Germany
The Federal Republic of Germany lies at the centre of Europe and has a total population of about 82 million. Germany's position as a geographical link between Eastern and Western Europe as well as between Scandinavia and the Mediterranean has become even more clearly defined since reunification in 1989. A founding member of the European Economic Communities in the mid-20th century, Germany now plays a leading role in the European Union and is home to the European Central Bank in Frankfurt.
Germany consists of 16 federal states, known as Länder, each with its own capital. The nation covers an area of about 357,000 sq km; it is the 63rd largest country in the world, the 7th largest in Europe, and the 4th largest in the European Union. Although its population has been declining in recent years, it is still the 14th most populous country in the world, the second-most-populous in Europe (after Russia), and the most populous in the European Union. Its economy is very strong, with the world’s third-largest nominal GDP bolstering the world’s best export total and second-best import total.
The German language is the most frequently-spoken mother tongue in the European Union and the second-most frequently-spoken language overall (first-place English is spoken by over half of EU residents as their first or second language).
Germany has an extraordinary variety of charming landscapes. From north to south, the country is divided into five regions with different topographical features: the North German Plain, the Central Upland Range, the plateau panorama of the southwest, the Alpine foothills in the south, and the Bavarian Alps. Germany is situated in the moderately cool west wind zone, and whilst in recent years Germany's weather has become rather unpredictable, probably as a result of global warming, it is in general still fairly typical of a continental climate, including periods of cold (down to minus 20°C) in winter, and in summer temperatures of up to 30°C and above.
