section_path: Western and Southern Europe/Germany
section_name: Germany
paragraph_text: Germany
  
  In Germany a Dorf (village) usually consists of at least a few houses but can have up to a few thousand inhabitants. Larger villages can also be referred to as a Flecken or Markt depending on the region and the settlement's market rights. Smaller villages usually do not have their own government. Instead, they are part (Ortsteil) of the municipality of a nearby town.