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'''The Federal Republic of Germany''' is a major [[industrialized country]] in the middle of [[Europe]] made up of [[Bundesland|sixteen Bundesländer]]. The German name is "[[Bundesrepublik Deutschland]]". |
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|+<big>'''Bundesrepublik Deutschland'''</big> |
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{| border=0 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="background:#f9f9f9; text-align:center;" |
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| width="130px"| [[image:Germany flag large.png|125px|Flag of Germany]] || align=center width=130px| [[Image:De wappen2 transparent.png|100px|Germany: Coat of Arms]] |
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| width="130px"| ([[Flag of Germany|In Detail]]) |
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| align=center colspan=2 | <small>''National [[motto]]: Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit<br>([[German language|German]]: Unity and Justice and Freedom)''</small> |
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| align=center colspan=2 style="background:#f9f9f9;" | [[image:LocationGermany.png|Location of Germany]] |
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|'''[[Official language]]''' || [[German language|German]]<sup>1</sup> |
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|'''[[Capital]]''' || [[Berlin]] |
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|'''Largest City''' || [[Berlin]] |
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|'''[[Chancellor of Germany|Chancellor]]''' || [[Gerhard Schröder]] |
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|'''[[President of Germany|President]]''' || [[Horst Köhler]] |
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|'''[[Area]]''' <br> - Total <br> - % water |
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|[[List of countries by area|Ranked 61st]] <br>[[1 E11 m2|349,223 km²]] <br>2.416% |
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|'''[[Population]]''' <br> - Total ([[2004]]) <br> - [[Population density|Density]] |
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|[[List of countries by population|Ranked 13th]] <br>82,495,00 <br>242/km² |
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|'''Formation<br>Unification<br><br><br>''' |
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|[[Treaty of Verdun]] ([[843]])<br>[[January 18]], [[1871]]<br>[[May 23]], [[1949]]<br>[[October 3]], [[1990]] |
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|'''[[Gross Domestic Product|GDP]]''' <br/> - Total ([[2003]]) <br/> - GDP/capita |
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|| [[List of countries by GDP|Ranked 3rd]] <br/>$2.271 trillion <br/> $27,600 |
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|'''[[Currency]]''' || [[Euro]] (€)<sup>2</sup> |
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| '''[[Time zone]]''' <br /> - in [[European Summer Time|summer]] |
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| [[Central European Time|CET]] ([[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]+1)<br>[[Central European Summer Time|CEST]] ([[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]+2) |
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| '''[[National anthem]]''' || [[Das Lied der Deutschen]] |
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| '''[[Top-level domain|Internet TLD]]''' || [[.de]] |
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| '''[[List_of_country_calling_codes|Calling Code]]''' || +49 |
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|colspan="2"| <small> |
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<sup>1</sup> [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Low German language|Low German]], [[Sorbian language|Sorbian]], [[Romany language|Romany]] and [[Frisian language|Frisian]] are officially recognized and protected as minority languages per the [[European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages|ECRML]].<br> |
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<sup>2</sup> Prior to [[1999]]: [[Deutsche Mark]].</small> |
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The '''Federal Republic of Germany''' ([[German language|German]]: ''Bundesrepublik Deutschland'') is one of [[g8|the world's leading]] [[industrialization|industrialized]] countries, located in the heart of [[Europe]]. It is bordered to the north by the [[North Sea]], [[Denmark]] and the [[Baltic Sea]], to the east by [[Poland]], and the [[Czech Republic]], to the south by [[Austria]] and [[Switzerland]], and to the west by [[France]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Belgium]] and the [[Netherlands]]. |
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As [[Western Europe]]'s richest and most populous nation, Germany remains a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed the country in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the [[20th century]] and left the country occupied by the victorious [[Allied powers]] of the [[United States]], [[United Kingdom]], [[France]], and the [[Soviet Union]] in [[1945]]. With the advent of the [[Cold War]], two German states were formed in [[1949]]: the western [[West Germany|Federal Republic of Germany]] (FRG) and the eastern [[German Democratic Republic]] (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the [[EC]] and [[NATO]], while the [[Communist]] GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led [[Warsaw Pact]]. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in [[1990]]. Since then Germany has expended considerable funds to bring eastern productivity and wages up to western standards. In January [[1999]], Germany and 10 other [[EU]] countries formed a common [[European currency]], the [[euro]]. |
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Germany is an integral part of the [[European Union]], and its most densely-populated member state. |
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The capital of Germany is [[Berlin]]. |
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== History == |
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''Main article: [[History of Germany]]'' |
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*[[/Geography|Geography]] |
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The [[German language]] and the feeling of "Germanhood" go back more than a thousand years, but the [[state]] now known as Germany was unified as a modern [[nation-state]] only in [[1871]], when the [[German Empire]], dominated by the [[Kingdom of Prussia]], was forged. This was the second German ''[[Reich]],'' usually translated as "[[empire]]", but also meaning "[[realm]]". |
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*[[/People|People]] |
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*[[History of Germany|History]] |
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*[[/politics|Political Structure]] |
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*[[/Economy|Economy]] |
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*[[/Communications|Communications]] |
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*[[/Transportation|Transportation]] |
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*[[/Military|Military]] |
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*[[/Transnational Issues|Transnational Issues]] |
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BTW: It's not true that all Germans like "Sauerkraut and Eisbein", and not many people there wear short leather trousers, not even in [[Bavaria]]. The Bavarian Capital is [[Munich]] (German ''München'') which is famous of its big beer festival, the "[[Oktoberfest]]." |
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The first ''Reich'' – known for much of its existence as the [[Holy Roman Empire]] of the German Nation – stemmed from a division of the [[Franks|Carolingian Empire]] in [[843]], which was founded by [[Charlemagne]] on [[December 25]]th, [[800]], and existed in varying forms until [[1806]]. During these almost thousand years, the [[Germans]] expanded their influence successfully with help of the organization of the [[Catholic Church]], [[Northern Crusades]] and the [[Hanseatic League]]. In [[1530]], the attempt of [[Protestant Reformation]] of Catholicism turned out to have failed, and a separate Protestant church was acknowledged as new [[state religion]] in many states of Germany. This led to inter-German strife, the [[Thirty Years War]] ([[1618]]) and finally the [[Peace of Westphalia]] ([[1648]]), that resulted in a drastically enfeebled and politically disunited Germany, unable to resist the stroke of the [[Napoleonic Wars]], during which the ''Reich'' was overrun and dissolved in [[1806]]. After that, [[France]] was for long perceived as Germany's arch-enemy. In the [[Franco-Prussian War]] of [[1870]], Germany took revenge, but also during [[World War I]], the invasion of France ([[1914]]) was a chief objective. |
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---- |
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The lasting effect of the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire came to be the division between [[Austria]], formerly the leading state of Germany, from the more western and northern parts. Between [[1815]] and [[1871]] Germany consisted of dozens of independent states, thirty-nine of which formed the [[German Confederation]] ''(Deutscher Bund).'' |
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'''External links:''' |
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* Axel Boldt, ''A Subjective Comparison of Germany and the United States'', http://math-www.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/us-d.html |
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* See map from [http://www.mapblast.com/gif?&CT=51:10:3300000&W=600&H=800&FAM=myblast&DU=KM&LB= mapblast.com] |
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[[/Talk]] |
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[[Image:Reichsgruendung2.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Foundation of modern Germany, Versailles, 1871]] |
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The second ''Reich'', i.e. the [[German Empire]], was proclaimed in [[Versailles]] on [[January 18]]th, [[1871]], after the French defeat. This was mainly the result of the efforts of [[Otto von Bismarck]], Germany's most prominent statesman of the 19th century, among other things known for an anti-[[Catholicism|Catholic]] ''"[[Kulturkampf]]"'' and for fighting [[Socialism|Socialists]] with social reforms. |
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The Second ''Reich'' ended with [[World War I]], and Germany's emperor was forced to abdicate. After a [[German Revolution|revolution]] the [[democracy|democratic]] [[Weimar Republic]] was established. Economic hardship due to both [[Peace Treaty of Versailles|harsh peace conditions]] and the world wide [[Great Depression]] contributed to making the democracy unpopular: German voters increasingly supported anti-democratic parties, both [[right-wing]] and [[left-wing]]. In the two extraordinary elections of [[1932]], the anti-democratic [[Nazi]]s got 37.2% in July and 33.0% in November. On [[30 January]] [[1933]], [[Adolf Hitler]] was appointed [[Chancellor of Germany]], and by the [[Enabling Act]] on [[23 March]] [[1933]], a wide majority of the parliament effectively disbanded the constitution of the Weimar Republic. |
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The [[Third Reich]] was that of the [[National Socialism|National Socialist]]s or "[[Nazi]]s," which lasted 12 years, from [[1933]] to [[1945]]. In [[1934]], Hitler affirmed total control of government, when he also succeeded the [[President of Germany]]. His policy of annexing neighbouring territories ultimately ignited [[World War II]] in Europe on [[September 1]], [[1939]]. Initially, the Third Reich had many military successes, and gained control over most of [[European continent|Europe's mainland]]. After [[Operation Barbarossa|attacking the Soviet Union]] on [[June 22]], [[1941]], which meant a two-front war for the Third Reich, the momentum in the war switched; a development which was reinforced by Hitler's declaration of war on the [[United States]] [[11 December]] [[1941]]. On [[8 May]], [[1945]], Nazi Germany surrendered after the [[Red Army]] had occupied [[Berlin]] where Hitler had committed [[suicide]]. |
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The war resulted in [[Oder-Neisse line|large losses of territory]]; [[Heimatvertriebene|ethnic cleansing of 15 million Germans]] from what had been [[Ex-German Eastern Territories|Eastern Germany]]; occupation and 45 years of division, during which the remaining parts of the country were split up into [[West Germany]] and [[East Germany]]. After the war, the Germans have tried to come to terms with the atrocities committed against civilians and prisoners of war, including ten million Soviet civilians who lost their lives under German occupation, and approximately six million who were industrially murdered in the [[Holocaust]] intended to eradicate [[Jew]]s, [[Sinti]], [[Roma]], and [[homosexual]]s from Europe. |
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In [[1949]], during the [[Berlin Blockade]], Western forces [[Berlin Airlift|airlifted food and supplies into the former capital]] that now in the wake of the [[Cold War]] had become a Western [[exclave]] behind the [[Iron Curtain]]. The people of West-Germany became increasingly pro-American, in part due to strong German anti-communism. The American [[Marshall Plan]] for the reconstruction of Europe after the War, and later the foundation of the [[European Union]], contributed together with the generally supporting attitude of the occupation forces in West-Germany. |
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The reconstructed (West-) Germany once again became one of the world's major economies. [[Rule of law]] and [[democracy]] was restored, with [[human rights]] and [[international law]] in West-Germany widely perceived as fundamental. [[East Germany]], by contrast, became one of the most repressive of the socialist [[satellite state]]s of the [[Warsaw Pact]]. The increasingly tense relations between the [[Superpower]]s of the Cold War influenced also Germany, and led on [[August 13]], [[1961]], to East Germany erecting the [[Berlin Wall]] and a fortified border to West Germany in order to prevent all contacts and migration over the inter-German border. [[Willy Brandt]], [[West Berlin]]'s mayor [[1957]]–[[1966]] and West Germany's Chancellor [[1969]]–[[1974]], attempted to soothe the tensions, but particularly his acceptance of the loss of former Eastern Germany caused much controversy. |
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After the [[fall of Communism]] in Europe, [[German reunification|Germany was reunited]] in [[1990]], not without lasting economic difficulties. Berlin once again became capital of Germany. |
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== Politics == |
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''Main article: [[Politics of Germany]]'' |
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Germany is a constitutional federal [[republic]], whose political system is laid out in the 1949 [[constitution]] called ''[[Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany|Grundgesetz]]'' (Fundamental Law). It has a [[parliamentary system]] in which the [[head of government]], the [[Chancellor of Germany|''Bundeskanzler'']] (Chancellor), is elected by the parliament. |
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The parliament, called ''[[Bundestag]]'' (Federal Assembly), is elected every four years by popular vote in a complex system combining direct and proportional representation. The 16 federal states ''([[States of Germany|Bundesländer]])'' are represented at the federal level in the ''[[Bundesrat (Germany)|Bundesrat]]'' (Federal Council), which — depending on the subject matter — may have a say in the [[legislative]] procedure. Lately, there has been much concern about the [[Bundestag]] and the [[Bundesrat (Germany)|Bundesrat]] blocking each other, making effective government very difficult. |
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The function of [[head of state]] is performed by the ''[[President of Germany|Bundespräsident]]'' (Federal President), whose powers are mostly limited to ceremonial and representative duties. |
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The [[judiciary|judiciary branch]] includes a [[Federal Constitutional Court of Germany|Constitutional Court]] called ''Bundesverfassungsgericht'', which may ultimately overturn all acts by the legislature or administration if they are deemed unconstitutional; as well as a Federal Court of Justice ''([[Bundesgerichtshof]])'' and several subject-specific federal courts, responsible for appeals from lower state courts. All lower courts are created by the [[Bundesland|Bundesländer]]. |
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Germany's [[social welfare]] system has deep roots, which go back to the strong bonds between individual and society which grew out of the [[Reformation]], to the revival of the [[Prussia]]n state after the [[30 Years War]], as well as to the early [[industrial revolution]]; and the welfare system remains one of the aspects of the German society of which most Germans are quite proud. About 90% of the population is covered by a mandatory [[health insurance]]. As in other Northern/Western European countries with similar systems, many economists consider a reform process of the [[Social security|Social security system]] to be necessary and this is currently ([[as of 2004]]) a major theme in domestic politics. |
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Together with France, the united Germany is playing a leading role in the [[European Union]]. Germany is at the forefront of European states seeking to advance the creation of a more unified and capable European political, defense, and security apparatus. After having kept a notably low profile in international relations for generations, [[Gerhard Schröder|Chancellor Schröder]] recently also called for a permanent seat for Germany in the [[United Nations Security Council]]. |
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== States == |
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''Main article: [[States of Germany]]'' |
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Germany is divided into sixteen [[State (national)|state]]s (in German called ''Bundesländer'', singular ''[[States of Germany|Bundesland]]''). It is further subdivided into 439 ''[[List of German districts|Kreise]]'' (districts) and cities (''kreisfreie Städte'') ([[2004]]). |
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[[Image:Germany_map_states.png|right|thumb|230px|States of Germany]] |
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{| border style="border-collapse:collapse" |
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![[States of Germany|State]] !! [[Capital]] !! [[German language|In German]] !! |
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|'''1''' [[Baden-Württemberg]]||[[Stuttgart]]||Baden-Württemberg||Stuttgart |
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|'''2''' [[Bavaria]]||[[Munich]]||Freistaat Bayern||München |
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|'''3''' [[Berlin]]||Berlin||Berlin||Berlin |
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|'''4''' [[Brandenburg]]||[[Potsdam]]||Brandenburg||Potsdam |
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|'''5''' [[Bremen (state)]]||[[Bremen]]||Freie Hansestadt Bremen||Bremen |
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|'''6''' [[Hamburg]]||Hamburg||Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg||Hamburg |
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|'''7''' [[Hesse]]||[[Wiesbaden]]||Hessen||Wiesbaden |
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|'''8''' [[Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania]]||[[Schwerin]]||Mecklenburg-Vorpommern||Schwerin |
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|'''9''' [[Lower Saxony]]||[[Hanover]]||Niedersachsen||Hannover |
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|'''10''' [[North Rhine-Westphalia|North Rhine-Westphalia]]||[[Düsseldorf]]||Nordrhein-Westfalen||Düsseldorf |
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|'''11''' [[Rhineland-Palatinate]]||[[Mainz]]||Rheinland-Pfalz||Mainz |
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|'''12''' [[Saarland]]||[[Saarbrücken]]||Saarland||Saarbrücken |
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|'''13''' [[Saxony]]||[[Dresden]]||Freistaat Sachsen||Dresden |
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|'''14''' [[Saxony-Anhalt]]||[[Magdeburg]]||Sachsen-Anhalt||Magdeburg |
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|'''15''' [[Schleswig-Holstein]]||[[Kiel]]||Schleswig-Holstein||Kiel |
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|'''16''' [[Thuringia]]||[[Erfurt]]||Freistaat Thüringen||Erfurt |
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== Geography == |
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''Main article: [[Geography of Germany]]'' |
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[[image:de-map.png|right|Map of Germany with cities]] |
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Germany stretches from the high mountains of the [[Alps]] (highest point: the [[Zugspitze]] at 2,962 m) in the south to the shores of the [[North Sea]] and the [[Baltic Sea]] in the north. In between are found the forested uplands of central Germany and the low-lying lands of northern Germany (lowest point: [[Neuendorfer]]/[[Wilstermarsch]] at 3.54 meters below sea level), traversed by some of Europe's major rivers such as the [[Rhine]], [[Danube]] and [[Elbe]]. |
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The Federal Republic is bordered to the north by [[Denmark]], to its east by [[Poland]] and the [[Czech Republic]], to the south by [[Austria]] and [[Switzerland]] and to its west by [[France]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Belgium]] and the [[Netherlands]]. |
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The weather is sometimes unpredictable. In the middle of summer it could be warm and sunny one day and then cold and rainy the next. However truly extreme weather conditions, like severe droughts, tornados, destructive hailstorms, severe frost or heat etc. are all extremely rare. There have been two bad large-scale floodings in the last few years, but in the long term those are also quite rare. Damaging earthquakes are unheard-of. |
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== Economy == |
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''Main article: [[Economy of Germany]]'' |
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Germany possesses the world's third most technologically powerful economy after the [[United States|US]] and [[Japan]] and is part of the world's largest economy, the [[European Union]]. While exports remain strong, however, the German economy has started to show problems commonly blamed, among other things, on weak domestic demand and on the relatively generous social benefits. [[Unemployment]] has been a problem for several decades, and is now usually considered a long-term, not just cyclical, problem. |
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After the [[fall of Communism]] in Europe, [[German reunification|Germany was reunited]] in [[1990]], not without economic difficulty. [[Franco-German cooperation|Together with France]], the new Germany is playing a leading role in the [[European Union]]. The integration and upgrading of the eastern German economy remains a costly long-term problem, with annual transfers from the west amounting to roughly $100 billion without conditions in the East actually improving after [[1997]]. Some economists argue that the transfers hurt more than they help since they don't encourage the East to get out of the slump by its own effort, while at the same time preventing dearly-needed infrastructure investment and upkeep in the West. There are still almost no internationally renowned companies headquartered in former East-Germany; most have only established subsidiaries. |
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The recent adoption of the [[euro]] and the general political and economic integration of Europe including the eastward expansion of the [[European Union]] are thought likely to bring major changes to the German economy in the early [[21st century]]. |
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== Demographics == |
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''Main article: [[Demographics of Germany]]'' |
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Germany has many large cities but no very large ones, Berlin being a borderline case; the population is thus much less centralized and oriented towards a single large capital than in most other European countries. The largest cities are [[Berlin]], [[Hamburg]], [[Munich]] ''(München),'' [[Cologne]] ''(Köln),'' [[Frankfurt am Main]], [[Stuttgart]], [[Dortmund]] and [[Essen, Germany|Essen]]. The largest multi-city [[metropolitan area]]s are the [[Ruhr Area]], the [[Rhein-Main Region]] and the [[Stuttgart Region]]. |
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Germany has about 7.3 million non-citizen residents, including [[refugee]]s, [[foreign worker]]s (''Gastarbeiter''), and their dependents. About 2/3s of these have been in the country for more than 8 years, 20% have been born in Germany; both groups would qualify for citizenship after recent changes in immigration law (2002 data). Germany is still a primary destination for political and economic refugees from many developing countries, but the number of asylum seekers has been dropping in recent years, reaching about 50,000 in 2003. A proper immigration law has been bounced back and forth between the Bundestag and Bundesrat without much success for about five years now, leaving immigration largely ad-hoc and German language classes for immigrants poorly organized small-scale affairs. |
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An [[ethnic Danish]] minority of about 50,000 people lives in [[Schleswig]], mostly close to the Danish border, in the north; a small number of [[Slavs|Slavic]] people known as the [[Sorbs]] lives in the states of [[Saxony]] (about 40,000) and [[Brandenburg]] (about 20.000). The [[Frisian language]], considered the living language closest to the [[English language]], is [[mother tongue]] to about 12,000 speakers in Germany, the rest living in the [[Netherlands]]. In rural areas of Northern Germany [[Low Saxon]] is widely spoken. |
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[[Immigration]] has created a sizable minority from [[Turkey]] (about 1.9 million [[Kurds]] and [[Turks]]), and other smaller minorities including [[Italy|Italians]] (0.6 million), [[Serbia|Serbs]] (0.6 million), [[Greece|Greeks]] (0.4 million), [[Poland|Poles]] (0.3 million) and [[Croatia|Croats]] (0.2 million) (figures from year 2002). [[xenophobia|Anti-immigrant sentiments]] are chiefly directed against the largest group of [[Muslim]]s from Turkey, which is perceived as less integrated in the German society than the smaller immigrated minorities. |
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There are also a large number of [[ethnic German]] immigrants from the former [[Soviet Union]] area (1.7 million), [[Poland]] (0.7 million) and [[Romania]] (0.3 million) ([[1980]]–[[1999]] totals), who are automatically granted German citizenship, and thus do not show up in foreign resident statistics; unlike the foreigners they have been settled by the government almost evenly spread throughout Germany. Many of them speak the languages of their former resident countries at home. |
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Even with the mentioned difficulties, Germany still has one of the world's highest levels of [[education]], technological development, and economic productivity. Since the end of [[World War II]], the number of youths entering universities has more than tripled, but university attendance still lags behind many other European nations. In the annual league of top-ranking universities compiled by [[Shanghai Jiaotong University]] in [[2004]], Germany came 4th overall, but with only 7 universities in the top 100 (USA: 51). The highest ranking university, at no. 45, was the [[Technical University of Munich|TU Munich]]. With a per capita income level of about $25,000, Germany is a broadly middle class society. A generous [[social welfare]] system provides for universal (but not government-run) medical care, unemployment compensation, and other social needs. As of [[2004]], economic pressure is forcing Germany to cut down on social welfare [[Hartz concept|and more limitations are expected in the future]]. |
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Germans also are mobile; millions travel abroad each year, most of their favourite destinations being at the coasts of the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. According to the regular travel study of the Dresdner Bank Germans have spent 52.5 Billion Euro for traveling abroad in [[2003]] and are expected to spend 55 Billion Euro in [[2004]]. |
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== Culture == |
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''Main article: [[Culture of Germany]]'' |
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[[Image:Goethecut.png|thumb|right|250px|Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a significant German poet]] |
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Germany's contributions to the world's cultural heritage are numerous, and the country is often known as ''das Land der Dichter und Denker'' (The Land of Poets and Thinkers). Germany was the birthplace of composers such as [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]], [[Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach]], [[Johannes Brahms|Brahms]], [[Robert Schumann|Schumann]] and [[Richard Wagner|Wagner]]; poets such as [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe|Goethe]] and [[Friedrich Schiller|Schiller]] as well as [[Heinrich Heine|Heine]]; philosophers including [[Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz]], [[Immanuel Kant|Kant]], [[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel|Hegel]], [[Karl Marx|Marx]], [[Arthur Schopenhauer]], [[Friedrich Nietzsche|Nietzsche]] and [[Martin Heidegger]], theologians like [[Martin Luther|Luther]], authors including [[Hermann Hesse]], [[Thomas Mann]], [[Heinrich Böll]] and [[Günter Grass]]; scientists including [[Johannes Kepler]], [[Ernst Haeckel]], [[Albert Einstein|Einstein]], [[Max Born|Born]], [[Max Planck|Planck]], [[Werner Heisenberg|Heisenberg]], [[Heinrich Rudolf Hertz|Hertz]] and [[Bunsen]]; and inventors and engineers such as [[Gutenberg]], [[Nikolaus August Otto|Otto]], [[Werner von Siemens]], [[Wernher von Braun]], [[Gottlieb Daimler|Daimler]], [[Carl Benz|Benz]], [[Rudolf Diesel|Diesel]] and [[Carl von Linde|Linde]]. There are also numerous fine artists from Germany such as the [[Renaissance]] artist [[Albrecht Dürer]], the surrealist [[Max Ernst]], the expressionist [[Franz Marc]], the conceptual artist [[Joseph Beuys]] or the neo expressionist [[Georg Baselitz]]. |
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The [[German language]] was once the [[lingua franca]] of central, eastern and northern Europe, and remains one of the most popular foreign languages taught worldwide, in Europe the second most popular after English. Many important historical figures, though not citizens of Germany in the modern sense, were nevertheless seen as ''[[Germans]]'' in the sense that they were immersed in the German culture, for example [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]], [[Franz Kafka]] and [[Stefan Zweig]]. |
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Since about [[1970]] Germany has once again had a thriving popular culture, now increasingly being led by its new old capital [[Berlin]] and the city of [[Hamburg]], and a self-confident music and art culture. Germany is also well known for its many opera houses. |
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* [[Cuisine of Germany]] |
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* [[German wine]] |
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* [[Music of Germany]] |
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* [[List of Germans]] |
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* [[Public holidays in Germany|Public holidays]]: [[German Unity Day]] |
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* [[Bundesliga]] |
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* [[Goethe-Institut]] |
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== Religion == |
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The [[Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany|German constitution]] guarantees freedom of faith and religion. It also states that no one may be discriminated against due to their faith or religious opinions. However, unlike some other countries, it is entirely in keeping with the German constitution for larger religions to receive some preferential treatment, for example being able to teach religion to adherents' children in public schools and having membership fees collected by the German Finanzamt (equivalent to the [[U.S. Internal Revenue Service]]). There have been numerous discussions of allowing other religious groups like [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] and [[Muslims]] into this system as well. The Muslim efforts were hampered by the public adversity and also by the Muslims' own disorganized state with many small rivaling organizations and no central leadership, which do not fit well into a legal frame that was originally created with well-organized, large Christian churches in mind. |
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[[Christianity]] is the major religion, with [[Protestantism|Protestants]] (particularly in the north and east) comprising 33% of the population and [[Catholicism|Catholics]] (particularly in the south and west) also 33%. In total more than 55 million people, officially belong to a Christian denomination, although most of them take no part in church life except at such events as weddings and funerals. Most German Protestants are members of the [[Evangelical Church in Germany]]. Independent and congregational churches exist in all larger towns and many smaller ones, but most such churches are small. |
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[[Roman Catholicism]] was Germany's top religion in the [[15th century]], but the religious movement commonly known as the [[Reformation]] changed this drastically. In 1517 [[Martin Luther]] challenged this religion as he saw it as a commercialisation of his faith. Through this, he altered the course of European and world history and established [[Protestantism]], the largest denomination in Germany today. |
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Before World War II, about two-thirds of the German population was Protestant and one-third was Roman Catholic. In the north and northeast of Germany especially, Protestants dominated. In the separated [[West Germany]] between 1945 and 1990, Catholics had a small majority. |
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In the former East Germany, there is much less religious feeling — probably the result of forty years of Communism — than in the West. The average church attendance is one of the lowest in the World, with only 5% attending at least once per week, compared to 14% in the West according to a recent [http://www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/Releases/1997/Dec97/r121097a.html study]. The number of people who attend church for christenings, weddings and funerals is also lower than in the West. |
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About 30% of the population are officially religiously unaffiliated. In the East this number is also considerably higher. |
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[[Islam in Germany|Approximately 3.7 million Muslims]] (mostly of [[Turkey|Turkish]] descent) live in Germany. Lately there have been heated discussions about the question if Muslim women working in public service, such as schoolteachers, should be allowed to wear headscarves to work or not. |
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Besides this there are a few hundred thousand [[Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christians]], 400,000 [[New Apostolic Church|New Apostolic Christians]], numerous other small groups, and 160,000 [[Judaism|Jews]], of which around 100,000 belong to a synagogue. |
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Today Germany, especially its capital [[Berlin]], has the fastest growing Jewish community worldwide. Some ten thousands of Jews from the former Eastern Bloc, mostly from ex-Soviet Union countries, settled in Germany since the fall of the [[Berlin wall]]. This is mainly due to a German government policy which basically grants an immigration ticket to anyone from the [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] and the [[Baltic states]] with Jewish heritage, and the fact that today's Germans are seen as significantly more accepting of Jews than many people in the ex-Soviet realm. Some of the about 60,000 long-time resident German Jews have expressed some mixed feelings about this immigration that they perceive as making them a minority not only in their own country but also in their own community; but largely the integration seems to work out. Prior to [[Nazism]], about 600,000 Jews lived in Germany, most of them long-time resident families. |
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Germany is today often regarded as an open and tolerant country, although conservative politicians have voiced strong criticism against the Islamic minority after the murder of the Dutch film maker [[Theo van Gogh]], and said the multi-cultural idea have failed. |
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== International rankings == |
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* [[Reporters without borders]] world-wide press freedom index 2004: Rank 11 out of 167 countries. |
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== Miscellaneous topics == |
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*[[Cost of unification of East and West Germany]] |
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*[[List of German towns]] |
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*[[List of German districts]] |
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*[[Historical Eastern Germany]] |
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*[[German Democratic Republic]] |
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*[[West Germany]] |
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*[[Foreign relations of Germany]] |
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*[[Communications in Germany]] |
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*[[Freedom_of_speech#Freedom_of_speech_in_Germany|Freedom of speech in Germany]] |
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*[[Holocaust]] |
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*[[Military of Germany]] |
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*[[Transportation in Germany]] |
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*[[Tourism in Germany]] |
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*[[Tax in Germany]] |
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*[[List of Germans|List of famous Germans]] |
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*[[List of English exonyms for German toponyms]] |
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*[[Europe]] |
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== External links == |
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*[http://www.facts-about-germany.de Facts about Germany] — Official site published by the German Federal Foreign Office |
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*[http://www.deutschland.de/en Deutschland.de] — Official German portal |
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*[http://www.campus-germany.de campus-germany.de] — Study and Research in Germany (multilingual) |
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*[http://www.dw-world.de Deutsche Welle] Germany's international broadcaster, 30 language website |
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*[http://www.statistikportal.de/ Statistikportal.de] — Official statistical data |
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*[http://www.bundesregierung.de/en Bundesregierung Deutschland] — Official site of the German Federal Government |
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*[http://eng.bundespraesident.de/ Bundespräsident] — Official site of the German President |
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*[http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/ Bundestag] — Official site of the German Parliament |
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*[http://www.handbuch-deutschland.de/ A Manual for Germany] — How Germany works, published by the German Federal Government |
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*[http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gm.html World Fact book — Germany] — The World fact book page of Germany (source : CIA) |
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*[http://www.stadtpanoramen.de Stadtpanoramen.de] — Panoramic views of numerous German Cities |
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*[http://www.deutschland-panorama.de Panoramic views of numerous German landmarks] |
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*[http://www.justgermany.org Germany travel guide] |
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*[http://www.phonebookofgermany.com Phonebook of Germany] |
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*Axel Boldt, ''[http://math-www.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/us-d.html A Subjective Comparison of Germany and the United States]'' |
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*[http://www.eutropia.com/fotos/fotos-2.html Photos of Germany] |
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* [http://www.travel-images.com/germany.html Travel-Images.com] — photos of Germany |
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*[http://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/cat/27 rummage in the photo box] |
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*[http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Germany Germany travel guide at Wikitravel] |
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*[http://nlntv.com/cat_german.html German TV Programming] |
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*[http://zeitungen.de Zeitungen.de] — German newspaper portal |
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*[http://www.bonoestente.com BonoEstente.com] — Ex-Pat Guide To Germany in English |
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*[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/detoc.html Library of Congress Country Study] |
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*[http://secure.hospitalityclub.org/hc/membersrcexternal.php?country=73 Hospitality Club Germany] & *http://www.couchsurfing.com — Free accommodation with friendly Germans |
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*[http://www.german-foreign-policy.com Information on German Foreign Policy] |
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{{EU_countries}} |
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{{Europe}} |
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[[Category:Germany| ]] |
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[[Category:European Union member states]] |
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[[af:Duitsland]] |
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[[ang:Þéodiscland]] |
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[[ar:ألمانيا]] |
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[[roa-rup:Ghirmânii]] |
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[[ast:Alemaña]] |
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[[bg:Германия]] |
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[[bs:Njemačka]] |
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[[ca:Alemanya]] |
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[[cs:Německo]] |
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[[cy:Yr Almaen]] |
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[[da:Tyskland]] |
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[[de:Deutschland]] |
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[[als:Bundesrepublik Deutschland]] |
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[[et:Saksamaa]] |
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[[el:Γερμανία]] |
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[[es:Alemania]] |
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[[eo:Germanio]] |
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[[fa:آلمان]] |
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[[fo:Týskland]] |
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[[fr:Allemagne]] |
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[[fy:Dútslân]] |
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[[gd:A' Ghearmailt]] |
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[[ga:An Ghearmáin]] |
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[[gl:Alemaña]] |
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[[ko:독일]] |
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[[hi:जर्मनी]] |
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[[hr:Njemačka]] |
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[[io:Germania]] |
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[[id:Jerman]] |
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[[ia:Germania]] |
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[[is:Þýskaland]] |
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[[it:Germania]] |
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[[he:גרמניה]] |
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[[la:Germania]] |
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[[lt:Vokietija]] |
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[[lb:Däitschland]] |
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[[hu:Németország]] |
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[[ms:Jerman]] |
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[[minnan:Tek-kok]] |
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[[nah:Alemantlan]] |
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[[nl:Duitsland]] |
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[[ja:ドイツ]] |
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[[no:Tyskland]] |
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[[nds:Düütschland]] |
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[[pl:Niemcy]] |
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[[pt:Alemanha]] |
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[[ro:Germania]] |
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[[ru:Германия]] |
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[[simple:Germany]] |
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[[sk:Nemecko]] |
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[[sl:Nemčija]] |
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[[sr:Немачка]] |
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[[fi:Saksa]] |
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[[sv:Tyskland]] |
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[[th:ประเทศเยอรมนี]] |
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[[vi:Đức]] |
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[[tokipona:ma Tosi]] |
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[[tr:Almanya]] |
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[[uk:Німеччина]] |
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[[zh:德国]] |
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Revision as of 04:43, 15 January 2005
The Federal Republic of Germany is a major industrialized country in the middle of Europe made up of sixteen Bundesländer. The German name is "Bundesrepublik Deutschland".
As Western Europe's richest and most populous nation, Germany remains a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed the country in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the United States, United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the EC and NATO, while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then Germany has expended considerable funds to bring eastern productivity and wages up to western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries formed a common European currency, the euro.
The capital of Germany is Berlin.
- Geography
- People
- History
- Political Structure
- Economy
- Communications
- Transportation
- Military
- Transnational Issues
BTW: It's not true that all Germans like "Sauerkraut and Eisbein", and not many people there wear short leather trousers, not even in Bavaria. The Bavarian Capital is Munich (German München) which is famous of its big beer festival, the "Oktoberfest."
External links:
- Axel Boldt, A Subjective Comparison of Germany and the United States, http://math-www.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/us-d.html
- See map from mapblast.com