Germany

Picture a land with tall, green forests where squirrels play hide-and-seek. Imagine sparkling rivers that giggle as they flow past colorful houses that look like they are made of gingerbread. Hello. I am Germany, a country right in the middle of a place called Europe. My towns are full of happy people who love to sing and have big festivals. They also make the yummiest twisty bread called pretzels. I am a place full of sunshine and smiles, and I love having visitors come and play in my forests and fields. It is a happy place to be.

I have been here for a very, very long time. Long ago, kings and queens lived here. A kind king named Ludwig II wanted a castle that looked like it was from a fairy tale, so in the 1800s, he started building a beautiful white castle called Neuschwanstein on a big hill. Many clever people have lived here too. A long time ago, around the year 1440, a man named Johannes Gutenberg had a brilliant idea to make books so everyone could read stories. And have you ever heard music that makes you want to dance or feel very peaceful? A man named Beethoven lived here and wrote some of the most wonderful music in the world.

For a little while, I was like a playground that was split in two. A big wall stood right down my middle, and it made me feel sad because families and friends couldn't see each other. But then, one very happy day, on November 9th, 1989, the wall came down. Everyone cheered and hugged. It was a giant party. A little while later, on October 3rd, 1990, I became one big, happy family again. All my people were together, just like they were meant to be. I felt so full of joy.

Today, I am a place full of fun things. You can see fast cars zoom on my roads and eat delicious chocolate that melts in your mouth. Friends from all over the world live here and say 'Hallo.' I hope you will come visit me one day to explore my tall castles and happy cities.