Germany Country Facts

A structured, fast-loading reference card covering Germany's geography, government, economy, and culture — no Wikipedia wall-of-text.

Basic Facts

Official Name Federal Republic of Germany
Capital City Berlin
Largest City Berlin (~3.8 million)
Population (2024) ~84.5 million
Official Language German (Deutsch)
Currency Euro (EUR, €)
Country Code DE / DEU
Calling Code +49
Internet TLD .de
National Day October 3 (German Unity Day)
Time Zone CET (UTC+1) / CEST (UTC+2)
Drives On Right side

Geography

Total Area 357,114 km²
World Rank by Area 63rd largest country
Borders (9 countries) Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands
Coastline 2,389 km (North Sea & Baltic Sea)
Highest Point Zugspitze, Bavaria (2,963 m)
Lowest Point Neuendorf-Sachsenbande, Schleswig-Holstein (−3.54 m)
Longest River Rhine (865 km within Germany)
Largest Lake Lake Constance (Bodensee, shared with Austria & Switzerland)
Major Mountain Range Bavarian Alps (south), Harz, Black Forest
Climate Temperate oceanic; cool, cloudy, wet
Forest Cover ~11.4 million hectares (~32% of land area)
Location Central Europe, 47°N–55°N, 6°E–15°E

16 Federal States (Bundeslaender)

Baden-Wuerttemberg
BW State
Bavaria (Bayern)
BY State
Berlin
BE City-state
Brandenburg
BB State
Bremen
HB City-state
Hamburg
HH City-state
Hesse (Hessen)
HE State
Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)
NI State
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
MV State
North Rhine-Westphalia
NW State
Rhineland-Palatinate
RP State
Saarland
SL State
Saxony (Sachsen)
SN State
Saxony-Anhalt
ST State
Schleswig-Holstein
SH State
Thuringia (Thueringen)
TH State

Government

Government Type Federal parliamentary republic
Head of State Federal President (Bundespraesident)
Head of Government Federal Chancellor (Bundeskanzler)
Parliament Bicameral: Bundestag (lower) + Bundesrat (upper, 16 states)
Constitution Basic Law (Grundgesetz), in force since May 23, 1949
Reunification Date October 3, 1990
Legal System Civil law system
Voting Age 18 years (16 for state elections in some states)
Major Political Parties CDU/CSU, SPD, Greens, FDP, AfD, BSW
EU Membership Founding member since 1957 (Treaty of Rome)
NATO Membership Member since 1955
UN Membership Member since 1973

Economy

GDP (nominal, 2024) ~$4.46 trillion USD
GDP per Capita ~$52,800 USD
World GDP Rank 3rd largest economy (largest in EU)
Inflation Rate ~2.2% (2024)
Unemployment Rate ~5.5% (2024)
Major Exports Vehicles, machinery, chemicals, electronics, pharmaceuticals
Top Trade Partners USA, China, France, Netherlands, UK, Poland
Major Industries Automotive, engineering, chemicals, IT, finance, renewables
Natural Resources Coal, potash, timber, iron ore, natural gas, salt
Stock Exchange Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE / Deutsche Boerse)
Central Bank Deutsche Bundesbank (part of ECB system)
Trade Agreements EU single market, WTO, CETA, EPA (via EU)

Fun Facts

01

Germany has over 1,500 different beers brewed by more than 1,300 breweries — the highest brewery density of any country in the world.

02

The Autobahn is the world's oldest national motorway network, begun in 1932. Around 30% of the Autobahn has no general speed limit.

03

Germany invented the printing press (Johannes Gutenberg, c. 1440), the automobile (Karl Benz, 1885), and aspirin (Bayer, 1899).

04

Germany has 48 UNESCO World Heritage Sites — one of the highest totals in the world — spanning castles, cathedrals, and industrial landmarks.

05

Oktoberfest in Munich is the world's largest folk festival, attracting around 6 million visitors and consuming over 7 million liters of beer annually.

06

Germany is the EU's largest producer of renewable energy and aims to reach 80% renewable electricity by 2030 under its Energiewende policy.

07

The Berlin Wall, which divided East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, stretched 155 km and had over 300 watchtowers along its length.

08

Germany is home to more than 20,000 castles and castle ruins — more than any other country in the world.

Data sourced from Statistisches Bundesamt, World Bank, CIA World Factbook, and the German Federal Foreign Office. Figures are approximate and reflect 2024 estimates.

Summary

A structured, fast-loading reference card covering Germany's geography, government, economy, and culture — no Wikipedia wall-of-text.

How it works

  1. Browse the cards arranged by topic: Basic Facts, Geography, Government, Economy, and Fun Facts.
  2. Each card presents concise data points drawn from authoritative sources (Statistisches Bundesamt, World Bank, CIA World Factbook).
  3. Use the section navigation at the top to jump directly to the category you need.
  4. Click any fact card's copy button to copy that value to your clipboard.
  5. All figures are static reference data — no input required.

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Last updated: 2026-05-29 · Reviewed by Nham Vu