Germany's history dates as far back as the days of the Holy Roman Empire. Julius Cesar gave the region the name of Germania. It wasn't until 1648 that Germany began ruling as its own country at the end of the Thirty Year's War. Throughout history, Germany began to rise as a European superpower, which ended with the fall of Nazi rule at the of Wolrd War II. Soon after the war ended, the Cold War began, which divided the county in half. East and West Germany were separated by the Berlin Wall and weren't reunited until 1990. Since the fall of the wall, Germany has reminded a strong and unified country.