Germany is a country in central Europe, bordered by Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, France and Luxembourg to the southwest, and Belgium and the Netherlands to the northwest. Germany has a population of about 82 million, An important economic force in Europe, Germany has the largest economy in Europe and the fourth largest economy in the world. Thirty-seven Fortune Global 500 companies are headquartered in Germany, including many major car brands, like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Volkswagen. Germany is separated into sixteen states, or Lander, which are governed at the state level and subdivided into districts. Each state in Germany is headquartered in its capital city. Berlin is the capital of Germany. Bavaria is the largest state in Germany, making up the southeastern quadrant of the country. The most populous state in Germany is North Rhine-Westphalia, headquartered in Dusseldorf.
Germany (German: Deutschland), officially the Federal Republic of Germany is a sovereign state in central Europe, bordered in north by the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and Denmark, in west by the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France, in south by Switzerland, and Austria, in east by the Czech Republic, and Poland. Additionally the country shares maritime borders with Sweden, and the United Kingdom. With an area of 357,022 km² Germany is the seventh largest country by area in Europe, compared it is about two-thirds the size of France, or slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Montana. Germany has a population of 80 million people (2012); capital and largest city is Berlin with about 3.3 million inhabitants. Official language is German (Standard German, German: Hochdeutsch), a variety of German dialects are spoken in specific regions. About 50 % of the Germans are able to speak English as a second language
Germany is divided into the north lowlands, the central uplands, and mountainous regions in the south (Bavarian Alps). Rivers in Germany include the Rhine, the Weser, the Elbe and the Danube. Highest point is the Zugspitze in the Bavarian Alps at 2962 m. Berlin, the capital, is Germany\'s most populated city. Hamburg is the second largest city followed by Munich.
Metels and mineral resources of Germany