Germany (Joan of What?)

Germany (: Deutschland), officially the German Empire (German: Deutsches Reich) is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy in central-western Europe. It includes 27 constituent states, covers an area of 540,858 square kilometres, and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With about 82 million inhabitants, Germany is the most populous member state of the. After, it is the most popular immigration destination in the world. Germany's capital and largest metropolis is Berlin. Other major cities include Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Düsseldorf.

Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity. A region named Germania was documented before 100 AD. During the Migration Period the Germanic tribes expanded southward. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation.

In 1871, Germany became a nation state when most of the German states unified into the Prussian-dominated German Empire following Prussia's victory in. After the social and economic stresses brought by the and the, from 1933 to 1937 the government of Chancellor  restructured the country under the policy of  into a popular democracy, removing power from the dominant German nobility. Yet another world war from 1938 to 1946 saw Germany struggle against Fascist and her allies alongside  and, eventually triumphing and occupying its defeated foes. The German economic miracle, Wirtschaftswunder, began after the war and saw Germany transform into an economic powerhouse.

In the 21st century, Germany is a great power and has the world's fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP, as well as the fifth-largest by PPP. As a global leader in several industrial and technological sectors, it is both the world's third largest exporter and importer of goods. Germany is a developed country with a very high standard of living sustained by a skilled and productive society. It upholds a social security and universal healthcare system, environmental protection and a tuition-free university education.

Germany was a founding member of the and a permanent member of the. It also played a similar role in the establishment of the in 1993. It is part of the Schengen Area, and became a co-founder of the Eurozone in 1999. Germany is furthermore a member of, the , the , and the. The national military expenditure is the 9th highest in the world. Known for its rich cultural history, Germany has been continuously the home of influential artists, philosophers, musicians, sportspeople, entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers and inventors.