter of goods in 2007. In absolute terms, Germany allocates the second biggest annual budget of development aid in the world,^[4] while its military expenditure ranked sixth.^[5] The country has developed a high standard of living and established a comprehensive system of social security.

Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2007): 4th (fourth)
Agriculture in Germany
- List of mills in Germany
Central banks
- Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt
- European Central Bank, Frankfurt
Communications in Germany
- Internet in Germany
- Television in Germany
  - History of television in Germany
Companies of Germany
Currency of Germany: Euro (see also: Euro topics)
- ISO 4217: EUR
Economic history of Germany
Mining in Germany
- List of mines in Germany
Mittelstand
Stock exchange: Frankfurt Stock Exchange
Tourism in Germany
- List of spa towns in Germany
Transport in Germany
- Airports in Germany
- Road system of Germany
  - Road signs in Germany
  - Highway system of Germany
- Rail transport in Germany
Water supply and sanitation in Germany
Wirtschaftswunder

Energy in Germany[edit]

Energy in Germany

Education in Germany[edit]

Health in Germany[edit]

References[edit]

^ Map of Germany, SitesAtlas.com, 2009, web: SitA-511.
^ "Ryan Jahnke Online", FigureskatersOnline.com, 2009, web: FSO-RJah.
^ "Germany". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. 2009-07-14. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
^ Germany world's second biggest aid donor after US TopNews, India, Retrieved 2008, 04-10.
^ "The fifteen major spenders in 2006" (PDF). Recent trends in military expenditure. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-08-14. Retrieved 2007-08-23.

External links[edit]

Find more about Germany at Wikipedia's sister projects
	Definitions from Wiktionary
	Media from Commons
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks
	Learning resources from Wikiversity

Wikimedia Atlas of Germany

General

Deutschland.de — Official German portal
Germany Tourism
German news and features, Expatica
DW-WORLD.DE Deutsche Welle — Germany's international broadcaster
News Portal of the German Embassy to the USA
History of Germany since 1945 PDF (1.28 MB)

Facts and figures

CIA statistics
Facts about Germany — by the German Federal Foreign Office
Destatis.de — Federal Statistical Office Germany (English)

Travel

Germany travel guide from Wikivoyage
Germany Travel Info — by the German National Tourist Office

Pictures

Database of travelers' photos sorted by region (fotocommunity)

[1] Map of Germany, SitesAtlas.com, 2009, web: SitA-511.

[2] "Ryan Jahnke Online", FigureskatersOnline.com, 2009, web: FSO-RJah.

[CIA_World_Factbook-3] "Germany". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. 2009-07-14. Retrieved 2009-07-23.

[4] Germany world's second biggest aid donor after US TopNews, India, Retrieved 2008, 04-10.

[5] "The fifteen major spenders in 2006" (PDF). Recent trends in military expenditure. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-08-14. Retrieved 2007-08-23.

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