“For God so loved [the people of the Germany] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
German: Deutschland, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, About this sound listen (help·info)),[e][6] is a federal parliamentary republic in West-Central Europe. It includes 16 constituent states and covers an area of 357,021 square kilometres (137,847 sq mi) with a largely temperate seasonal climate. Its capital and largest city is Berlin. With about 81.5 million inhabitants, Germany is the most populous member state in the European Union. After the United States, it is the second most popular migration destination in the world.[7]
Most of Germany has a temperate seasonal climate dominated by humid westerly winds. The country is situated in between the oceanic Western European and the continental Eastern European climate. The climate is moderated by the North Atlantic Drift, the northern extension of the Gulf Stream. This warmer water affects the areas bordering the North Sea; consequently in the northwest and the north the climate is oceanic. Germany gets an average of 789 mm (31 in) precipitation per year. Rainfall occurs year-round, with no consistent dry season. Winters are mild and summers tend to be warm: temperatures can exceed 30 °C (86 °F).[86]
With a population of 80.2 million according to the 2011 census,[181] rising to 81.5 million as at 30 June 2015[182] and to at least 81.9 million as at 31 December 2015,[183] Germany is the most populous country in the European Union, the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and ranks as the 16th most populous country in the world.[184] Its population density stands at 227 inhabitants per square kilometre (588 per square mile). The overall life expectancy in Germany at birth is 80.19 years (77.93 years for males and 82.58 years for females).[85] The fertility rate of 1.41 children born per woman (2011 estimates), or 8.33 births per 1000 inhabitants, is one of the lowest in the world.[85] Since the 1970s, Germany’s death rate has exceeded its birth rate.[185] However, Germany is witnessing increased birth rates and migration rates since the beginning of the 2010s,[186] particularly a rise in the number of well-educated migrants.[187][188]
Four sizable groups of people are referred to as “national minorities” because their ancestors have lived in their respective regions for centuries.[189] There is a Danish minority (about 50,000) in the northernmost state of Schleswig-Holstein.[189] The Sorbs, a Slavic population of about 60,000, are in the Lusatia region of Saxony and Brandenburg. The Roma and Sinti live throughout the whole federal territory and the Frisians live on Schleswig-Holstein’s western coast, and in the north-western part of Lower Saxony.[189]
Approximately 5 million Germans live abroad.[190]
German is the official and predominant spoken language in Germany.[204] It is one of 24 official and working languages of the European Union,[205] and one of the three working languages of the European Commission. German is the most widely spoken first language in the European Union, with around 100 million native speakers.[206]
Recognized native minority languages in Germany are Danish, Low German, Sorbian, Romany, and Frisian; they are officially protected by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The most used immigrant languages are Turkish, Kurdish, Polish, the Balkan languages, and Russian. Germans are typically multilingual: 67% of German citizens claim to be able to communicate in at least one foreign language and 27% in at least two.[204]
Note: Wikipedia is the source for the geographical information in this feature.