Overview of and topical guide to Germany
The location of Germany in Western-Central Europe
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 (
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
An enlargeable basic map of Germany
Geography of Germany
An enlargeable topographic map 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 .
Coastline: 2,389 km (1,484 mi)
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
An enlargeable satellite image of Germany
Geographic features of 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
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
Branches of the government of Germany
Government of Germany
Executive branch of the government of Germany
Legislative branch of the government of Germany
Judicial branch of the government of Germany
Judiciary of Germany
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:
[3]
Law and order in Germany
Law of Germany
Laws in Germany
Crime in Germany
Human rights 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
Military of Germany
Local government in Germany
Local government in Germany
History of Germany
History of Germany, by period
Years in Germany
Years in Germany
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History of Germany, by region
History of Germany, by subject
Culture of Germany
Old Town of
Regensburg (UNESCO
World Heritage Site )
The
Oktoberfest in
Munich is the world's largest fair.
The German Unity Flag is a national symbol of
German Reunification that was raised on 3 October 1990. It waves in front of the
Bundestag in Berlin (seat of the
German parliament ).
Culture of Germany
Art in Germany
Music of Germany
Johann Sebastian Bach
Music of Germany
People of Germany
Religion and belief systems in Germany
Cologne Cathedral
Sports in Germany
Michael Schumacher has claimed 91 race victories and 7 championships in his
F1 career.
Sports 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,
[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 .
Euro banknotes
Energy in Germany
Wind turbine at Trampe (Breydin),
wind farm Heckelberg-Brunow/Breydin
Windkraftanlage bei Breydin OT Trampe, Brandenburg;
Energy in Germany
Education in Germany
Education in Germany
Health in Germany
Health in Germany
See also
Germany
References
External links
Wikimedia Atlas of Germany
General
Facts and figures
Travel
Pictures