Germany
Europe Β· Capital: Berlin
How it is run: Germany has a chancellor who leads the government and 16 states that share power with the national parliament, the Bundestag.
Germany is home to 83.5 million people in Western Europe, where people speak German.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
83.5 million people
That is 1.0% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
357,114 kmΒ²
Bigger than Texas β a long road trip from one side to the other.
ποΈ How crowded
About 234 people per square kilometre β busy towns with countryside in between.
π Size in its region
2nd most people in Europe
6th largest by land in Europe.
π£οΈ Official languages
German
π° Money
Euro (β¬)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
80.8 years on average
One of the healthier countries β good hospitals and clean water make a big difference.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$60,496
A high-income country: most families can afford cars, travel and new technology.
π’ Living in cities
82.1% of people
Mostly a city country β think buses, trains and apartment blocks.
π Kids under 15
13.9% of the population
An older country β there are more grandparents than schoolchildren.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+49
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.de
π§ People here are called
German
π·οΈ Name at home
Deutschland
Also written: Federal Republic of Germany, Bundesrepublik Deutschland.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Western European and Others Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
Germany touches 9 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Alemania
French
Allemagne
Arabic
Ψ£ΩΩ Ψ§ΩΩΨ§
Chinese
εΎ·ε½
Japanese
γγ€γ
Russian
ΠΠ΅ΡΠΌΠ°Π½ΠΈΡ
Portuguese
Alemanha
German
Deutschland
Put it in perspective π
- Russia β the most populated country in Europe β has about 1.7Γ as many people as Germany.
- Germany covers roughly 3,401 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Germany lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 41,746 km.
Country snapshot π
π₯ People
84 million people
πΊοΈ Size
357,022 kmΒ² in the middle of Europe
π£οΈ Languages
German
π° Money
Euro (β¬)
ποΈ Government
Federal parliamentary republic with 16 states
ποΈ Leader
Chancellor
ποΈ United Nations
Joined the UN in 1973
πΌ Economy
Cars, machines, chemicals and green energy
π Climate promise
Climate neutral by 2045, five years earlier than most of Europe
π School life
Teens can choose an apprenticeship and learn a paid trade instead of college.
𧩠Biggest challenge
Replacing coal and imported gas with wind and solar power quickly.
β¨ Did you know?
University is free in Germany β even for students from other countries.
Who decides here? ποΈ
Federal parliamentary republic (Bundestag + Chancellor)
Germany's parliament must vote before soldiers are sent anywhere. This is called a 'parliamentary army' rule.
Flags through time π
A flag is a country telling you what it believes. Scroll the timeline and watch Germany change.
German Empire
Black, white and red were the colours of the emperor's Germany.
Weimar Republic
After World War I, Germany became a republic and chose black, red and gold β colours from an old struggle for freedom.
A country split in two
East and West Germany used almost the same flag, but the East added a hammer, compass and grain ring.
Reunified Germany
When the Berlin Wall fell, one black-red-gold flag flew over the whole country again.
War room simulations βοΈ
Step into the room where the decision was made. You will see who really had the power β generals, a president, a parliament or a king β and what each choice cost.
World War I
A tangle of alliances turned one assassination into a war across Europe fought from muddy trenches.
Who was in the room? Germany had a parliament, but the emperor and army chiefs could order the army to move without asking voters.
Sit in the decision room ποΈ
You will face 2 real moments. Choose, then see what actually happened.
Policies today π
The 'Energiewende' switch to wind and solar
Germany closed its nuclear plants and is trying to run mostly on wind and sunshine, with a goal of 80% renewable electricity by 2030.
Learn a trade while you study
Teenagers can join apprenticeships where they work at a company a few days a week and go to school the rest.
Deposit on bottles
You pay a little extra for a drink and get the money back when you return the empty bottle to a machine.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Germany is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly β the same as every other member, big or small.
π·οΈ Official name
Federal Republic of Germany
ποΈ Capital
Berlin
π Region
Europe Β· Western Europe
π€ Country code
DE
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Germany π
Brandenburg Gate
For 28 years this gate stood stranded between the two halves of a divided Berlin. When the Wall fell in 1989 crowds danced right here.
See it in Street Viewπ§ Where on the map
51.0Β° N, 9.0Β° E
π Half of the world
Northern & Eastern hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC+1 β when it is noon in London it is about 13:00 in Berlin.
- Germany sits in the temperate zone, the belt where most of the world's farms and big cities are.
- π©πͺ is the flag of Germany. Its country code β the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics β is DE.
- Germany is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly β the same as every other member, big or small.
- Germany shares its part of the world with France. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
- The capital of Germany is Berlin β that's where the country's big decisions get made.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Germany has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Germany can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Germany spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Germany?
Berlin
Which money do people spend in Germany?
Euro (β¬)
How many countries share a land border with Germany?
9 β Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland.
Roughly how many people live in Germany?
83.5 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.