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 (German: Bundesland), 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 (EU). 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 under Christian Democratic Union (CDU) chancellor Helmut Kohl. Germany has since grown to become the world's fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP, a financial status which the country has consistently maintained throughout the early 2020s.
General reference
Pronunciation: ; German: Deutschland[ˈdɔʏtʃlant] (officially the Federal Republic of Germany; German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland[ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːkˈdɔʏtʃlant] )
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
Geography of 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
Member state of NATO
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):
North: Westerland (on the island of Sylt at the Danish border)
South: Oberstdorf, town at Austria
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
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
Climate of Germany
Green building in Germany
Renewable energy in Germany
Geology of Germany
National parks of Germany
Protected areas of Germany
Wildlife of Germany
Fauna of Germany
Fish of Germany
Birds of Germany
Mammals of Germany
Zoos in Germany
Geographic features of Germany
Glaciers of Germany
Islands of Germany
Lakes of Germany
Mountains of Germany
Volcanoes in Germany
Rivers of Germany
Waterfalls of Germany
Valleys of Germany
World Heritage Sites in Germany
Administrative divisions of Germany
States of Germany
Germany is composed of 16 constituent states, called Bundesländer (plural form; Bundesland singularly; see map on the right).
Further subdivisions
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
Demographics of Germany
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
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
Government of Germany
Executive branch of the government of Germany
Head of state: President of Germany
Head of government: Chancellor of Germany
Cabinet of Germany
Legislative branch of the government of Germany
Parliament of Germany (bicameral)
Upper house: Bundesrat of Germany
Lower house: Bundestag
Judicial branch of the government of Germany
Judiciary of Germany
Federal Constitutional Court
Joint Senate of the Supreme Courts of the Federation
Federal Administrative Court
Federal Court of Justice
Federal Fiscal Court
Federal Labour Court
Federal Social Court
Federal Patent Court
Foreign relations of Germany
Foreign relations of Germany
List of diplomatic missions in Germany
List of diplomatic missions of Germany
Embassy of Germany, Abuja
Embassy of Germany, Bangkok
Embassy of Germany, Brasília
Embassy of Germany, Budapest
Embassy of Germany, Canberra
Embassy of Germany, Chișinău
Embassy of Germany, Kyiv
Embassy of Germany, London
Embassy of Germany, Moscow
Embassy of Germany, Ottawa
Embassy of Germany, Prague
Embassy of Germany, Saint Petersburg
Embassy of Germany, Tel Aviv
Embassy of Germany, Washington, D.C.
Embassy of Germany, Wellington
Embassy of Germany, Windhoek
International organization membership
The Federal Republic of Germany is a member of:
Law and order in Germany
Law of Germany
Laws in Germany
Referendums in Germany
Alcohol laws in Germany
Capital punishment in Germany
Censorship in Germany
Censorship in the Federal Republic of Germany
Civil procedure code of Germany
Conscription in Germany
Constitution of Germany
Constitutional review in Germany
Copyright law of Germany
Driving licence in Germany
Crime in Germany
Human trafficking in Germany
Rape in Germany
Human rights in Germany
LGBT rights in Germany
Same-sex marriage in Germany
Freedom of religion in Germany
Law enforcement in Germany
National law enforcement agencies
Federal Criminal Police Office (Germany)
Federal Police (Germany)
German Federal Coast Guard
GSG 9
Regional law enforcement agencies
Landespolizei – are operated by individual German states and are responsible for the bulk of police work in Germany
Baden-Württemberg Police
Bavarian State Police
Hesse State Police
North Rhine-Westphalia Police
Rheinland-Pfalz State Police
Saarland Police
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.
List of Germany international footballers 1908–1942
List of Germany women's international footballers
List of football clubs in Germany
List of football clubs in Germany by major honours won
List of football stadiums in Germany
Women's football in Germany
Germany at the Olympics
German records in athletics
Ice hockey in Germany
Roller derby in Germany
Rugby in Germany
Rugby league in Germany
Rugby union in Germany
List of Germany national rugby union players
List of Germany national rugby union team results
List of rugby union clubs in Germany
Sports broadcasting contracts in Germany
Economy and infrastructure of Germany
Economy of Germany
Germany was the third largest exporter in 2017. In absolute terms, Germany allocates the second biggest annual budget of development aid in the world,
while its military expenditure ranked sixth. 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
Rapid transit in Germany
High-speed rail in Germany
History of rail transport in Germany
Water supply and sanitation in Germany
Wirtschaftswunder
Energy in Germany
Windkraftanlage bei Breydin OT Trampe, Brandenburg;
Energy in Germany
Electricity sector in Germany
Geothermal power in Germany
List of power stations in Germany
Energy transition in Germany
Nuclear power in Germany
Solar power in Germany
Wind power in Germany
List of windmills in Germany
Education in Germany
Education in Germany
Academic achievement among different groups in Germany
Academic grading in Germany
Academic ranks in Germany
Science and technology in Germany
List of German inventors and discoverers
Universities in Germany
List of schools in Germany
Music schools in Germany
State libraries of Germany
Student loans in Germany
Health in Germany
Health in Germany
Health care in Germany
Emergency medical services in Germany
Health care system of the elderly in Germany
Long-term care insurance in Germany
Nursing in Germany
Obesity in Germany
See also
Germany
Index of Germany-related articles
List of international rankings
Member state of the European Union
Member state of the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors
Member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Member state of the United Nations
Outline of Europe
Outline of geography
References
External links
Wikimedia Atlas of Germany
General
Deutschland.de — official German portal
Germany Tourism
Information about Germany in English — IamExpat in Germany
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 (in 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)