Germany and the Alpine Countries

Ch. 6

Sec. 3

Pp. 184-187

Germany

• Size of Montana

• Danube and Rhine Rivers are here

• Berlin is the capital

An Economic and Industrial Power

• Ruhr is an important industrial center and has lots of coal and iron ore

• Shortage of workers, so Greeks, Turks, Italians, and Yugoslavs have come here

Thyssen Krupp, Calvert, AL

An Economic and Industrial Power

• Imports 1/3 of food• Leading producer of

beer, wine, and cheese

• Autobahn – superhighways

• Black forest has suffered damage from acid rain

Germany’s Government

• Federal republic – national and state governments share power

• Reunification – bringing together Germany’s two parts under one government

The Germans

• Settled in Europe 100-400 A.D.

• Martin Luther started Protestantism here

• Population is half Protestants and half Catholics

• Famous composers – Beethoven, Wagner, Bach

The Alpine Countries: Switzerland

• Stable democracy for over 700 years

• Neutrality – refusing to take sides in disagreements and wars between countries

• Geneva is center of many international organizations

Geneva

The Alpine Countries: Switzerland

• Continental divide – high place from which rivers flow in different directions

• Rhine and Rhône Rivers begin here

• Industry, tourism, and gourmet food

• Most are multilingual (German, French, Italian, Romansch)

The Alps

The Alpine Countries: Austria

• Landlocked• Alps cover ¾ of

country• Hydroelectric power

from rivers• Most live in cities and

towns• 80% are Catholic• Famous composers –

Mozart, Haydn, and Schubert

Mozart