Berlin [ a ] is the capital and largest city of Germany , both by area and by population. Berlin is surrounded by the state of Brandenburg , and Brandenburg's capital Potsdam is nearby. The urban area of Berlin has a population of over 4. Berlin was built along the banks of the Spree river, which flows into the Havel in the western borough of Spandau. About one-third of the city's area is composed of forests, parks and gardens , rivers, canals, and lakes.
First documented in the 13th century [ 10 ] and at the crossing of two important historic trade routes , [ 17 ] Berlin was designated the capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg β , Kingdom of Prussia β , German Empire β , Weimar Republic β , and Nazi Germany β Berlin has served as a scientific, artistic, and philosophical hub during the Age of Enlightenment , Neoclassicism , and the German revolutions of β Following German reunification in , Berlin once again became the capital of all of Germany.
Due to its geographic location and history, Berlin has been called "the heart of Europe". The economy of Berlin is based on high tech and the service sector , encompassing a diverse range of creative industries , startup companies , research facilities, and media corporations. Tourism in Berlin makes the city a popular global destination. The Berlin Zoological Garden is the most visited zoo in Europe.
Babelsberg Studio is the world's first large-scale movie studio complex and the list of films set in Berlin is long. Berlin has numerous museums , galleries, and libraries. Berlin lies in northeastern Germany. Most of the cities and villages in northeastern Germany bear Slavic languages -derived names.
Typical Germanization for place name suffixes of Slavic origin are -ow, -itz, -vitz, -witz, -itzsch and -in , prefixes are Windisch and Wendisch. The earliest human settlements in the area of modern Berlin are dated around 60, BC. In 2, BC dense human settlements along the Spree and Havel rivers gave rise to the Lusatian culture.
