How many states comprise Germany?

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central and Western Europe, lying between the Baltic and North Seas to the north and the Alps, Lake Constance and the High Rhine to the south. Germany includes 16 constituent states, covers an area of 357,386 square kilometers (137,988 sq mi), and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. Each state has its own state constitution, and is largely autonomous in regard to its internal organisation.

The English word Germany derives from the Latin Germania, which came into use after Julius Caesar adopted it for the peoples east of the Rhine. It is possibly of Celtic origin (Old Irish gair = "neighbour").