Germany

Clare Emery

Geography For Teachers

FACTS

• The Germans call it Deutschland • In the aftermath of World War II, Germany was

divided into eastern and western halves • Berlin Wall was built in August 1961, Germans

could travel freely back and forth between East and West Germany

• Neighboring Countries (9): Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland

FACTS

• Berlin Wall would become a stark symbol of both the Cold War and a divided Germany until its amazing collapse in November 1989

• The collapse of the Soviet Union and other historical events led to rapid changes in the world map and the political landscape

• Official Name: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, BRD (Federal Republic of Germany, FRG)

• Government: Federal republic; parliamentary democracy with two legislative bodies: the Bundestag (lower house of representatives) and the Bundesrat (upper house); members of the Bundestag serve a term of four years. About half are elected by direct mandate (representing a specific district), while the others are "listed candidates" who are elected in a "second vote" system in which voters also select a second choice. Members of the Bundesrat are selected by the 16 state (Bundesland) parliaments.

FACTS

FACTS

• Chancellor: Angela Merkel (since 2005) - The office of chancellor is similar to that of a prime minister in a parliamentary system of government

• President: Joachim Gauck (sworn in on March 18, 2012), Christian Wulff (June 2010-Feb. 17, 2012*), Horst Köhler (2004-2010) - The office of German president is a largely ceremonial position with no political power. The president normally serves a term of five years (max. 2 terms). He or she is elected by a special body made up of members of the Bundestag, state parliament (Landtag) delegates and public figures.*Wulff resigned on Feb. 17, 2012 after a series of financial and ethical scandals. His successor (Gauck) took office a month later.

FACTS

• Approximately 137,847 sq miles• Population of 81.8 million most populous country

in the European Union • Capitol City: Berlin (since Oct. 3, 1990), Bonn

(West Germany, 1949-1990) • Largest Cities: Berlin 3,274,500, Hamburg

1,686,100, Munich1,185,400, Cologne 965,300, Frankfurt am Main 648,000, Essen 588,800, Dortmund 587,600, Stuttgart 581,100, Düsseldorf 568,900, Bremen 527,900, Hanover 516,300, Duisburg 513,400

FACTS

• Ethnicity: German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, Italian 0.7%, Greek 0.4%, Polish 0.4%, other 4.6%

• Religions: Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 4%, Jewish 0.1%, unaffiliated or other 28%

• Use the Euro as their main currency• GDP: $3.6 trillion, 4th in the world (2011

est.)

FACTS

• German is the official language spoken• one of 23 official languages in the

European Union • most used immigrant languages are

Turkish, Kurdish, Polish, the Balkan languages, and Russian

• Historically Germany has been called Das Land der Dichter und Denker ("the land of poets and thinkers")

FACTS

• Germany has established a high level of gender equality,[171] promotes disability rights, and is legally and socially tolerant towards homosexuals. Gays and lesbians can legally adopt their partner's biological children, and civil unions have been permitted since 2001.

• German cuisine varies from region to region. The southern regions of Bavaria and Swabia, for instance, share a culinary culture with Switzerland and Austria. In all regions, meat is often eaten in sausage form

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