Located in the heart of Europe, Germany is the continent's most industrialised country. The word 'Germany' has its roots in the reign of Julius Caesar.

When Julius Caesar moved forward conquering Europe, the place to the east of River Rhine was named as Germania by him. With the passage of time, the word Germania evolved into the name Germany, and today it is officially known as Federal Republic of Germany. The country's neighbours include Austria and Switzerland to the south, North Sea and Denmark to the north, Poland to the east, France in the southwest, while Belgium and Netherlands are in its west.

Germany's total land area is around 357,021 square kilometres. And with a population of 81,757,600, Germany has the second largest population in Europe (after the European part of Russia). Germany's highest point is a mountain called Zugspitze which is located at the Germany-Austria border and measures nearly 2,963 metres.

From the mighty Alps, which are central Europe's mountain range, Germany stretches to the northern plains and then borders with the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. Most of Germany's land area is agricultural with vast plains, vegetables fields, orchards and forests.

There are 16 states in Germany which are Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia. Among these states, Bavaria is Germany's largest state in terms of area, measuring at 70,548 square kilometres. Whereas, Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, measuring at 408 square kilometres, is Germany's smallest state by area.

Germany is also rich in mineral resources which include iron ore, coal, lignite, natural gas, nickel, uranium and salt. The western and eastern parts of Germany have varied temperatures while the climate is generally moderate in the rest of the country. In winter, the western parts get chilly while the eastern parts go below freezing temperatures. Summer season is reasonably cool but at times temperatures in summers can go beyond 30 degrees Celsius.

The flora of Germany includes trees ranging from beeches and oaks, which are present in the forest areas; spruce and fir are found along the mountainous region while many species of fungi, mosses, ferns and flowers are found in the rivers. Many migratory birds also cross Germany and the wildlife includes wild boar, mouflon fox, hare and badger. Germany is famous for its zoological wildlife parks, aquariums and bird parks.

The country is drained by dozens of rivers, the longest being River Rhine and others include the Danube, Elbe, Weser, Elms, Isr, Lahn, etc. And among the lakes, Lake Constance is of much importance as it also fulfils the drinking water needs of the area. This lake, with an area of 564 square kilometres, is part of the international boundary as it falls within Switzerland, Germany and Austria.