Germany is centrally located in the European Union and on the European continent. It is a popular tourist destination. German culture and language is prominent in countries such as Switzerland and Austria.

Germany existed largely as a region rather than a nation until the 1800s. In the nine centuries before that, it had been the core of the Holy Roman Empire. The states of the German Federation did not have their first congress until 1849, and in 1871, it became a constitutional monarchy through the efforts of Wilhelm I and Otto von Bismarck.

Wilhelm II led the country into the disastrous "Great War", now known as World War I. An angry nation revolted in 1918, the Weimar Republic was born, and Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate. Wartime reparations and a global economic depression destroyed the German economy and quality of life.

Germany, seeking a rescuer, experienced its darkest era under Adolf Hitler. The Nazi party, with a policy of conquest and ethnic cleansing, conquered most of Europe and systematically killed 11 million people, including an estimated six million Jews, largely in concentration camps. After its defeat and a long period of reconstruction, Germany grew to be an economic powerhouse of Europe.

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• Wikipedia: Geography of Germany

• Info Please: Atlas of Germany

• German-Jokes.com: Joke of the Day

• YouTube: Fawlty Towers The Germans (Time 3:12)

• YouTube: Funny German Interview with My Chemical Romance (Time 4:11)

• Amazon.com: Scheisse!: The Real German You Were Never Taught In School

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