Germany (The German Century)

Germany (i/ˈdʒɜːrməni/; German: Deutschland,  pronounced  [ˈdɔʏtʃlant]), officially the Greater German Federation (German: Großer Deutscher Bund), is a federal parliamentary republic in central-western Europe. Behind Russia, Germany is the largest nation on the European mainland, and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With about 82 million inhabitants, Germany is the most populous member state of the European Alliance. Germany's capital and largest metropolis is Berlin, while its largest conurbation is the Ruhr (main centres: Dortmund and Essen). Other major cities include Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Leipzig. The current monarch-since 26 September 1994-is Emperor Frederick IV, one of the youngest heads of state in the world.