[jur-muh-nee] 
| a republic in central Europe: after World War II divided into four zones, British, French, U.S., and Soviet, and in 1949 into East Germany and West Germany; East and West Germany were reunited in 1990. 84,068,216; 137,852 sq. mi. (357,039 sq. km). Capital: Berlin. |
| a former republic in central Europe: created in 1949 by the coalescing of the British, French, and U.S. zones of occupied Germany established in 1945. 62,080,000; 96,025 sq. mi. (248,706 sq. km). Capital: Bonn. |
| Federal Republic of Germany See West Germany. |
Popular name for the Federal Republic of Germany before the reunification of Germany in 1990. Bonn was the seat of its government.
Note: West Germany was a member of NATO.
Note: Established in 1949, after dissension between the United States and the Soviet Union led to the division of Germany into East Germany and West Germany, it was formed out of the states included in the American, French, and British occupation zones.
Note: The Bonn Convention in 1952 essentially granted West Germany national sovereignty. In 1955, West Germany was recognized as an independent country.
Note: It made a swift recovery, called the “economic miracle” from the devastation of World War II.
Note: With the collapse of communism, West Germany absorbed East Germany. Berlin became the capital of the united Germany.
Official name for Germany; until 1990, the official name for West Germany.
Republic in north-central Europe, divided into East Germany and West Germany in 1949 and reunited in 1990. Officially called the Federal Republic of Germany.
Note: Germany was a collection of competing states until it was unified during the second half of the nineteenth century under the leadership of Otto von Bismarck.
Note: Germany's industrial, colonial, and naval expansion was considered a threat by the British and French and was one of the main causes of World War I, in which Germany was badly defeated.
Note: After the defeat of the Nazis in World War II, Germany was divided into four zones occupied by British, French, Soviet, and American forces.
Note: Since reunification Germany has become Europe's leading economic power. (See East Germany and West Germany under “World History since 1550.”)
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