Germany is a large country in central Europe. It has more people than any other European country except Russia. Berlin, Germany's capital and largest city, is a cultural, economic, and political center of Europe.
Germany's land ranges from a low, flat plain in the north to mountainous regions in the south. The country has a number of world-famous scenic areas. The Bavarian Alps, along Germany's southern border, are a favorite winter sports region. The Black Forest, a mountainous area in southwest Germany, is known for its mineral springs and health resorts. In western Germany, many people enjoy boat rides on the beautiful Rhine River. The Rhine winds through valleys where grand castles overlook the river.
Germans have made important contributions to culture. For example, Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven composed some of the world's greatest music. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Thomas Mann wrote masterpieces of literature. German scientists have made breakthroughs in the areas of chemistry, medicine, and physics.
For hundreds of years, Germans lived in many separate states, one of the most powerful of which was the kingdom of Prussia. During the late 1800's, Otto von Bismarck, the prime minister of Prussia, united most of these states and cities under Prussian leadership. After Bismarck, German leaders tried to expand their influence in Europe and overseas. These policies helped trigger World War I in 1914. When the war ended in 1918, Germany had been defeated, and a period of political and economic crises followed.
In 1933, Adolf Hitler—leader of the Nazi Party, an extremely militaristic and nationalistic political movement—established his dictatorship and began to rebuild Germany's military power. In 1939, Hitler started World War II. Germany was defeated in 1945 and was divided into zones that, in 1949, became West Germany and East Germany. Berlin was also divided. West Germany became a parliamentary democracy with strong ties to Western Europe and the United States. East Germany became a Communist dictatorship closely associated with the Soviet Union.
After World War II, the West Germans and East Germans rebuilt their shattered industries and made them more productive than ever. West Germany became one of the leading industrial nations. Although East Germany's economic development was not as rapid, the country ranked as one of the most economically advanced of the nations that adopted Communism. Yet dissatisfaction led millions of East Germans to flee to West Germany in the mid-1900's. In 1961, however, East Germany built a wall through the city of Berlin. The purpose of the Berlin Wall was to prevent East Germans from emigrating to the West.
In 1989, reform movements swept through the Communist nations of Europe. In East Germany, political protests and massive emigration set in motion the chain of events that ended in the unification of East and West Germany. In November 1989—in response to the protests—the East German government allowed its citizens to travel freely for the first time. The end of travel restrictions included the opening of the Berlin Wall. Also for the first time, non-Communist political parties were permitted to organize. In March 1990, East Germany held free parliamentary elections, and non-Communists gained control of the government.
With the end of Communist control in East Germany, many Germans, in both East and West Germany, began considering unification. In July 1990, East Germany and West Germany united their economies into a single system. In August, both nations signed a treaty that would finalize unification. The treaty took effect on October 3. That December, the first national elections after unification were held.
