Germany
by Kami Romeike Honors Geography 4th Black
Geography
Size:
357,021 km²
Neighboring states
Germany has nine neighbors:
Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland
Highest mountain
Zugspitze 2963 m
Longest rivers
Rhine 865 km, Elbe 700 km, Danube 647 km (in Germany)
Largest cities
Berlin Capital City 52° 31' N, 13° 24' E) 3.4 million inhabitants, Hamburg (1.7m), Munich (1.3m), Cologne (1.0m), Frankfurt/Main (676,000)
Climate
Moderate oceanic/continental climatic zone with frequent changes in weather and primarily westerly winds
Taken From: http://www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de/en/content-home/facts-and-figures/geography.html?type=1
There are six key sectors in which Germany plays a major role in setting the global agenda and economic cooperation:
· Medicine and healthcare (incl. sectors such as medical engineering and the healthcare industry)
· Transport and logistics (incl. automotive construction, transport systems technology, aerospace)
· Chemicals and pharmaceuticals (with disciplines such as life sciences, Biotech and gene technologies, biochemistry and new materials)
· Technology and innovation (from mechanical engineering to IKT, optical and electrotechnologies to microelectronics and nanotechnology)
· Energy and the environment
· Financial services
Taken From: http://www.gcb.de/en/key-industries/key-industries-in-germany
History
- 2005- First female chancellor
- 1989 - Berlin Wall is torn down.
- 1961 - Construction of the Berlin Wall.
- 1949 - Germany is divided.
- 1939-1945 - Invasion of Poland triggers World War II.
- 1914-1918 - World War I
- 1871 - Otto von Bismarck achieves unification of Germany under leadership of Prussia.
- Taken From:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17301646
Politics
The head of state is the President, a largely ceremonial position, elected for a maximum of two five-year terms. The voters in the election for President are known collectively as the Federal Convention, which consists of all members of the Bundestag and an equal number of members nominated by the state legislatures - a total of 1,244. The current President is Joachim Gauck.
The head of the government is the Chancellor (equivalent to the British Prime Minister). The current Chancellor is Angela Merkel of the CDU.
Every four years, after national elections and the convocation of the newly elected members of the Bundestag, the chancellor is elected by a majority of the members of the Bundestag upon the proposal of the President.
Like many countries - including Britain, France, and the USA - Germany has two major party groupings, one Centre-Right and the other Centre-Left.
The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) is a Central European country and member of the European Union, G4, G8, the G20, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It maintains a network of 229 diplomatic missions abroad and holds relations with more than 190 countries. As one of the world's leading industrialized countries it is recognized as a major power in European and global affairs
Taken From: http://www.rogerdarlington.me.uk/Germanpoliticalsystem.html
Culture
Germans place a high priority on structure, privacy and punctuality. The official language of the country is German. Christianity is the dominant religion, with 65 to 70 percent of the population identifying themselves as Christian.
Bratwurst, a form of sausage, is closely associated with German food. Cabbage, beets, and turnips are commonly incorporated into meals, as they are native to the region, and potatoes and sauerkraut are also stars of German cuisine.
Beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage, and the country is known as the birthplace of a number of beer varieties
Germans have made tremendous contributions to classical music, and the traditions of famous German or Austrian composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig von Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Richard Wagner and Gustav Mahler live on today.
Germany celebrates many of the traditional Christian holidays, including Christmas and Easter. German Unification Day on October 3 marks the reuniting of East and West Germany and is the only federal holiday.
While the country’s big beer bash is called "Oktoberfest," its starts each year on a Saturday in September and ends 16 to 18 days later
Taken From: http://www.livescience.com/44007-german-culture.html