West Germany

Meanings

1. A former country in Central Europe, distinguished from the German Democratic Republic, commonly known as East Germany. Official name: Federal Republic of Germany.
2. A geographic region of Germany, consisting of the states formerly part of the Cold War-era West Germany, also known as Western Germany.
3. Collectively, the British-, French-, and American-occupied zones of Germany, distinguished from the Soviet-occupied zone.

Etymology

From informal use describing the British-, French-, and American-occupied zones of Germany following World War II, under influence from existing German Westdeutschland and Westdeutscher used to describe those areas of German-speaking Europe since the 17th and 18th centuries.