East Germany

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/east-germany

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Where is East Germany?Central Europe, bordered by the Baltic Sea, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and West Germany
2. How many people live in East Germany?Approximately 16.7 million (1989)
3. How big is East Germany?108,333 square kilometers (41,828 sq mi)
4. What is the capital of East Germany?East Berlin
5. What language do people speak in East Germany?German
6. What kind of government does East Germany have?Communist state, authoritarian regime (SED-dominated)

German Democratic Republic (GDR): The official name for East Germany, a socialist state that existed from 1949 to 1990.
Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED): The ruling communist party that dominated East German politics and society for over 40 years.
Cold War: A period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies.
Berlin Wall: A fortified barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989, symbolizing the Iron Curtain.