There are several divisions of Europe made by various organizations.
The trouble is, they are completely arbitrary and there's nothing official about them. None of them are recognized authorities by everyone.
- United Nations--Germany: Western Europe
For example, there's the UN division which places Germany in Western Europe.:
Personally, I think they should at least add a Central Europe section.
- CIA--Germany is Central Europe
The CIA defines different regions, many more and more specifically:
Here Germany is defined as Central Europe by the CIA.
I like this system better than the UN's because I feel that it's more specific and probably more accurate: If you're going to divide Europe into regions you need more than four.
- PIGS--Germany is Northern Europe.
In popular parlance and journalism, people do sometimes refer to Northern and Southern Europe in the context of the Euro-crisis, with the southern economies typically stereotyped as lazy and corrupt as opposed to the austere, hardworking, Protestant north.
Of course it's an unfair, silly, and simplistic stereotype but I heard and read it all the time 5 or six years ago when the Euro-crisis first broke.
Of course, there are a lot of political issues running through this division: right-wing politicians love this one. But a lot of regular people buy into it too.
And you still run across this division online or in everyday language occasionally.
Cold War--Germany is Western Europe
It's incredible how many people stick to the old division of the Cold War. Virtually no organization divides Europe in to East and West any more, but an amazing amount of people do in their heads. Even after 25 years. You read it and hear it all. the. time.
Even from "Western Europeans" but, of course also from Asians, Americans, etc.
- Linguistic Europe--German is part of Germanic Europe.
Some people might find this division helpful. I don't....Germany, Norway and England together? Czech Republic, Russia, Croatia? Useful for linguistics and little else.
- cultural--Germany is BEER/Vodka/Wine(or, er, Vine)
Some people, with an eye on the practical realities of day to day life, divide Europe along another line: alcohol. In this map, as you can see Germany, partakes of all forms of alcohol.
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