Germany 🇩🇪
Germany is a country in Europe with a population of 83,369,843. Its capital is Berlin. The official currency is EUR, and the main languages are German.
Quick facts
- Capital: Berlin
- Continent: Europe
- Population: 83,369,843
- Area: 357,114 km²
- Density: 233 people per km²
- Currency: EUR
- Languages: German
- ISO code: DE
Where Germany sits
Germany 🇩🇪 is one of 46 countries in Europe, with its capital at Berlin. It covers 357,114 square kilometres — 63rd in the world — and is home to about 83,369,843 people, 19th globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include Russia, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How Germany compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, Germany sits closest to Turkey and Iran. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Congo and Finland.
At 233 people per square kilometre it is about 3.9 times the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by population than by area, so it is more crowded than its size alone suggests.
German is an official language in 6 countries here, among them Austria, Belgium, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg, and 1 other. The EUR is shared with 25 other countries, including Andorra, Austria and Belgium, and 22 others.
To see Germany next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember Germany
Berlin, Germany's capital and largest city, lies on the River Spree in the northeast of the country. For the flag, read it from top to bottom like a fire: black coal, red flame, gold glow.
The flag of Germany: black, red and gold
🇩🇪 The flag is three horizontal stripes of black, red and gold. The colours go back to the medieval banner of the Holy Roman Emperor, a black eagle with red claws and beak on a gold background. The black, red and gold flag was first seen in 1848, in the German Confederation.
Region and neighbours
Germany is a country in Western and Central Europe, between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea in the north and the Alps in the south. It shares land borders with 9 countries: Denmark, Poland, Czechia, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Netherlands.
- Denmark 🇩🇰 — capital Copenhagen
- Poland 🇵🇱 — capital Warsaw
- Czechia 🇨🇿 — capital Prague
- Austria 🇦🇹 — capital Vienna
- Switzerland 🇨🇠— capital Bern
- France 🇫🇷 — capital Paris
- Luxembourg 🇱🇺 — capital Luxembourg
- Belgium 🇧🇪 — capital Brussels
- Netherlands 🇳🇱 — capital Amsterdam
Three facts about Germany
- With over 83 million people in its 16 states, Germany is the most populous member state of the European Union.
- Berlin is the most populous city proper in the European Union.
- The Zugspitze in the Alps, 2,963 m high, is Germany's highest point.
Sources: Wikipedia: Germany, Wikipedia: Flag of Germany, Wikipedia: Berlin, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on Germany
- European capitals quiz — match Germany to Berlin
- European flags quiz — spot the Germany flag among its neighbours
Quizzes that include Germany
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For Germany those are:
- Europe map quiz — place it on a blank map
- Europe flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- Europe capitals quiz — match it to Berlin
- Germany capital quiz — five quick questions starting with Germany
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about Germany
- Capital of Germany: Berlin — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 46 countries of Europe
Nearby countries
- Albania 🇦🇱 — capital Tirana
- Andorra 🇦🇩 — capital Andorra la Vella
- Austria 🇦🇹 — capital Vienna
- Belarus 🇧🇾 — capital Minsk
- Belgium 🇧🇪 — capital Brussels
- Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦 — capital Sarajevo
- Bulgaria 🇧🇬 — capital Sofia
- Croatia ðŸ‡ðŸ‡· — capital Zagreb
- Cyprus 🇨🇾 — capital Nicosia
- Czechia 🇨🇿 — capital Prague
- Denmark 🇩🇰 — capital Copenhagen
- Estonia 🇪🇪 — capital Tallinn
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the Germany flag?
The flag of Germany is three horizontal stripes of black, red and gold. The colours go back to the medieval banner of the Holy Roman Emperor, a black eagle with red claws and beak on a gold background. The black, red and gold flag was first seen in 1848, in the German Confederation.
Which countries border Germany?
Germany shares land borders with Denmark, Poland, Czechia, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Netherlands.
How can I remember the capital of Germany?
Berlin, Germany's capital and largest city, lies on the River Spree in the northeast of the country. For the flag, read it from top to bottom like a fire: black coal, red flame, gold glow.