Editing German language (section)

====German Sprachraum====
The area in central Europe where the majority of the population speaks German as a first language and has German as a (co-)official language is called the "German ''[[German Sprachraum|Sprachraum]]''". German is the official language of the following countries:
* [[Germany]] 
* [[Austria]] 
* [[German-speaking Switzerland|17 cantons]] of [[Switzerland]]
* [[Liechtenstein]]

As a result of implemenation of the [[Oder–Neisse line]] and ensuing expusion and ethnic cleansing in post-war Poland, the German Sprachraum significantly shrank, as well as by dissolution of the large German-speaking areas in Bohemia and Moravia. Former German-speaking exclaves of [[East Prussia]], the [[Free City of Danzig]] an the [[Memelland]] ceased to exist, while [[Francization]] in Alsace and Lorraine removed use of German in these areas.    

German is a co-official language of the following countries:
* [[Belgium]] (as majority language only in the [[German-speaking Community]], which represents 0.7% of the Belgian population)
* [[Luxembourg]], along with French and Luxembourgish
* Switzerland, co-official at the federal level with French, Italian, and Romansh, and at the local level in four [[List of cantons of Switzerland|cantons]]: [[Canton of Bern|Bern]] (with French), [[Canton of Fribourg|Fribourg]] (with French), [[Canton of Grisons|Grisons]] (with Italian and Romansh) and [[Canton of Valais|Valais]] (with French)
* Italy, (as majority language only in the [[Autonomous Province of South Tyrol]], which represents 0.6% of the Italian population)