Germany lies in the centre of Europe. It is the largest member state of the European Union, with over 82 million inhabitants. Germany ranks 1st in Europe for the highest number of newly registered patents, and it ranks 2nd in the world, after the USA. Germany is the largest economy in the European Union and the 3rd largest in the world. The most widely spoken mother tongue in Europe is German. Germany is home to some of the world’s leading companies in many areas, such as Information Technology, Healthcare, Biotechnology and the Automotive Industry, making it the world’s leading export nation.