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Germany is a country in the middle of EuropE and it takes part in the EuroCurrency.

Germany fought in World War I from 1914-1918 and World War II from 1936-1945. After that war it was split into two parts, the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland, aka WestGermany) and the German Democratic Republic (Deutsche Demokratische Republik, aka EastGermany). WestGermany was at first occupied and later allied with the United States of America, England, and France. It was a fairly free country with a combination socialist/market economy. EastGermany was at first occupied and later allied with and controlled by the UnionOfSovietSocialistRepublics (Russia). It was a fairly unfree country (for example, its citizens were generally unable to leave) with a USSR-style communist economy. EastGermany was probably the richest, most advanced country in the Soviet bloc.

In 1989 EastGermany opened its borders again and in 1990 the two Germanys were reunified, which in actuality meant that EastGermany was annexed by WestGermany, as the new country kept the name Bundesrepublik Deutschland, used the West German "Deutsche Mark" for currency, and the capital remained at Bonn. (Around 1994 it was moved back to Berlin, where it had been before World War II.) Citizens from each side were not necessarily unanimously behind this move that was orchestrated by HelmutKohl, then the prime minister of the BRD. This was illustrated by a clever spray-paint slogan I saw on a wall in Jena (a university town in EastGermany) ca. 1992: "Lasst euch nicht BRD-igen!" = "Don't let yourselves be West Germanized!" But also "Don't let yourselves be buried!" by a play on homonyms. Overall, most were very excited about reunification until the reality of extra taxes, unemployment in the East, etc. set in in the mid 1990s.

Today Germany is doing fairly well economically, being one of the stronger countries in Europe and the world. It's among the top 5 countries in Internet access worldwide. Many Germans speak English and/or French, in addition to German and their local dialect of German (of which there are many).