Germany

Situation: country in the heart of Europe

Name:

Federal Republic of Germany (in German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland)

Politicial form:

Demoracy in federal form (16 states called "Bundesländer")

Capital:

Berlin - 3 500 000 people

Inhabitants:

80 000 000 people Inhabitants per km²: 243

Structure of population:

88% Germans 10 % Foreigners Turks ( 6 000 000 people) Polish - 1 000 000 people Italian Russian Spanish Greek - 500 000 people Marroks Jugoslavians Austrian Dutch nearly from every country of the world 2% of the population is member of an ethnicial minority like Frisians, Danish, Dutch and Sorbs, who are allowed to speak their own language, celebreat their culture etc., but they have a German passport.

Seize in km²:

357 011

Highest point:

Zugspitze in the Alps with 2962 metres

Rivers:

Rhein (Rhine), Donau, Elbe, Oder, Weser, Ems, Saale, Havel, Spree, Mosel, Neckar, Main

Big lakes:

Bodensee, Chiemsee, Starnbergersee,

Climate:

wet the whole year, temperatures: mild in the summer cold in the winter, continental in the east, ozeanian in the west

Coastline in km:

around 2500 (Northsea & Baltic sea)

Neighbour countries:

Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxemburg, Belgium & The Netherlands

Currency: Euro (€)

Official Language:

German (nearly every German speaks English)

Religion:

Protestants (47%), Roman-Catholic (38%), no religion (mostly in the East), Muslim and others

Big cities:

Berlin - 3 500 000people Hamburg - 1 800 000 people München (Munich) - 1 500 000 people Köln (Cologne) - 1 030 000 people Essen - 680 000 people Frankfurt am Main - 630 000 people Dortmund - 580 000 people Düsseldorf - 570 000 people Leipzig - 565 000 people Stuttgart - 560 000 people Hannover - 535 000 people Duisburg - 532 000 people Bremen - 528 000 people Dresden - 520 000 people Nürnberg - 470 000 people Bochum - 410 000 people Wuppertal - 400 000 people Chemnitz - 310 000 people Bielefeld - 305 000 people Mannheim - 303 000 people Bonn - 300 000 people Gelsenkirchen - 290 000 people Magdeburg - 285 000 people Karlsruhe - 270 000 people Wiesbaden 267 000 people

Head of state:

Johannes Rau (SPD party)

Chancellor:

Gerhard Schroeder (SPD)

Parliament parties (2002-2006): CDU 38,6% (Christdemocrats, conservative); SPD 38,4% (Social democrats); Greens 8,4%, FDP 7,2% (Liberals) SPD & the Greens are the majority in the German Bundestag.

Membership of the most important international organisations: United Nations, European Union, Council of Europe