GERMANY

Physical geography

Germany is a large country in the middle of Europe. It has borders with the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Poland. It faces the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. Germany is inside Schengen, which means that European citizens may move freely in and out of Germany.

Iconic place

Neuschwanstein castle is on a rugged hills near Füssen in southwest Bavaria. It was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty castle in the Disneyland parks. The castle was commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria who was found dead a few days after it was finished. It is the most photographed building in the country and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Germany.

Iconic object

Something really appreciate by the tourists is the Bavarian hat. It’s green, with an eagle feather and is made of sinter. It is see as typically German.

Famous historical figure

Wagner is one of Germany’s many famous composers.

Famous living figure

Angela Merkel is Germany’s chancellor, the most important person in Germany (and the most powerful woman in the world).  She has the same rank as a prime minister.

History before 2000

For centuries, Germany was one of the biggest European empires, called the Reich. After the defeat of WWI, Germans saw their empire torn to pieces and a republic was set up. But, it didn’t last long: the Nazis took over the government, set up a totalitarian regime and caused WWII. After its defeat, Germany was occupied and the country split in two. The west developed well, but the east, under the USSR’s influence, went through a long period of economic and social troubles. This situation stopped in 1990, with the reunification of Germany.

History after 2000

After 2000, Germany’s power increased, and it has become the richest and most influential country in Europe. But it also has had to face a lot of demographic problems.

Human geography

Germany is the most populous country in the European Union with 82.5 million inhabitants. Its density (231 inhabitants per km²) is twice as great as that of France. The birth rate in Germany is one of the lowest in Europe (8.25 per thousand). The natural increase since the 1980s for the 11 Western states has been negative due to the low birth rate, the total absence of an incentive family policy (few nurseries or nursery schools) and because women stop work when they have a child. Until the early 1990s, five eastern Länder had much higher fertility rates than in the West. The population is very unevenly distributed: the highest concentrations of people are on two axes: the Ruhr and Rhine in the west of the country. Here the cities of Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg, Düsseldorf and Cologne join up to form a large conurbation. The second axis is east-west and extends from Dresden to the border with the Netherlands: it includes the cities of Leipzig and Hanover. There are also three very dense but more isolated foci: the Munich region, Berlin and Hamburg.

Language(s) and culture(s)

There is only one language in Germany, German, but it’s not spoken the same all over Germany: Bavarians have a very typical accent, which can be surprising for foreigners! The culture is more or less the same everywhere, even if there are some places which are famous for particular things, for example Frankfurt is famous for its sausages.

Political system, relations with the EU, economy

Germany is not a republic but a federal state. The territory is divided into 16 states or "regional states" with broad powers. The states are very different in size and population, and are inherited from the Allied occupation after 1945: the largest is Bavaria. Three of them are concentrated around the cities of Bremen, Berlin and Hamburg. The skills of each Land are diverse. The federal government is headed by a chancellor; it is in charge of the country's economy, defense, foreign affairs, etc. Germany has a strong sustainable development policy. As its economy is the strongest in Europe, Germany has a lot of power in the EU; it takes major decisions. Germany has a highly developed car industry.

Youth
German teenagers feel a lot of concern for ecology issues. Also, they are known to be the best students in Europe and those who are the best at learning languages. They are more free than in France, and are able to express their opinions because parents are less strict than in other countries (it’s forbidden to slap children in Germany, and it’s considered a lack of education to shout at them in public places).

Article by Hugo DOS SANTOS