Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos

Germany: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

News •

Germany Unity Day: Envoy hails cooperation with Gambia, calls for peaceful election • Nov. 13, 2026, 2:24 AM ET (The Point)
Germany midfielder Nmecha under scrutiny in Dortmund for celebrations linked to evangelical group • Nov. 9, 2026, 7:57 AM ET (AP)
Peschel scores in her debut as US shuts out Germany 5-0 at women's worlds, Canada routs Japan 9-0 • Nov. 8, 2026, 5:14 PM ET (AP)
The leader of a German conservative party is found dead at a Berlin hotel • Nov. 5, 2026, 9:38 AM ET (AP)
Canada's prime minister says Russia not allowed at world juniors after 6 countries threaten boycott • Nov. 3, 2026, 5:56 PM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As Federal Republic of Germany • Deutschland • Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Head Of Government Chancellor: Friedrich Merz
Capital Berlin3
Population (2026 est.) 84,110,000
Currency Exchange Rate 1 USD equals 0.904 euro
Head Of State President: Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Form Of Government federal multiparty republic with two legislative houses (Bundesrat, or Federal Council [691]; German Bundestag, or Federal Assembly [6302])
Official Language German
Official Religion none
Official Name Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Federal Republic of Germany)
Total Area (Sq Km) 357,596
Total Area (Sq Mi) 138,208
Monetary Unit euro (€)
Population Rank (2026) 19
Population Projection 2030 84,888,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi (2026) 609.2
Density: Persons Per Sq Km (2026) 235
Urban-Rural Population Urban: (2018) 77.3% • Rural: (2018) 22.7%
Life Expectancy At Birth Male: (2021–2023) 78.2 years • Female: (2021–2023) 83 years
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000) (2024) 4,601,091
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$) (2024) 55,090
1All seats appointed by local government.2Current number of seats; statutory number is 598.3Some ministries remain in Bonn. The federal supreme court meets in Karlsruhe.

Did You Know?

  • A portion of Germany's highways have no speed limit.
  • Escaping prison is legal in Germany.
  • Giving the Nazi salute is illegal in Germany.
  • Germany has a museum dedicated to snoring.
  • In Germany, you can buy beer at McDonald's.

Photos and Videos

Germany
Political map of Germany showing state boundaries, major cities, and neighboring countries including Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. A small inset locator map in the top left highlights Germany's position within Europe.
Stolberg, Germany
Map highlighting Germany in central Europe, shown in tan, with neighboring countries labeled, including France, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The capital city, Berlin, is marked with a star. Surrounding bodies of water, the North Sea and Baltic Sea, are also labeled.
Rhine River
Panoramic view of hikers standing on the rocky summit of Zugspitze, marked by a golden cross, with rugged peaks of the German Alps stretching into the distance.
A village with red-roofed houses and a church is nestled in a green valley surrounded by forested hills in the Black Forest region of Germany.
Rhine River
Katz Castle; Sankt Goarshausen; Rhine River
Elbe River
Modern Berlin: Blending history with modernity
How did Berlin become the capital of reunified Germany?
Exploring Lake Müritz: Germany's second largest lake
Who are the German people?
Why you probably know more German than you think
Deutschlandlied
See All Videos, Images, Audio and Interactives →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
German composer
Painting by Elias Gottlieb Hausmann of Johann Sebastian Bach wearing a dark coat with a white shirt and holding a sheet of music in his left hand.
Johann Sebastian Bach
German composer
Albrecht Dürer: Self-Portrait in Furred Coat
Albrecht Dürer
German artist
Portrait of Adolf Hitler in a collared shirt and tie, facing forward with a serious expression, circa 1933.
Adolf Hitler
dictator of Germany
Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
German composer
Frederick II
Frederick II
Holy Roman emperor
Medieval manuscript miniature showing Frederick I as a crowned crusader holding an orb and scepter, with Henry of Schaftlarn kneeling and presenting a book to him.
Frederick I
Holy Roman emperor
Gustav Stresemann
Gustav Stresemann
chancellor of Germany
Henry IV
Henry IV
Holy Roman emperor
“Queen of Europe”
Angela Merkel
chancellor of Germany
default image
Louis IV
Holy Roman emperor
Justus von Liebig
Justus, baron von Liebig
German chemist
Olaf Scholz
Olaf Scholz
chancellor of Germany
Helmuth von Moltke, 1871
Helmuth von Moltke
German general [1800–1891]
Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
German political leader and convicted war criminal
Ursula von der Leyen
Ursula von der Leyen
German politician
Philip
Philip
landgrave of Hesse
Maximilian I
Maximilian I
Holy Roman emperor
Friedrich Ebert, c. 1924.
Friedrich Ebert
president of Weimar Republic
Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany in military uniform, wearing a fur hat with a prominent skull emblem and various medals and decorations on his chest.
Wilhelm II
emperor of Germany

Related Places

default image
Bremen
state, Germany
default image
Oberammergau
Germany
default image
Harburg
Germany
default image
Hannover
administrative district, Germany
default image
Oberpfalz
administrative district, Germany
default image
Breisach
Germany
Map showing the countries of Europe with national capitals and surrounding bodies of water, including the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Black Sea.
Europe
continent
Brandenburg Gate
Berlin
national capital, Germany
Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
Hamburg
Germany
Cologne, Germany
Cologne
Germany
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Bavaria
state, Germany
Schlossplatz with the Jubilee Column and (left) Neues Schloss (New Castle), Stuttgart, Ger.
Baden-Württemberg
state, Germany
Lübeck, Germany: Holstentor
Schleswig-Holstein
state, Germany
Munich
Munich
Bavaria, Germany
Mainz: St. Martin's Cathedral
Rhineland-Palatinate
state, Germany

Related Quizzes

Opened passport with visas, stamps, seals, world map. (travel, tourism)
Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz
Flags of all nations of the world. Grouping of various country flags on a world map.
Which Country Is Larger? Quiz
Top of Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany
Germany Across History Quiz
Flags of the world against blue sky. Countries, International. Globalization, global relations, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Poland, Palestine, Japan. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
Which Country Is Larger By Population? Quiz
Flags of all countries of the world. Flags of the world. National flags. Country flags. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery
The Country Quiz
Brown globe on antique map. Brown world on vintage map. North America. Green globe. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery
Countries & Their Features
7:023 Geography: Think of Something Big, globe showing Africa, Europe, and Eurasia
Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz
Brown globe on antique map. Brown world on vintage map. North America. Green globe. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery
Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz
10:087 Ocean: The World of Water, two globes showing eastern and western hemispheres
You Name It!
Actual continental drift of plates. Thematic map.
Geography Fun Facts
Flags of the world. National flags. Country flags. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery
Countries of the World
American soldiers in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge.
Germany and World War II