Quezi

Jun
19
2009

What are the key facts about Germany?

Bodensee, Germany (photo by Thai Jasmine - CC-BY, flag by Pumbaa80 - PD)

Germany lies near the center of Europe, with coastlines on the North Sea (at its northwest) and on the Baltic Sea (at its northeast). Between 1949 and 1990, Germany was split into two: the Federal Republic of Germany (“West Germany”) and the German Democratic Republic (“East Germany”).

Germany is bordered by Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The capital of Germany is Berlin. Other major cities include Hamburg, Cologne (Köln) and Munich (München).

The national anthem of Germany is Das Deutschlandlied.

How big is Germany?

Germany has an area of 357,021 square kilometers (137,847 square miles), which is between Finland and Japan in size.^C09

What is the population of Germany?

In July 2009 the population of Germany was estimated at 82,329,758 – and shrinking slightly by 0.053% per year. 13.7% of those are under 15, and 20.3% are over 65. The median age is 43.8 years. There are around 1.03 females for every male.^C09

What is the climate of Germany?

Germany is generally temperate, being frequently cool, cloudy and wet. The high mountain areas have an alpine climate.

What currency is used in Germany?

Germany uses a Euro of one hundred cents. Prior to adopting the Euro it used a Mark (the “Deutsche Mark”) of one hundred Pfennigs.

What is the political structure of Germany?

The lower house, the Bundestag or Federal Assembly, is elected by proportional representation. The upper house, the Bundesrat or Federal Council, represents the individual states.

The chief of state is the President, elected jointly by the Federal Assembly and delegates from the state parliaments. The head of government is the Chancellor, elected by the Federal Assembly. The President appoints a cabinet of ministers on the recommendation of the Chancellor.

What are the constituent parts of Germany?

The states, or Lander, each have their own state parliament, and are:

Baden-Wuerttemberg
Bayern (Bavaria)
Berlin
Brandenburg
Bremen
Hamburg
Hessen
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-West Pomerania)
Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony)
Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia)
Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate)
Saarland
Sachsen (Saxony)
Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt)
Schleswig-Holstein
Thueringen (Thuringia)

What powers the German economy?

2.4% of the labor force work in agriculture, producing potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beet, fruit, cabbages, cattle, pigs and poultry.

29.7% of the labor force work in industry: iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages, shipbuilding and textiles.

67.8% of the labor force work in services.^C09

What does Germany export and import?

Major exports are machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and metal goods, foodstuffs and textiles—primarily to France, the US, the United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and Spain.

Major imports are machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles and metals—primarily from the Netherlands, France, Belgium, China, Italy, the UK, the US and Austria.^C09

What sports and recreations are popular in Germany?

Germany are passionate about football. Also popular are handball, volleyball, basketball, motor racing, ice hockey and tennis.

Recreational opportunities include swimming, hiking, skiing and mountain sports. Germans are the world’s greatest travellers. If you were to meet someone crossing the Nullarbor Plain on a moped, the chances are that they would be from Germany.

What are the tourism and travel highlights of Germany?

Germany is teeming with history due to the turbulent upheavals of its past, and as a consequence there are many historical sites to visit (museums, castles, battle sites and of course the Brandenburg Gate and the remains of the Berlin Wall).

It’s also a great country for nature lovers with its lakes, forests and mountains. And if you are into beer, you could do worse than visit Germany. I don’t know anywhere else in the world where you can get beer in one-liter glasses.