officially Federal Republic of Germany
Former republic (1949–90), west-central Europe.
It consisted of the western two-thirds of what is now the Federal Republic of Germany . It was formed in 1949 when the U.S., British, and French zones of occupation in Germany were united, while the Soviet zone became East Germany . It became a sovereign country and a member of NATO in 1955, though its occupiers retained military bases. It united with Saarland in 1957, and it joined the UN in 1973. It was reunited with East Germany in October 1990.