|
|
 Member States of the EU
Germany
|
-
Year of EU entry: Founding member
-
Political system: Federal republic
-
Capital city: Berlin
-
Total area: 356 854 km²
-
Population: 82.5 million
-
Currency: euro
-
Listen to the official EU language:
German
|
|
 |
Detailed map - click on the map  |
|
|
Germany has the largest population of any EU country. Its territory stretches from the North Sea and the Baltic in the north to the Alps in the south and is traversed by some of Europe's major rivers such as the Rhine, Danube and Elbe.
Germany is a federal republic. The lawmakers at the national level are the Bundestag, whose members are elected every four years by popular vote and the Bundesrat, which consists of 69 representatives of the 16 states (Bundesländer).
After the Second World War, Germany was divided into the democratic West and the Communist East (German Democratic Republic). The Berlin Wall became the symbol of this division. It fell in 1989 and Germany was reunited a year later.
German is the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Germany is the world's third largest economy, producing automobiles, precision engineering products, electronic and communications equipment, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and much more besides. Its companies have invested heavily in the central and east European countries which joined the EU in 2004.
 As birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms and Richard Wagner, among others, Germany's gift to European classical music is important. In thought and word, Germany’s huge heritage includes the works of Luther, Goethe, Schiller, Nietzsche, Kant, Brecht and Thomas Mann.
Germany is the second largest producer of hops in the world and the country is known for its quality beers. Wine is produced in the Moselle and Rhine valleys.
|
-
National public administration portal
The official website of the German Government contains a wealth of detailed information about Germany, including its history, population, economic situation as well as the political programme of the Government. A substantial section is dedicated to European affairs. The press section gives users an overview of the Government’s agenda as well as access to a database of press releases.
-
Introduction to the country
The German National Tourist Board is a gateway to local websites where visitors can find specially tailored information according to their country of origin. The content of the main site includes travel destinations, places of historical interest and upcoming events.
|
|
|
