Germany (German: Deutschland, pronounced [ˈdɔʏtʃlant] (listen)), officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a nation in Central Europe. It is the second-most heavily populated country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous participant state of the European Union. Germany is situated in between the Baltic as well as North seas to the north, and the Alps to the south; covering an area of 357,022 square kilometres (137,847 sq mi), with a populace of over 83 million within its 16 constituent states. It surrounds Denmark to the north, Poland as well as the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and also Switzerland to the south, and France, Luxembourg, Belgium, as well as the Netherlands to the west. The country's funding and biggest city is Berlin, as well as its monetary centre is Frankfurt; the largest city location is the Ruhr. Different Germanic tribes have actually occupied the northern parts of contemporary Germany since timeless antiquity. An area called Germania was rec...