GERMANY - officially the Federal Republic of Germany. This country is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of sixteen states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. It covers an area of 221,842 sq. mi./357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With about 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union (27 states as of 2011). It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields. HISTORY: A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Age, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War. Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, rising Pan-Germanism resulted in the unification of most of the German states in 1871, with the inception of the Prussian-dominated German Empire. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Versailles Treaty. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and the Second World War. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified. Germany was a founding member of the European Community in 1957, which became the EU in 1993. It is part of the Schengen Area and since 1999 a member of the eurozone. Germany is a member of the United Nations and NATO.

Still Imagery includes:
1. Bamberg - a city in Bavaria, Germany - located in the Upper Franconia (region), in the state of Bavaria (the largest of Germany's 16 states, comprising 20% of the country's land area), on the River Regnitz, just southeast with its confluence of the River Main. Bamberg had municipal privileges in 973 AD, then in 1007, Emperor Henry ll founded the Bamberg bishopric (an ecclesiastical region run by a bishop in the Roman Catholic churches), and since 1802 the city is within the jurisdiction of the state of Bavaria. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from getting near to Bamberg. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1993), noted for the layout and architecture of Medieval and Renaissance. Within the city are the: Michaelsberg Abbey (12 century), Imperial Cathedral of St. Peter-St. George (13th century), Altes Rathaus (15th century, old town hall), Alte Hofhaltung (16th century, old palace), Neue Residenz (17th century, new residence), Böttingerhaus (18th century mansion), and the Klein-Venedig (19th century, little Venice, along the banks of the River Regnitz).

2. Munich - is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. The city's motto is "Munich Likes You" Its native name, München, is derived from the Old High German (old language from 500-1050 AD) Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". Sites of still-imagery include: Marienplaz, Peterskirche, Neus Rathaus, Frauenkirche, Residenz Platz, Theatinerkirche, Hofgarden, Singestor (Victory Gate, and the Olympic Grounds of the 1972 Summer Olympics.