Germany

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This article iongitude 80° 02' W to 87° 38' W
Website myflorida.com
Florida state symbols
Flag of Florida.svg
The Flag of Florida
Seal of Florida.svg
The Seal of Florida
Living insignia
Amphibian Barking tree frog
Bird Northern mockingbird
Fish Florida largemouth bass, Atlantic sailfish
Flower Orange blossom
Insect Zebra longwing
Mammal Florida panther, manatee, bottlenose dolphin, Florida Cracker Horse[9]
Reptile American alligator, Loggerhead turtle, Gopher tortoise[9]
Tree Sabal palmetto
Inanimate insignia
Beverage Orange juice
Food Key lime pie, Orange
Gemstone Moonstone
Rock Agatized coral
Shell Horse conch
Soil Myakka
State route marker
Florida state route marker
State quarter
Florida quarter dollar coin
Released in 2004
Lists of United States state symbols

Florida (/ˈflɒrɪdə/ (About this soundlisten),[10] Spanish pronunciation: [flo

ˈɾiða]) is the southernmost contiguous state in the United States. The state is
bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the
north by Georgia, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south by the
Straits of Florida. The state's capital, Tallahassee, was established as such in
1823 by the second session of the territorial legislature.[11] Florida is the 22nd-
most extensive (65,755 sq mi or 170,300 km2), the 3rd-most populous (21,477,737
inhabitants),[12] and the 8th-most densely populated (384.3/sq mi or 148.4/km2) of
the U.S. states. Jacksonville is the most populous municipality in the state and
the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. The Miami metropolitan
area is Florida's most populous urban area.

Florida's $1.0 trillion economy is the fourth-largest in the United States.[13] If

it were a country, Florida would be the 16th-largest economy in the world, and the
58th-most populous as of 2018.[14] In 2017, Florida's per capita personal income
was $47,684, ranking 26th in the nation.[15] The unemployment rate in September
2018 was 3.5% and ranked as the 18th in the United States.[16] Florida exports
nearly $55 billion in goods made in the state, the 8th highest among all states.
[17] The Miami metropolitan area is by far the largest urban economy in Florida and
the 12th largest in the United States with a GDP of $345 billion as of 2017.[18]
This is more than twice the number of the next metro area, the Tampa Bay Area,
which has a GDP of $145 billion. Florida is home to 51 of the world's billionaires,
most of them residing in South Florida.[19]

The first European contact was made in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León,
who called it la Florida ([la floˈɾiða] "the land of flowers") upon landing there
in the Easter season, known in Spanish as Pascua Florida.[20] Florida was a
challenge for the European colonial powers before it gained statehood in the United
States in 1845. It was a principal location of the Seminole Wars against the Native
Americans, and racial segregation after the American Civil War.

Today, Florida is distinctive for its large Cuban expatriate community and high
population growth, as well as for its increasing environmental issues. The state's
economy relies mainly on tourism, agriculture, and transportation, which developed
in the late 19th century. Florida is also renowned for amusement parks, orange
crops, winter vegetables, the Kennedy Space Center, and as a popular destination
for retirees. It is the flattest state in the United States,[21] and Lake
Okeechobee is its largest freshwater lake.[22]

The state's close proximity to the ocean influences many aspects of Florida culture
and daily life. Florida is a reflection of influences and multiple inheritance;
African, European, indigenous, Latino, and Asian heritages can be found in the
architecture and cuisine. Florida has attracted many writers such as Marjorie
Kinnan Rawlings, Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, and continues to attract
celebrities and athletes. It is internationally known for golf, tennis, auto
racing, and water sports. Several beaches in Florida have turquoise and emerald-
colored coastal waters.[23]

About two-thirds of Florida occupies a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and the
Atlantic Ocean. Florida has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States,
approximately 1,350 miles (2,170 km), not including the contribution of the many
barrier islands.[24] Florida has a total of 4,510 islands that are ten acres or
larger in area.[25][26] This is the second-highest number of islands of any state;
only Alaska has more.[25] It is the only state that borders both the Gulf of Mexico
and the Atlantic Ocean. Much of the state is at or near sea level, and is
characterized by sedimentary soil. Florida has the lowest high point of any U.S.
state. The American alligator, American crocodile, American flamingo, Roseate
spoonbill, Florida panther, bottlenose dolphin, and manatee can be found in
Everglades National Park in the southern part of the state. The climate varies from
subtropical in the north to tropical in the south.[27] Along with Hawaii, Florida
is one of only two states that have a tropical climate, and is the only continental
state that has both a tropical climate and a coral reef. The Florida Reef[28] is
the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States,[29] and the
third-largest coral barrier reef system in the world (after the Great Barrier Reef
and Belize Barrier Reef).[30]
Contents

1 History
1.1 European arrival
1.2 Joining the United States; Indian removal
1.3 Slavery, war, and disenfranchisement
1.4 Reconstruction era and end of the 19th century
1.5 20th- and 21st-century growth
2 Geography
2.1 Climate
2.2 Fauna
2.3 Flora
2.4 Florida Reefs about the country. For other uses, see Germany
(disambiguation) and Deutschland (disambiguation).
"Federal Republic of Germany" redirects here. For the country from 1949 to 1990,
see West Germany.

Coordinates: 51°N 9°E

Federal Republic of Germany
Bundesrepublik Deutschland (German)
Flag of Germany
FlagFlorida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
This article is about the State of Florida. For other uses, see Florida
(disambiguation).
Florida
State
State of Florida
Flag of Florida
Flag
Official seal of Florida
Seal
Nickname(s): The Sunshine State
Motto(s): In God We Trust[1]
Anthem: "Old Folks at Home" and "Florida"
Map of the United States with Florida highlighted
Map of the United States with Florida highlighted
Country United States
Before statehood Florida Territory
Admitted to the Union March 3, 1845 (27th)
Capital Tallahassee
Largest city Jacksonville
Largest metro Miami
Government
• Governor Ron DeSantis (R)
• Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Núñez (R)
Legislature Florida Legislature
• Upper house Senate
• Lower house House of Representatives
U.S. senators Marco Rubio (R)
Rick Scott (R)
U.S. House delegation 14 Republicans
13 Democrats (list)
Area
• Total 65,757.70[2] sq mi (170,312 km2)
Area rank 22nd
Dimensions
• Length 447 mi (721 km)
• Width 361 mi (582 km)
Elevation
100 ft (30 m)
Highest elevation (Britton Hill[3][4])
345 ft (105 m)
Lowest elevation (Atlantic Ocean[3])
0 ft (0 m)
Population (2019)
• Total 21,477,737[5]
• Rank 3rd
• Density 384.3/sq mi (121.0/km2)
• Density rank 8th
• Median household income
$53,267[6]
• Income rank
40th
Demonym(s) Floridian, Floridan
Language
• Official language English[7]
• Spoken language Predominantly English and Spanish[8]
Time zones
Peninsula and "Big Bend" region UTC-05:00 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST) UTC-04:00 (EDT)
Panhandle west of the Apalachicola River UTC-06:00 (Central)
• Summer (DST) UTC-05:00 (CDT)
USPS abbreviation
FL
ISO 3166 code US-FL
Trad. abbreviation Fla.
Latitude 24° 27' N to 31° 00' N
Longitude 80° 02' W to 87° 38' W
Website myflorida.com
Florida state symbols
Flag of Florida.svg
The Flag of Florida
Seal of Florida.svg
The Seal of Florida
Living insignia
Amphibian Barking tree frog
Bird Northern mockingbird
Fish Florida largemouth bass, Atlantic sailfish
Flower Orange blossom
Insect Zebra longwing
Mammal Florida panther, manatee, bottlenose dolphin, Florida Cracker Horse[9]
Reptile American alligator, Loggerhead turtle, Gopher tortoise[9]
Tree Sabal palmetto
Inanimate insignia
Beverage Orange juice
Food Key lime pie, Orange
Gemstone Moonstone
Rock Agatized coral
Shell Horse conch
Soil Myakka
State route marker
Florida state route marker
State quarter
Florida quarter dollar coin
Released in 2004
Lists of United States state symbols

Florida (/ˈflɒrɪdə/ (About this soundlisten),[10] Spanish pronunciation: [flo

ˈɾiða]) is the southernmost contiguous state in the United States. The state is
bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the
north by Georgia, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south by the
Straits of Florida. The state's capital, Tallahassee, was established as such in
1823 by the second session of the territorial legislature.[11] Florida is the 22nd-
most extensive (65,755 sq mi or 170,300 km2), the 3rd-most populous (21,477,737
inhabitants),[12] and the 8th-most densely populated (384.3/sq mi or 148.4/km2) of
the U.S. states. Jacksonville is the most populous municipality in the state and
the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. The Miami metropolitan
area is Florida's most populous urban area.

Florida's $1.0 trillion economy is the fourth-largest in the United States.[13] If

it were a country, Florida would be the 16th-largest economy in the world, and the
58th-most populous as of 2018.[14] In 2017, Florida's per capita personal income
was $47,684, ranking 26th in the nation.[15] The unemployment rate in September
2018 was 3.5% and ranked as the 18th in the United States.[16] Florida exports
nearly $55 billion in goods made in the state, the 8th highest among all states.
[17] The Miami metropolitan area is by far the largest urban economy in Florida and
the 12th largest in the United States with a GDP of $345 billion as of 2017.[18]
This is more than twice the number of the next metro area, the Tampa Bay Area,
which has a GDP of $145 billion. Florida is home to 51 of the world's billionaires,
most of them residing in South Florida.[19]

The first European contact was made in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León,
who called it la Florida ([la floˈɾiða] "the land of flowers") upon landing there
in the Easter season, known in Spanish as Pascua Florida.[20] Florida was a
challenge for the European colonial powers before it gained statehood in the United
States in 1845. It was a principal location of the Seminole Wars against the Native
Americans, and racial segregation after the American Civil War.

Today, Florida is distinctive for its large Cuban expatriate community and high
population growth, as well as for its increasing environmental issues. The state's
economy relies mainly on tourism, agriculture, and transportation, which developed
in the late 19th century. Florida is also renowned for amusement parks, orange
crops, winter vegetables, the Kennedy Space Center, and as a popular destination
for retirees. It is the flattest state in the United States,[21] and Lake
Okeechobee is its largest freshwater lake.[22]

The state's close proximity to the ocean influences many aspects of Florida culture
and daily life. Florida is a reflection of influences and multiple inheritance;
African, European, indigenous, Latino, and Asian heritages can be found in the
architecture and cuisine. Florida has attracted many writers such as Marjorie
Kinnan Rawlings, Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, and continues to attract
celebrities and athletes. It is internationally known for golf, tennis, auto
racing, and water sports. Several beaches in Florida have turquoise and emerald-
colored coastal waters.[23]

About two-thirds of Florida occupies a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and the
Atlantic Ocean. Florida has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States,
approximately 1,350 miles (2,170 km), not including the contribution of the many
barrier islands.[24] Florida has a total of 4,510 islands that are ten acres or
larger in area.[25][26] This is the second-highest number of islands of any state;
only Alaska has more.[25] It is the only state that borders both the Gulf of Mexico
and the Atlantic Ocean. Much of the state is at or near sea level, and is
characterized by sedimentary soil. Florida has the lowest high point of any U.S.
state. The American alligator, American crocodile, American flamingo, Roseate
spoonbill, Florida panther, bottlenose dolphin, and manatee can be found in
Everglades National Park in the southern part of the state. The climate varies from
subtropical in the north to tropical in the south.[27] Along with Hawaii, Florida
is one of only two states that have a tropical climate, and is the only continental
state that has both a tropical climate and a coral reef. The Florida Reef[28] is
the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States,[29] and the
third-largest coral barrier reef system in the world (after the Great Barrier Reef
and Belize Barrier Reef).[30]
Contents

1 History
1.1 European arrival
1.2 Joining the United States; Indian removal
1.3 Slavery, war, and disenfranchisement
1.4 Reconstruction era and end of the 19th century
1.5 20th- and 21st-century growth
2 Geography
2.1 Climate
 2.2 Fauna
2.3 Flora
2.4 Florida Reef
2.5 Environmental issues
2.6 Geology
2.7 Regions
3 Demographics
3.1 Population
3.2 Cities and towns
3.3 Ancestry
3.4 Languages
3.5 Religion
4 Governance
4.1 Elections history
4.1.1 Elections of 2000 to present
4.2 Statutes
4.3 Taxation
5 Economy
5.1 Personal income
5.2 Real estate
5.3 Tourism
5.4 Agriculture and fishing
5.5 Industry
5.6 Mining
5.7 Government
6 Seaports
7 Health
8 Architecture
9 Media
10 Education
10.1 Primary and secondary education
10.2 Higher education
11 Transportation
11.1 Highways
11.2 Airports
11.3 Intercity rail
11.4 Public transit
12 Sports
13 State symbols
14 Sister states
15 Notable people
16 See also
17 Notes
18 References
19 Bibliography
20 External links

History
Main article: History of Florida

By the 16th century, the earliest time for which there is a historical record,
major Native American groups included the Apalachee of the Florida Panhandle, the
Timucua of northern and central Florida, the Ais of the central Atlantic coast, the
Tocobaga of the Tampa Bay area, the Calusa of southwest Florida and the Tequesta of
the southeastern coast.
European arrival
Main articles: New Spain, Spanish Florida, French and Indian War, Treaty of Paris
(1763), West Florida, East Florida, Indian Reserve (1763), American Revolutionary
War, Gulf Coast campaign, Treaty of Paris (1783), and Spanish West Florida
Map of Florida, likely based on the expeditions of Hernando de Soto (1539–1543)

Florida was the first region of the continental United States to be visited and
settled by Europeans. The earliest known European explorers came with the Spanish
conquistador Juan Ponce de León. Ponce de León spotted and landed on the peninsula
on April 2, 1513. He named it La Florida in recognition of the verdant landscape
and because it was the Easter season, which the Spaniards called Pascua Florida
(Festival of Flowers). The following day they came ashore to seek information and
take possession of this new land.[31][32] The story that he was searching for the
Fountain of Youth is mythical and appeared only long after his death.[33]

In May 1539, Conquistador Hernando de Soto skirted the coast of Florida, searching
for a deep harbor to land. He described a thick wall of red mangroves spread mile
after mile, some reaching as high as 70 feet (21 m), with intertwined and elevated
roots making landing difficult.[34] The Spanish introduced Christianity, cattle,
horses, sheep, the Castilian language, and more to Florida.[35] Spain established
several settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success. In 1559, Don
Tristán de Luna y Arellano established a settlement at present-day Pensacola,
making it the first attempted settlement in Florida, but it was mostly abandoned by
1561.

In 1565, the settlement of St. Augustine (San Agustín) was established under the
leadership of admiral and governor Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, creating what would
become one of the oldest, continuously-occupied European settlements in the
continental U.S. and establishing the first generation of Floridanos and the
Government of Florida.[36] Spain maintained strategic control over the region by
converting the local tribes to Christianity. The marriage between Luisa de Abrego,
a free black domestic servant from Seville, and Miguel Rodríguez, a white Segovian,
occurred in 1565 in St. Augustine. It is the first recorded Christian marriage in
the continental United States.[37]

Some Spanish married or had unions with Pensacola, Creek or African women, both
slave and free, and their descendants created a mixed-race population of mestizos
and mulattos. The Spanish encouraged slaves from the southern British colonies to
come to Florida as a refuge, promising freedom in exchange for conversion to
Catholicism. King Charles II of Spain issued a royal proclamation freeing all
slaves who fled to Spanish Florida and accepted conversion and baptism. Most went
to the area around St. Augustine, but escaped slaves also reached Pensacola. St.
Augustine had mustered an all-black militia unit defending Spain as early as 1683.
[38]
The Castillo de San Marcos. Originally white with red corners, its design reflects
the colors and shapes of the Cross of Burgundy and the subsequent Flag of Florida.

The geographical area of Florida diminished with the establishment of English

settlements to the north and French claims to the west. The English attacked St.
Augustine, burning the city and its cathedral to the ground several times. Spain
built the Castillo de San Marcos in 1672 and Fort Matanzas in 1742 to defend
Florida's capital city from attacks, and to maintain its strategic position in the
defense of the Captaincy General of Cuba and the Spanish West Indies.

Florida attracted numerous Africans and African Americans from adjacent British
colonies who sought freedom from slavery. In 1738, Governor Manuel de Montiano
established Fort Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose near St. Augustine, a
fortified town for escaped slaves to whom Montiano granted citizenship and freedom
in return for their service in the Florida militia, and which became the first free
black settlement legally sanctioned in North America.[39][40]

In 1763, Spain traded Florida to the Kingdom of Great Britain for control of
Havana, Cuba, which had been captured by the British during the Seven Years' War.
It was part of a large expansion of British territory following their victory in
the Seven Years' War. A large portion of the Floridano population left, taking
along most of the remaining indigenous population to Cuba.[41] The British soon
constructed the King's Road connecting St. Augustine to Georgia. The road crossed
the St. Johns River at a narrow point called Wacca Pilatka, or the British name
"Cow Ford", ostensibly reflecting the fact that cattle were brought across the
river there.[42][43][44]
East Florida and West Florida in British period (1763–1783)

The British divided and consolidated the Florida provinces (Las Floridas) into East
Florida and West Florida, a division the Spanish government kept after the brief
British period.[45] The British government gave land grants to officers and
soldiers who had fought in the French and Indian War in order to encourage
settlement. In order to induce settlers to move to Florida, reports of its natural
wealth were published in England. A large number of British settlers who were
described as being "energetic and of good character" moved to Florida, mostly
coming from South Carolina, Georgia and England. There was also a group of settlers
who came from the colony of Bermuda. This would be the first permanent English-
speaking population in what is now Duval County, Baker County, St. Johns County and
Nassau County. The British built good public roads and introduced the cultivation
of sugar cane, indigo and fruits as well as the export of lumber.[46][47]

The British governors were directed to call general assemblies as soon as possible
in order to make laws for the Floridas, and in the meantime they were, with the
advice of councils, to establish courts. This was the first introduction of the
English-derived legal system which Florida still has today, including trial by
jury, habeas corpus and county-based government.[46][47] Neither East Florida nor
West Florida sent any representatives to Philadelphia to draft the Declaration of
Independence. Florida remained a Loyalist stronghold for the duration of the
American Revolution.[48]

Spain regained both East and West Florida after Britain's defeat in the American
Revolution and the subsequent Treaty of Versailles in 1783, and continued the
provincial divisions until 1821.[49]
Joining the United States; Indian removal
Coat of arms of Germany
Coat of arms
Anthem: "Deutschlandlied"[a]
(English: "Song of Germany")
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Show all
Location of Germany (dark green)

– in Europe (light green & dark grey)

– in the European Union (light green)
Capital Berlin[b]
52°31′N 13°23′E
Largest city Berlin (city proper)
Rhine-Ruhr (metropolitan area)
Official language
and national language German[c]
Demonym(s) German
Government Federal parliamentary republic
• President
Frank-Walter Steinmeier
• Chancellor
Angela Merkel
Legislature
• Upper house
Bundesrat
• Lower house
Bundestag
Formation
• German Empire
1871
• Weimar Republic
1918
• Nazi Germany
1933
• West and East Germany[d]
1949
• Reunification
1990
Area
• Total
357,022 km2 (137,847 sq mi)[4] (62nd)
Population
• 2019-09-30 estimate
Increase 83,149,300[5] (19th)
• Density
232/km2 (600.9/sq mi) (58th)
GDP (PPP) 2019 estimate
• Total
$4.444 trillion[6] (5th)
• Per capita
$52,559[6] (16th)
GDP (nominal) 2019 estimate
• Total
$3.863 trillion[6] (4th)
• Per capita
$46,653[6] (16th)
Gini (2018) Negative increase 31.1[7]
medium

Etymology
Further information: Names of Germany, Germani, and Germania

The English word Germany derives from the Latin Germania, which came into use after
Julius Caesar adopted it for the peoples east of the Rhine.[10] The German term
Deutschland, originally diutisciu land ("the German lands") is derived from
deutsch, descended from Old High German diutisc "of the people" (from diot or diota
"people"), originally used to distinguish the language of the common people from
Latin and its Romance descendants. This in turn descends from Proto-Germanic
*þiudiskaz "of the people" (see also the Latinised form Theodiscus), derived from
*þeudō, descended from Proto-Indo-European *tewtéh₂- "people", from which the word
Teutons also originates.[11]
History
Main article: History of Germany

Ancient humans were present in Germany at least 600,000 years ago.[12] The first
non-modern human fossil (the Neanderthal) was discovered in the Neander Valley.[13]
Similarly dated evidence of modern humans has been found in the Swabian Jura,
including 42,000-year-old flutes which are the oldest musical instruments ever
found,[14] the 40,000-year-old Lion Man,[15] and the 35,000-year-old Venus of Hohle
Fels.[16] The Nebra sky disk, created during the European Bronze Age, is attributed
to a German site.[17]
Germanic tribes and Frankish Empire
Main articles: Germania, Migration Period, and Frankish Realm

The Germanic tribes are thought to date from the Nordic Bronze Age or the Pre-Roman
Iron Age.[18] From southern Scandinavia and north Germany, they expanded south,
east and west, coming into contact with the Celtic, Iranian, Baltic, and Slavic
tribes.[19]
The kingdom of East Francia in 843

Under Augustus, Rome began to invade Germania. In 9 AD, three Roman legions were
defeated by Arminius.[20] By 100 AD, when Tacitus wrote Germania, Germanic tribes
had settled along the Rhine and the Danube (the Limes Germanicus), occupying most
of modern Germany. However, Baden Württemberg, southern Bavaria, southern Hesse and
the western Rhineland had been incorporated into Roman provinces.[21][22][23]
Around 260, Germanic peoples broke into Roman-controlled lands.[24] After the
invasion of the Huns in 375, and with the decline of Rome from 395, Germanic tribes
moved farther southwest: the Franks established the Frankish Kingdom and pushed
east to subjugate Saxony and Bavaria, and areas of what is today eastern Germany
were inhabited by Western Slavic tribes.[21]
East Francia and Holy Roman Empire
Main articles: East Francia and Holy Roman Empire

Charlemagne founded the Carolingian Empire in 800; it was divided in 843[25] and
the Holy Roman Empire emerged from the eastern portion. The territory initially
known as East Francia stretched from the Rhine in the west to the Elbe River in the
east and from the North Sea to the Alps.[25] The Ottonian rulers (919–1024)
consolidated several major duchies.[26] In 996 Gregory V became the first German
Pope, appointed by his cousin Otto III, whom he shortly after crowned Holy Roman
Emperor. The Holy Roman Empire absorbed northern Italy and Burgundy under the
Salian emperors (1024–1125), although the emperors lost power through the
Investiture controversy.[27]

Under the Hohenstaufen emperors (1138–1254), German princes encouraged German

settlement to the south and east (Ostsiedlung). Members of the Hanseatic League,
mostly north German towns, prospered in the expansion of trade.[28] Population
declined starting with the Great Famine in 1315, followed by the Black Death of
1348–50.[29] The Golden Bull issued in 1356 provided the constitutional structure
of the Empire and codified the election of the emperor by seven prince-electors.
[30]
Martin Luther (1483–1546), Protestant Reformer

Johannes Gutenberg introduced moveable-type printing to Europe, laying the basis

for the democratization of knowledge.[31] In 1517, Martin Luther incited the
Protestant Reformation; the 1555 Peace of Augsburg tolerated the "Evangelical"
faith (Lutheranism), but also decreed that the faith of the prince was to be the
faith of his subjects (cuius regio, eius religio).[32] From the Cologne War through
the Thirty Years' Wars (1618–1648), religious conflict devastated German lands and
significantly reduced the population.[33][34]

The Peace of Westphalia ended religious warfare among the Imperial Estates;[33]
their mostly German-speaking rulers were able to choose Roman Catholicism,
Lutheranism, or the Reformed faith as their official religion.[35] The legal system
initiated by a series of Imperial Reforms (approximately 1495–1555) provided for
considerable local autonomy and a stronger Imperial Diet.[36] The House of Habsburg
held the imperial crown from 1438 until the death of Charles VI in 1740. Following
the War of Austrian Succession and the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, Charles VI's
daughter Maria Theresa ruled as Empress Consort when her husband, Francis I, became
Emperor.[37][38]

From 1740, dualism between the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy and the Kingdom of
Prussia dominated German history. In 1772, 1793, and 1795, Prussia and Austria,
along with the Russian Empire, agreed to the Partitions of Poland.[39][40] During
the period of the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic era and the subsequent
final meeting of the Imperial Diet, most of the Free Imperial Cities were annexed
by dynastic territories; the ecclesiastical territories were secularised and
annexed. In 1806 the Imperium was dissolved; France, Russia, Prussia and the
Habsburgs (Austria) competed for hegemony in the German states during the
Napoleonic Wars.[41]
German Confederation and Empire
Main articles: German Confederation, German Empire, and German Colonial Empire
The German Confederation in 1815

Following the fall of Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna founded the German
Confederation, a loose league of 39 sovereign states. The appointment of the
Emperor of Austria as the permanent president reflected the Congress's rejection of
Prussia's rising influence. Disagreement within restoration politics partly led to
the rise of liberal movements, followed by new measures of repression by Austrian
statesman Metternich.[42][43] The Zollverein, a tariff union, furthered economic
unity.[44] In light of revolutionary movements in Europe, intellectuals and
commoners started the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states. King Frederick
William IV of Prussia was offered the title of Emperor, but with a loss of power;
he rejected the crown and the proposed constitution, a temporary setback for the
movement.[45]

King William I appointed Otto von Bismarck as the Minister President of Prussia in
1862. Bismarck successfully concluded war on Denmark; the subsequent decisive
Prussian victory in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 enabled him to create the North
German Confederation which excluded Austria. After the French defeat in the Franco-
Prussian War, the German princes proclaimed the founding of the German Empire in
1871. Prussia was the dominant constituent state of the new empire; the King of
Prussia ruled as its Kaiser, and Berlin became its capital.[46][47]

In the Gründerzeit period following the unification of Germany, Bismarck's foreign

policy as Chancellor of Germany secured Germany's position as a great nation by
forging alliances and avoiding war.[47] However, under Wilhelm II, Germany took an
imperialistic course, leading to friction with neighbouring countries.[48] A dual
alliance was created with the multinational realm of Austria-Hungary; the Triple
Alliance of 1882 included Italy. Britain, France and Russia also concluded
alliances to protect against Habsburg interference with Russian interests in the
Balkans or German interference against France.[49] At the Berlin Conference in
1884, Germany claimed several colonies including German East Africa, German South
West Africa, Togoland, and Kamerun.[50] Later, Germany further expanded its
colonial empire to include holdings in the Pacific and China.[51] In what became
known as the "First Genocide of the Twentieth Century", the colonial government in
South West Africa (present-day Namibia) ordered the annihilation of the local
Herero and Namaqua peoples, as punishment for an uprising.[52][53]

The assassination of Austria's crown prince on 28 June 1914 provided the pretext
for the Austrian Empire to attack Serbia and trigger World War I. After four years
of warfare, in which approximately two million German soldiers were killed,[54] a
general armistice ended the fighting. In the German Revolution (November 1918),
Emperor Wilhelm II and the ruling princes abdicated their positions and Germany was
declared a federal republic. Germany's new leadership signed the Treaty of
Versailles in 1919, accepting defeat by the Allies. Germans perceived the treaty as
humiliating, which was seen by historians as influential in the rise of Adolf
Hitler.[55] Germany lost around 13% of its European territory and ceded all of its
colonial possessions in Africa and the South Sea.[56]
Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany
Main articles: Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany

On 11 August 1919, President Friedrich Ebert signed the democratic Weimar

Constitution.[57] In the subsequent struggle for power, Communists seized power in
Bavaria, but conservative elements elsewhere attempted to overthrow the Republic in
the Kapp Putsch. Street fighting in the major industrial centres, the occupation of
the Ruhr by Belgian and French troops, and a period of hyperinflation followed. A
debt restructuring plan and the creation of a new currency in 1924 ushered in the
Golden Twenties, an era of artistic innovation and liberal cultural life.[58][59]
[60]
Adolf Hitler, leader of Nazi Germany (1933–1945)

The worldwide Great Depression hit Germany in 1929. Chancellor Heinrich Brüning's
government pursued a policy of fiscal austerity and deflation which caused
unemployment of nearly 30% by 1932.[61] The Nazi Party led by Adolf Hitler won a
special election in 1932 and Hindenburg appointed Hitler as Chancellor of Germany
on 30 January 1933.[62] After the Reichstag fire, a decree abrogated basic civil
rights and the first Nazi concentration camp opened.[63][64] The Enabling Act gave
Hitler unrestricted legislative power, overriding the constitution;[65] his
government established a centralised totalitarian state, withdrew from the League
of Nations, and dramatically increased the country's rearmament.[66] A government-
sponsored programme for economic renewal focused on public works, the most famous
of which was the German autobahns.[67]

In 1935, the regime withdrew from the Treaty of Versailles and introduced the
Nuremberg Laws which targeted Jews and other minorities.[68] Germany also
reacquired control of the Saar in 1935,[69] remilitarised the Rhineland in 1936,
annexed Austria in 1938, annexed the Sudetenland in 1938 with the Munich Agreement,
and in violation of the agreement occupied Czechoslovakia in March 1939.[70]
Kristallnacht saw the burning of synagogues, the destruction of Jewish businesses,
and mass arrests of Jewish people.[71]
World War II, German-occupied Europe in 1942

In August 1939, Hitler's government negotiated the Molotov–Ribbentrop pact that

divided Eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence.[72] On 1
September 1939, Germany invaded Poland, beginning World War II in Europe;[73]
Britain and France declared war on Germany on 3 September.[74] In the spring of
1940, Germany conquered Denmark and Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg,
and France, forcing the French government to sign an armistice. The British
repelled German air attacks in the Battle of Britain in the same year. In 1941,
German troops invaded Yugoslavia, Greece and the Soviet Union. By 1942, Germany and
other Axis powers controlled most of continental Europe and North Africa, but
following the Soviet victory at the Battle of Stalingrad, the allies' reconquest of
North Africa and invasion of Italy in 1943, German forces suffered repeated
military defeats. In 1944, the Soviets pushed into Eastern Europe; the Western
allies landed in France and entered Germany despite a final German
counteroffensive. Following Hitler's suicide during the Battle of Berlin, Germany
surrendered on 8 May 1945, ending World War II in Europe.[73][75] After World War
II, Nazi officials were tried for war crimes at the Nuremberg trials.[76][77]

In what later became known as the Holocaust, the German government persecuted
minorities, including interning them in concentration and death camps across
Europe. In total 17 million were systematically murdered, including 6 million Jews,
at least 130,000 Romani, 275,000 persons with disabilities, thousands of Jehovah's
Witnesses, thousands of homosexuals, and hundreds of thousands of political and
religious opponents.[78] Nazi policies in German-occupied countries resulted in the
deaths of 2.7 million Poles,[79] 1.3 million Ukrainians, 1 million Belarusians[80]
and 3.5 million Soviet war prisoners.[80][76] German military war casualties have
been estimated at 5.3 million,[81] and around 900,000 German civilians died.[82]
Around 12 million ethnic Germans were expelled from across Eastern Europe, and
Germany lost roughly one-quarter of its pre-war territory.[83]
East and West Germany
Main article: History of Germany (1945–1990)
American, Soviet, British, and French occupation zones in Germany and the French-
controlled Saar Protectorate, 1947. Territories east of the Oder-Neisse line were
transferred to Poland and the Soviet Union under the terms of the Potsdam
Conference.[84]

After Nazi Germany surrendered, the Allies partitioned Berlin and Germany's
remaining territory into four occupation zones. The western sectors, controlled by
France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, were merged on 23 May 1949 to
form the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD)); on 7
October 1949, the Soviet Zone became the German Democratic Republic (Deutsche
Demokratische Republik (DDR)). They were informally known as West Germany and East
Germany.[85] East Germany selected East Berlin as its capital, while West Germany
chose Bonn as a provisional capital, to emphasise its stance that the two-state
solution was temporary.[86]

West Germany was established as a federal parliamentary republic with a "social

market economy". Starting in 1948 West Germany became a major recipient of
reconstruction aid under the Marshall Plan.[87] Konrad Adenauer was elected the
first Federal Chancellor of Germany in 1949. The country enjoyed prolonged economic
growth (Wirtschaftswunder) beginning in the early 1950s.[88] West Germany joined
NATO in 1955 and was a founding member of the European Economic Community.[89]

East Germany was an Eastern Bloc state under political and military control by the
USSR via occupation forces and the Warsaw Pact. Although East Germany claimed to be
a democracy, political power was exercised solely by leading members (Politbüro) of
the communist-controlled Socialist Unity Party of Germany, supported by the Stasi,
an immense secret service.[90] While East German propaganda was based on the
benefits of the GDR's social programmes and the alleged threat of a West German
invasion, many of its citizens looked to the West for freedom and prosperity.[91]
The Berlin Wall, built in 1961, prevented East German citizens from escaping to
West Germany, becoming a symbol of the Cold War.[92]

Tensions between East and West Germany were reduced in the late 1960s by Chancellor
Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik.[93] In 1989, Hungary decided to dismantle the Iron
Curtain and open its border with Austria, causing the emigration of thousands of
East Germans to West Germany via Hungary and Austria. This had devastating effects
on the GDR, where regular mass demonstrations received increasing support. In an
effort to help retain East Germany as a state, the East German authorities eased
border restrictions, but this actually led to an acceleration of the Wende reform
process culminating in the Two Plus Four Treaty under which Germany regained full
sovereignty. This permitted German reunification on 3 October 1990, with the
accession of the five re-established states of the former GDR.[94] The fall of the
Wall in 1989 became a symbol of the Fall of Communism, the Dissolution of the
Soviet Union, German Reunification and Die Wende.[95]
Reunified Germany and the European Union
Main articles: German reunification and History of Germany since 1990
The Berlin Wall during its fall in 1989, with the Brandenburg Gate in the
background

United Germany was considered the enlarged continuation of West Germany so it

retained its memberships in international organisations.[96] Based on the
Berlin/Bonn Act (1994), Berlin again became the capital of Germany, while Bonn
obtained the unique status of a Bundesstadt (federal city) retaining some federal
ministries.[97] The relocation of the government was completed in 1999, and
modernisation of the east German economy was scheduled to last until 2019.[98][99]

Since reunification, Germany has taken a more active role in the European Union,
signing the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 and the Lisbon Treaty in 2007,[100] and co-
founding the Eurozone.[101] Germany sent a peacekeeping force to secure stability
in the Balkans and sent German troops to Afghanistan as part of a NATO effort to
provide security in that country after the ousting of the Taliban.[102][103]

In the 2005 elections, Angela Merkel became the first female chancellor. In 2009
the German government approved a €50 billion stimulus plan.[104] Among the major
German political projects of the early 21st century are the advancement of European
integration, the energy transition (Energiewende) for a sustainable energy supply,
the "Debt Brake" for balanced budgets, measures to increase the fertility rate
(pronatalism), and high-tech strategies for the transition of the German economy,
summarised as Industry 4.0.[105] Germany was affected by the European migrant
crisis in 2015: the country took in over a million migrants and developed a quota
system which redistributed migrants around its federal states.[106]
Geography
Main article: Geography of Germany
Physical map of Germany

Germany is in Western and Central Europe, bordering Denmark to the north, Poland
and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria to the southeast, and Switzerland to
the south-southwest. France, Luxembourg and Belgium are situated to the west, with
the Netherlands to the northwest. Germany is also bordered by the North Sea and, at
the north-northeast, by the Baltic Sea. German territory covers 357,022 km2
(137,847 sq mi), consisting of 348,672 km2 (134,623 sq mi) of land and 8,350 km2
(3,224 sq mi) of water. It is the seventh largest country by area in Europe and the
62nd largest in the world.[4]

Elevation ranges from the mountains of the Alps (highest point: the Zugspitze at
2,963 metres or 9,721 feet) in the south to the shores of the North Sea (Nordsee)
in the northwest and the Baltic Sea (Ostsee) in the northeast. The forested uplands
of central Germany and the lowlands of northern Germany (lowest point:
Wilstermarsch at 3.54 metres or 11.6 feet below sea level) are traversed by such
major rivers as the Rhine, Danube and Elbe. Significant natural resources include
iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, and
nickel.[4]
Climate

Most of Germany has a temperate climate, ranging from oceanic in the north to
continental in the east and southeast. Winters range from cold in the southern Alps
to mild and are generally overcast with limited precipitation, while summers can
vary from hot and dry to cool and rainy. The northern regions have prevailing
westerly winds that bring in moist air from the North Sea, moderating the
temperature and increasing precipitation. Conversely, the southeast regions have
more extreme temperatures.[107]

From February 2019–2020, average monthly temperatures in Germany ranged from a low
of 3.3 °C (37.9 °F) in January 2020 to a high of 19.8 °C (67.6 °F) in June 2019.
[108] Average monthly precipitation ranged from 30 litres per square metre in
February and April 2019 to 125 litres per square metre in February 2020.[109]
Average monthly hours of sunshine ranged from 45 in November 2019 to 300 in June
2019.[110]
Biodiversity
Berchtesgaden National Park
The territory of Germany can be divided into two ecoregions: European-Mediterranean
montane mixed forests and Northeast-Atlantic shelf marine.[111] As of 2016 51% of
Germany's land area is devoted to agriculture, while 30% is forested and 14% is
covered by settlements or infrastructure.[112]

Plants and animals include those generally common to Central Europe. According to
the National Forest Inventory, beeches, oaks, and other deciduous trees constitute
just over 40% of the forests; roughly 60% are conifers, particularly spruce and
pine.[113] There are many species of ferns, flowers, fungi, and mosses. Wild
animals include roe deer, wild boar, mouflon (a subspecies of wild sheep), fox,
badger, hare, and small numbers of the Eurasian beaver.[114] The blue cornflower
was once a German national symbol.[115]

The 16 national parks in Germany include the Jasmund National Park, the Vorpommern
Lagoon Area National Park, the Müritz National Park, the Wadden Sea National Parks,
the Harz National Park, the Hainich National Park, the Black Forest National Park,
the Saxon Switzerland National Park, the Bavarian Forest National Park and the
Berchtesgaden National Park.[116] In addition, there are 17 Biosphere Reserves[117]
and 105 nature parks.[118] More than 400 zoos and animal parks operate in Germany.
[119] The Berlin Zoo, which opened in 1844, is the oldest in Germany, and claims
the most comprehensive collection of species in the world.[120]
Politics
Main articles: Politics of Germany, Taxation in Germany, and Federal budget of
Germany
Frank-Walter Steinmeier - 2018 (cropped).jpg Angela Merkel. Tallinn Digital
Summit.jpg
Frank-Walter Steinmeier
President Angela Merkel
Chancellor

Germany is a federal, parliamentary, representative democratic republic. Federal

legislative power is vested in the parliament consisting of the Bundestag (Federal
Diet) and Bundesrat (Federal Council), which together form the legislative body.
The Bundestag is elected through direct elections: half by majority vote and half
by proportional representation. The members of the Bundesrat represent and are
appointed by the governments of the sixteen federated states.[4] The German
political system operates under a framework laid out in the 1949 constitution known
as the Grundgesetz (Basic Law). Amendments generally require a two-thirds majority
of both the Bundestag and the Bundesrat; the fundamental principles of the
constitution, as expressed in the articles guaranteeing human dignity, the
separation of powers, the federal structure, and the rule of law, are valid in
perpetuity.[121]

The president, currently Frank-Walter Steinmeier, is the head of sta