Germany lies in the heart of Europe. It stretches from the North Sea and Baltic coasts in the north to the Alps in the south and has land borders with nine countries: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland. Following Germany's defeat in World War I and the collapse of their empire, they were left with crippling reparations, soaring inflation, and high unemployment. The rise of the Nazi dictatorship in the 1930s led to a policy of expansionism, followed by the outbreak of war, and ultimately to the country's humiliation in World War II. Germany was then divided into two separate states: East and West. West Germany eventually emerged as a major European power and was a founding member of the now the European Union, while East Germany remained under the dominance of the Soviet Union. After the general collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe, East and West Germany reunited on October 3, 1990. Today, Germany has one of the world's strongest economies and is one of the most technically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food, shipbuilding, and textiles. The European Countries Today series provides information on 15 of the most important countries in Europe. Each book in the series describes the history, geography, economy, culture, and relationship each country has with its neighbors. There is also a separate title, European Union Facts & Figures, that provides statistical and factual information about the European Union. Each title in this series includes color photos throughout, and back matter including: an index and further reading lists for books and internet resources. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series in an effort to encourage library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content rich non-fiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers are able to reference back to the definitions—building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars are highlighted graphics with content rich material within that allows readers to build knowledge and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos are offered in chapters through the use of a QR code, that, when scanned, takes the student to an online video showing a moment in history, a speech, or an instructional video. This gives the readers additional content to supplement the text. Text-Dependent Questions are placed at the end of each chapter. They challenge the reader's comprehension of the chapter they have just read, while sending the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research Projects are provided at the end of each chapter as well and provide readers with suggestions for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis.