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