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Berlin

Capital of GermanyBerlin lies in the low, flat northeast of Germany on the river Spree, which flows into the Havel in the western borough of Spandau. The state of Brandenburg surrounds the city on every side.

Why it's the capital

Berlin was the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1701 and of the German Empire from 1871. After World War II the city was divided, and East Berlin became the capital of East Germany. After reunification in 1990, Berlin became the capital of the whole country again.

Fun facts

  1. East Germany built the Berlin Wall around West Berlin in 1961, and the wall fell on 9 November 1989.
  2. Museum Island, an island in the river Spree, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  3. The name Berlin may come from an old West Slavic word, berl or birl, meaning 'swamp'.

Finding it on the globe

Aim at the northeast of Germany: Berlin sits inside the state of Brandenburg, whose eastern edge, partly along the Oder river, is the border with Poland.

Easy to mix up

Some players tap Bonn, where West Germany's government sat. In 1991 the Bundestag voted to move the seat of government to Berlin, and the move was completed in 1999.

Sources: Wikipedia: Berlin, Wikipedia: Brandenburg