Germans are a distinct ethnolinguistic group that existed prior to the unified German nation state.

Many (most?) countries exist because pre-existing ethnolinguistic groups got their own country. For example, Bengalis have existed for long enough that you can easily identify them as a tightly clustered, distinct group in genetic profiles,[1] but never had their own country until 1971.

[1] https://www.gnxp.com/WordPress/2018/07/09/the-main-interesti...

The German Empire of 1871 is just one of many. Germans have lived in those lands for quite some time. Already Julius Caesar was conducting campaigns in Magna Germania.

The place existed, and people existed in the place, and the communication about that place is taking place today, and the way for one person to communicate a reference to that place to another person today, is to use the label Germany.

Before 1871, everyone knew what you meant when you said, "Germany." It just wasn't under a single government.

The “Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation” (its official name) would like a word.

In Florence I've seen an old map from around 1400 that had Germania in it.

Is East Francia (post-Verdun) better term?