Germany is a developed country with a strong economy; it has the largest economy in Europe by nominal GDP. As a major force in several industrial, scientific and technological sectors, Germany is both the world's third-largest exporter and third-largest importer.
Although Germany existed as a loose polity of Germanic-speaking peoples for millennia, a united German nation in roughly its present form dates only to 1871. Modern Germany is a liberal democracy that has become ever more integrated with and central to a united Europe.
Germany is a federation made up of 16 constituent states, the Länder, which have their own governments and decision-making powers. Germany is one of the world’s strongest economies. As an exporter, Germany is committed to free markets while also prioritising human rights protections in global trade.