As Western Europe's richest and most populous nation, Germany remains a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed the country in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious [Allied powers]? of the United States, United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern [German Democratic Republic]? (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the EC and NATO, while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then Germany has expended considerable funds to bring eastern productivity and wages up to western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries formed a common [European currency]?, the euro.
The capital of Germany is Berlin.
BTW: It's not true that all Germans like "Sauerkraut and Eisbein", and not many people there wear short leather trousers, not even in Bavaria. The Bavarian Capital is Munich (German München) which is famous of its big beer festival, the "Oktoberfest."
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