For more information see the Germany profile.

Germany is located in the center of Northern Europe. Most of the people are ethnic Germans, but there are strong European and Middle Eastern communities. The land ranges from flat coastal plains to the lofty heights of the Bavarian Alps.

After its humiliating defeat in World War II, Germany was divided into a Communist East and a democratic West. Following the demise of European Communism in 1990, the two nations reunited into one state. Though West Germany had one of the world's strongest economies, the cost of rebuilding the crippled East German economy plunged the nation into recession.

Germany has religious freedom, but established denominations are favored by the government. Most Protestants and Catholics are Christians in name only. Many foreign immigrants have never heard the Gospel.