GERMANY
It has been documented that before AD 100, a region known as Germania, had been inhabited by several Germanic peoples. German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire, in the beginning of the 10th century. Northern Germany became the center of Protestant reformation in the 16th century. However, the several German territories were only first truly unified during the Franco-Prussian war in 1871.
Germany’s history has been marked by several politically and religiously motivated wars. In the first half of the 20th century the European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. In 1945, with the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed- the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). However, in 1990, with the decline of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, these two states became united making Germany one of the largest countries in Europe.
The population of Germany is, predominantly Caucasian with a significant Turkish minority. The country also has a significant number of refugees from the former Yugoslavia.
GEOGRAPHY
Germany shares borders with several European countries like Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Netherlands. Stretching from the Alps, across the North European Plain to the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, Germany is one of the largest countries located in central Europe. The country lies between the Netherlands and Poland, to the south of Denmark and bordering the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
CLIMATE
Germany has a Temperate Seasonal climate, in which the humid westerly winds are powerful and frequent. With mild winters and cool summers, Germany has a comfortable climate. However, the eastern areas of the country witness extreme summer and winter temperatures.
PEOPLE AND CULTURE
Being a modern, cosmopolitan country, the German society is shaped by a plurality of life styles and truly different ethno-cultural diversity. Although Germans form 91% of the population of the country, there are some other ethnic groups like Turkish, Spanish, Russian, Polish and Italian.
The various cultural epochs in Germany have been strongly influenced by German writers, composers and philosophers such as Goethe, Schiller, Bach, Beethoven, Kant and Hegel.
The country boasts a wealth of different cultural institutions and a vibrant cultural scene. Its capital city, Berlin, is a spectacular case in point, with three opera houses, 120 museums, more than 50 theaters and a lively art community that also attracts many young foreign artists.
Having a great cuisine and fine wines, a wealth of natural beauty, festivals and celebrations, vacation, design and fashion, inspiring architecture, makes Germany a great country to visit and live in.
CURRENCY AND ECONOMY
Like the other EU nations, the monetary unit of Germany is the Euro.
Germany’s economy is the fifth largest in the world and the largest in Europe. About 70% of the total GDP is contributed by the service sector. Its exports include automobiles, machinery, metals, and chemical goods and Germany is the world’s top exporter, generating a trade surplus of 165 billion Euros.
In the former West German states the standard of living and the annual income remain higher than that of the East German states even after the unification of the two parts. However, the government is constantly working to bridge this gap.
Germany strongly supports a greater European economic and political integration, and its commercial policies are increasingly determined by agreements among EU members and EU single market legislation.
LANGUAGE
The predominantly spoken and official language of Germany is German. It is one of the three languages of the European Commission along with French and English. The native minority languages in Germany are Danish, Sorbian, Romany, and Frisian.
CAPITAL AND MAIN CITIES
One of the sixteen states of Germany, Berlin is also its capital city. Located in the northeastern part of the country, Berlin is the largest city of the country and has a population of 3.4 million. Berlin has successively been 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).
The capital city of Germany houses world-renowned universities, research institutes, sporting events, orchestras, museums and personalities making it the major center of culture, politics, media, and science in Europe.
The other major cities of Germany are Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Essen, Dortmund, Stuttgart and Düsseldorf. Each of these cities have a lot to offer as all of them have a rich history and that is reflected in the culture, architecture and the people living in them.
Cologne has a thriving art scene and it is also the economical and cultural capital of Rhineland. Dresden is the capital of the German Federal Free State of Saxony. Frankfurt is the fifth largest city and financial and transportation center of Germany.
HOLIDAYING IN GERMANY
Germany has enormous amount of things to do and see making a holidaying there busy work.
If you are on a family holiday take the kids to Europa-Park, Germany's biggest theme park, at Rust, near Freiburg in the southwest. For the daredevil child it features Europe's highest rollercoaster.
In case you are looking for some activity, the Harz Mountains, Black Forest (Schwarz Wald) and the Bavarian Alps have some of the country's best areas for walking, skiing and other winter sports.
Germany and football are almost synonymous, so when in Germany you might like to take in a football (soccer) match. The country’s top teams include Bayern Munich, Hamburg, Bayer Leverkusen, Hertha Berlin, Schalke 04 and Werder Bremen.
If history interests you, then you could explore the past at Berlin's Pergamon Museum with its antiquities, Near East and Islamic Art collections. Or you could also opt to see the East German history at baroque Charlottenburg Palace, which is the biggest surviving palace in the capital; it was built for Sophie Charlotte, wife of Prussia's King Friedrich I, in the late 1660s.
In Saxony, the Harz Mountains, and on the coast of Mecklenburg-Lower Pomerania, Germany has a number of preserved railways where you can ride on a historic narrow-gauge steam train.
Germany has given the world the best of the cars, so you might consider paying homage to Germany's famous car makers at the new Mercedes Benz World in Stuttgart, BMW Welt in Munich and Volkswagen's Autostadt in Wolfsburg.
GETTING AROUND THE COUNTRY
Air route
Lufthansa, Air Berlin, Germanwings and several other regional airlines operate internal services. There are numerous airports in the country and all airports in the Federal Republic of Germany can be reached in an hour or less from Frankfurt.
Water route
On most rivers, lakes and coastal waters, including the Danube, Main, Moselle, Neckar, Rhine and the Weser, regular scheduled boat services operate. However, in several other places like on Kiel Fjord and from Cuxhaven to Helgoland and to the East and North Friesian Islands as well as to Scandinavian destinations, ferry services operate.
Steamers, pleasure boats and car ferries are other modes of water transport.
Rail route
Every one or two hours inter city and high-speed connections run to around 30 destinations, mainly in Germany but trains also run to Austria, Belgium, The Netherlands, France and Switzerland.
Road route
A busy modern network of roads stretches throughout the country. Bus services are widespread and regular and alternately you can opt for car hire.
ACCOMMODATION
The country has some of the world’s best hotels but sometimes it may be hard to book in advance. From the 5 star categories to the 1 star ones, all ranges are available.
Other accommodation styles are self catering, pensions, youth hostels, camping and caravanning. Some interesting staying options are castles, mansions and historic hostelries.
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