THE COUNTRY
As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation (after Russia), Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations.
European power struggles immersed Germany 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 US, UK, 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 (now the EU) 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 reunification 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 introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.
- Brandenburg Gate;
- Cologne Cathedral;
- Black Forest;
- Neuschwanstein Castle;
- Miniatur Wunderland & Historic Port of Hamburg;
- Heidelberg;
- Dresden;
- Nuremberg;
- Munich;
- Saxon Switzerland State Park;
- Rhine Valley;
- Berlin's Museum Island;
- Rothenburg and the Romantic Road
- Private Jets, Helicopters and Airliners
- Finest Onboard Catering
- Ground Transport and Yachts
- Luxury Villa & House Rentals
- Local Guide & 24/7 Assistance
- Customized Global Services
TO BE KNOWN
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The State's CapitalBerlin
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Time ZoneUTC+1
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Telephone Code49
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Total Area357 022 Km2
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Population84 316 622
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Main LanguagesGerman
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CurrencyEuros (EUR)
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GDP Per CapitaUSD 53200
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Airports539
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Heliports23
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind
German 86.3%, Turkish 1.8%, Polish 1%, Syrian 1%, Romanian 1%, other/stateless/unspecified 8.9% (2020 est.)
Punctuality is considered a virtue in Germany. It is polite to telephone and let your host know if you will be more than 15 minutes late.
Sauerbraten — beef braised in a marinade typically consisting of red wine vinegar, cloves, nutmeg, peppercorns, cinnamon, ginger, and juniper berries and simmered in a pot for several hours; typically served with potato dumplings and red cabbage.
Leading EU service-based export-driven economy; highly skilled and educated labor force; fairly fiscally conservative; energy-related economic disruptions due to Russian gas cessations; increased defense spending and rising debts.
