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Printer Friendly Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary4,060,094,873 visitors served. forum Join the Word of the Day Mailing List For webmasters TheFreeDictionary Google Bing ? Word / Article Starts with Ends with Text Dictionary/ thesaurusMedical dictionaryLegal dictionaryFinancial dictionaryAcronyms IdiomsEncyclopediaWikipedia encyclopedia? Berlin   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Acronyms, Encyclopedia 0.01 sec. Berlin Berlin   State of Germany   View of central Berlin. From left: The Reichstag, the TV Tower, the Berliner Dom, and the Brandenburg Gate Flag Coat of arms Location within European Union and Germany Coordinates: 52302&Prime;N 132356&Prime;E? / ?52.50056N 13.39889E? / 52.50056; 13.39889Coordinates: 52302&Prime;N 132356&Prime;E? / ?52.50056N 13.39889E? / 52.50056; 13.39889 Country Germany Government - Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit (SPD)  - Governing parties SPD / Die Linke  - Votes in Bundesrat 4 (of 69) Area  - City 891.85 km2 (344.3 sq mi) Elevation 34 - 115 m (-343 ft) Population (31 March 2010)[1]  - City 3,440,441  - Density 3,857.6/km2 (9,991.3/sq mi)  - Metro 5,000,000 Time zone CET (UTC+1)  - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2) Postal code(s) 1000114199 Area code(s) 030 ISO 3166 code DE-BE Vehicle registration B GDP/ Nominal ? 90.1[2] billion (2009)[citation needed] NUTS Region DE3 Website berlin.de / 3D Berlin Berlin (English pronunciation: /b?r?l?n/; German pronunciation: [b????li?n] ) is the capital city of Germany, and is one of the sixteen states of Germany. It has a population of 3.4 million people,[1] and is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union.[3] Located in northeastern Germany, it is the center of the Berlin-Brandenburg Metropolitan Area, comprising 5 million people from over 190 nations.[4] Geographically embedded in the European Plains, Berlin is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. Around one third of the city's territory is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers and lakes.[5]

First documented in the 13th century, Berlin was successively the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia (17011918), the German Empire (18711918), the Weimar Republic (19191933) and the Third Reich (19331945).[6] Berlin in the 1920s was the third largest municipality in the world.[7] After World War II, the city was divided; East Berlin became the capital of East Germany while West Berlin became a de facto West German exclave, surrounded by the Berlin Wall (19611989).[8] Following German reunification in 1990, the city regained its status as the capital of all Germany hosting 147 foreign embassies.[9][10]

Berlin is a world city of culture, politics, media, and science.[11][12][13][14] Its economy is primarily based on the service sector, encompassing a diverse range of creative industries, media corporations, congress and convention venues. Berlin serves as a continental hub for air and rail transport,[15][16] and is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the EU.[17] Significant industries include IT, pharmaceuticals, biomedical engineering, biotechnology, optoelectronics, traffic engineering, and renewable energy.

The metropolis is home to renowned universities, research institutes, sporting events, orchestras, museums and personalities.[18] The urban and historical legacy has made it a popular setting for international film productions.[19] The city is recognized for its festivals, diverse architecture, nightlife, contemporary arts, public transportation networks and a high quality of living.[20] Berlin has evolved into a global focal point for young individuals and artists attracted by a liberal lifestyle and modern zeitgeist.[21] History Main article: History of Berlin The name Berlin is of unknown origin, but may be related to the Old Polabian stem berl-/birl- "swamp".[22] Map of Berlin in 1688 The earliest evidence of settlements in today's Berlin central areas is a wooden beam dated from approximately 1192.[23] The first written mention of towns in the area of present-day Berlin dates from the late 12th century. Spandau is first mentioned in 1197, and Kpenick in 1209, though these areas did not join Berlin until 1920.[24] The central part of Berlin can be traced back to two towns. Clln on the Fischerinsel is first mentioned in a 1237 document, and Berlin, across the Spree in what is now called the Nikolaiviertel, is referenced in a document from 1244.[23] The former is considered to be the "founding date". From the beginning, the two cities formed an economic and social unit. In 1307, the two cities were united politically. Over time, the twin cities came to be known simply as Berlin.

In 1435, Frederick I became the elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which he ruled until 1440.[25] His successor, Frederick II Irontooth, established Berlin as capital of the margraviate, and subsequent members of the Hohenzollern family ruled until 1918 in Berlin, first as electors of Brandenburg, then as kings of Prussia, and finally as German emperors. In 1448 citizens rebelled in the "Berlin Indignation" against the construction of a new royal palace by Frederick II Irontooth. This protest was not successful, however, and the citizenry lost many of its political and economic privileges. In 1451 Berlin became the royal residence of the Brandenburg electors, and Berlin had to give up its status as a free Hanseatic city. In 1539, the electors and the city officially became Lutheran.[26] Seventeenth to nineteenth centuries Frederick the Great (17121786) was one of Europe's enlightened monarchs. The Thirty Years' War between 1618 and 1648 had devastating consequences for Berlin. A third of the houses were damaged and the city lost half of its population.[27] Frederick William, known as the "Great Elector", who had succeeded his father George William as ruler in 1640, initiated a policy of promoting immigration and religious tolerance. With the Edict of Potsdam in 1685, Frederick William offered asylum to the French Huguenots. More than 15,000 Huguenots went to Brandenburg, of whom 6,000 settled in Berlin. By 1700, approximately 20 percent of Berlin's residents were French, and their cultural influence on the city was immense. Many other immigrants came from Bohemia, Poland, and Salzburg. Berlin became the capital of the German Empire in 1871 and expanded rapidly in the following years. (Unter den Linden in 1900) With the coronation of Frederick I in 1701 as king (in Knigsberg), Berlin became the new capital of the Kingdom of Prussia (instead of Knigsberg); this was a successful attempt to centralize the capital in the very outspread Prussian Kingdom, and it was the first time the city began to grow. In 1740 Frederick II, known as Frederick the Great (17401786), came to power. Berlin became, under the rule of the philosophically oriented Frederick II, a center of the Enlightenment. Following France's victory in the War of the Fou ... \n

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