Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million in its city limits, Berlin is the country's largest city. It is the second most populous city and the ninth most populous urban area in the European Union. Located in northeastern Germany, it is the center of the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan area, comprising 5 million people from over 180 nations. pageid=1996,45323734&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&screen=welcomeref&open=/&product=EU_MASTER_urban_audit&depth=2" target="_blank">Indicators for larger urban zones 1999 - 2003, Eurostat. Accessed March 9, 2007

First documented in the 13th century, Berlin was successively the capital of the _Kingdom of Prussia (1701-1918), the German Empire (1871-1918), the Weimar Republic (1919-1933) and the Third Reich (1933-1945). After the Second World War, the city was divided; East Berlin became the capital of East Germany while West Berlin became a Western enclave, surrounded by the Berlin Wall from 1961-1989. Following the reunification of Germany in 1990, the city regained its status as the capital of all Germany.

Berlin is a major center in European politics, culture, media, and science. It serves as a continental hub for air and rail transport. The city's economy is primarily based on the service sector, encompassing a diverse range of creative industries, media corporations, environmental services, congress and convention venues. blank">Convention and congress cities, ICCA, Accessed April 26, 2007 Berlin City of Design Press Release, UNESCO, Accessed October 20, 2006. Berlin is the third most-visited tourist destination in the EU. Berlin Germany's most popular Destination, Tourismus Marketing GmbH, Accessed October 20, 2006 Other industries include traffic engineering, optoelectronics, _IT, vehicle manufacturing, health care, biomedical engineering, and biotechnology.

The metropolis is home to world-renowned universities, research institutes, sporting events, orchestras, museums and personalities. World Heritage Site Museumsinsel, UNESCO, Accessed October 20, 2006 Berlin's urban landscape and historical legacy has made it a popular setting for international film productions. Recognized for its festivals, contemporary architecture, nightlife and avant-garde arts, Berlin has evolved into a focal point for individuals attracted by liberal lifestyle, modern zeitgeist and low cost of living.

Berlín is a municipality in the Usulután department of El Salvador.

The municipality of Berlín is made up of an urban center (pop. approx. 12,000) and 17 cantons or villages (pop. approx. 30,000). The urban center is located at 1,020 meters above sea level in the mountains of eastern El Salvador, with the territory extending to lowland cantons (zona baja) on the Lempa River and to highland cantons (zona alta) at as much as 1,500 meters above sea level. Some of the rural cantons include: Talpetates, Loma Alta, Las Delicias, El Colon, El Tablon.

Berlin is known for coffee farming, which historically was the main economic activity for the municipality and concentrated in the zona alta. In the zona baja, including the Mechotique region, activities include cattle and sugar cane farming, as well as farming of subsistence crops such as beans and corn. Nearby municipalities include Mercedes Umaña and Santiago de Maria; the largest nearby city is San Miguel.

Berlín's patron saint is San José, and the annual patron saint festival is celebrated from March 15 - 20. The city boasts two high schools, a coffee processing plant, a bank, a credit union, a thriving municipal market, a youth community center, numerous small businesses, a Catholic church, and several Evangelical congregations.

During the civil war Berlín was the site of several battles between the FMLN and military forces. The FMLN was able to take control of the city briefly in 1983, during which time the military bombed the city. The bombing killed numerous civilians and destroyed several large haciendas. The infamous General Monterrosa who ordered the massacre at El Mozote was from Berlín.

Berlín was heavily damaged by flooding and landslides resulting from Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and by the earthquakes of January and February, 2001. To mitigate potential future natural disasters, an Environmental Unit (Unidad Ambiental) has been established within the mayor’s office.

A severe thunderstorm with heavy rain caused flooding and landslides in May of 2007 which resulted in the deaths of 5 people. Efforts are currently underway to relocate the Brisas del Sol community, where the victims were from, away from the high risk area.

.berlin (dotBERLIN) is a proposed new top level domain (TLD). It is a Sponsored top-level domain intended to be a top level domain for the city of Berlin, Germany, which is already served by berlin.de.

According to the .dotBERLIN organization .berlin will allow local German Berlin companies to register their domains under .berlin, which is currently not possible under berlin.de which restricts what gets delegated under that domain. .berlin will also be open for companies not located in the German Berlin.

Along with TLDs such as .cat, .asia and .eu, .berlin and other proposed TLDs fall into the new category of GeoTLDs. The issue of new top level domains in general and .berlin in particular has been discussed at no_dtd" target="_blank">various _ICANN-Meetings since 2005.

A rationale offered by proponents of the .berlin proposal is as follows: