Germany

In brief

Germany is a country in Western Europe. Its capital is Berlin. With 83.5 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 19th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 357,114 km². It shares land borders with Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland.

GDP per capita stands at $60,496 (2025), 17th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 80.8 years (2024). 82% of the population lives in cities.

History of Germany

Long divided within the Holy Roman Empire, the German lands were unified in 1871 around Prussia, driven by Bismarck. Defeat in 1918 was followed by the Weimar Republic, then the Nazi dictatorship (1933-1945), responsible for the Second World War and the Holocaust. In 1949 the country was split in two: West Germany and East Germany. The Berlin Wall, built in 1961, fell in 1989, and Germany was reunified on 3 October 1990. It is one of the six founding members of European integration.

Geography of Germany

Germany stretches from the North and Baltic seas to the Alps. A broad plain covers the north, low mountain ranges the centre, and Bavaria the south, where the Zugspitze (2,962 m) is the highest point. The Rhine, Elbe and Danube cross the country.

Map of Germany

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Flag of Germany

The flag of Germany is red, yellow and black. Its official proportions are 3:5 (height to width).

• Black33%
• Red33%
• Yellow33%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Black, red and gold come from the uniforms of the Lützow Free Corps, which fought Napoleon (black coats, red facings, gold buttons). Taken up by the revolutionaries of 1848 and the Weimar Republic, they were adopted by West Germany in 1949; East Germany added its emblem to them.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Germany” and “Flag of Germany”.

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Fact file

Economy and society