Germany Travel Guide: General  Information about Germany.

This is a concise travel guide for Germany. We have written this travel guide on Germany to help you to develop an understanding for Germany and all of the beautiful points to travel. We also want you to understand the nuances of traveling to Germany such as how to be safe, what places to see, and much more. We assure you that our travel guide to Germany will be a very helpful tool when visiting this beautiful country. We also offer interpreters in Germany whenever you need. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need an interpreter in Germany or assistance in any way.

As a special service to our clients and readers, we at World Interpreting, Inc. are working hard to offer you something different aside from our language translation and interpretation services. As we actively pursue excellence in our services, we also want you to experience what it will be like to travel to other countries by providing you with concise country and city profiles and other interesting tidbits of information about each country. Travel Guide Germany is just one of these innovations we are introducing. We will be coming up with more.

Travel Guide Germany is one of our initial offerings to you. It will take you to different fantastic places in Germany as well as some of the famous landmarks and notable places, so you would already have a general idea about Germany if and when you decide to actually travel and explore this fascinating and exciting country in Europe.

Travel Guide Germany will assist you in getting a bird’s eye view of the country’s geography, language, the places of interest, landmarks and things you could do in Germany as well as give you travel safety tips. We do hope you will come back often to travel with us to other destinations around the world.

Introducing Germany

Germany evokes images of quaint villages, medieval castles, a dominant force during World War II, brilliant scientists, classical musicians, refreshing mugs of ale and beer, fast cars on the autobahn and friendly people with a robust economy. This is the country that gave the world the diesel engine, the pocket watch, clarinet, automated calculator, the motorcycle, jet engine, the Walkman and the LCD screen. There are just so many things awaiting travelers going to Germany.

The Federal Republic of Germany is one of the largest economies and countries in Europe. It has an area of 357,021 square kilometers that is inhabited by over 81.8 million people. The high population number makes Germany the most populous member of the European Union.

Where is Germany? This country is located in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. Border countries include Denmark in the north; parts of Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic in the east; other parts of Austria and Switzerland in the south and Belgium, France, Luxembourg and The Netherlands in the west. Where is Germany on the map? Its geographic coordinates are 51° 00’ north latitude and 9° 00’ east longitude.

It is the birthplace of Albert Einstein, Rudolf Diesel (inventor of the diesel engine), Karl Benz, philosopher Johann Wolfgang Goethe, composers Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven, actress Marlene Dietrich, supermodels Claudia Schiffer and Heidi Klum and racecar driver Michael Schumacher. With popular names like these, it clearly shows that Germany is a country of thinkers and innovators. Germany is also known for its automobiles and is one of the world’s top producers of cars, second only to Japan. This is the country that gave us some of the most luxurious and durable vehicles, including Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen and BMW.

The country is also known as Bundesrepublik Deutschland and has 26 different states. The capital city of Germany is Berlin, which also happens to be the largest city in the country. The country of Germany is historically and culturally significant, and is today one of the leaders in technology and an economic powerhouse.

The country is the 63rd largest in the world. It has a land area of 348,672 square kilometers and area covered with water measuring 8,350 square kilometers. The country is just about the size of the state of Montana in the USA. The terrain of the country varies from lowlands in the north and uplands in the center. The Bavarian Alps comprise the southern portion of the country. The lowest point in the country is Neuendorf bei Wilster, which sits -3.54 meters below sea level, while the highest point is Zugspitze, which is 2,963 meters above sea level. The country is rich in natural resources such as coal, natural gas, timber, arable land and precious metals like iron ore, nickel, uranium and copper.

Germany has a long and prestigious history. Germanic tribes occupied the land since 500 BC up until the second century BC. Even then Germany showed its strength, for they were able to prevent the Romans from annexing their land during the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD. When the Roman Empire fell in 476 AD, the Franks were able to conquer the western part of Germany, while the eastern part of the country became known as East Francia. Otto I became the first Holy Roman Empire (medieval Germany) emperor in 962 AD.

From the 11th to the 13th centuries, there were many struggles in the country, especially between emperors and the bishops who sought control of the nation. The first Habsburg emperor, Rudolf I was elected in the 13th century, and this ruling family reigned till the 15th century.

The country was divided into a Catholic south and a Protestant north in the 16th and 17th century. This ended after the Thirty Years War in 1648. By 1701, Prussia was declared a German State under the rule of Frederick the Great. However by 1806, the Holy Roman Empire was defeated by Napoleon. This led to the rise of Austria and Prussia as a controlling force in Germany. In 1871, Bismarck created the German Empire.

The 19th and 20th century was a period of great industrialization in the country. Germany started becoming a colonizer of parts of North Africa. The ambitious aspirations of Germany led to the First and Second World Wars.

In the 1930s, Hitler rose into power as the leader of the New German Empire. After the Second World War, the country was divided into four parts: those occupied by the British, French, US and the Soviets. This resulted in the creation of two states of Germany: East Germany, known as the German Democratic Republic; and West Germany or the German Federal Republic. The unification of Germany happened in 1990, 45 years after the Cold War, when West Germany and East Germany became one once again. Berlin was declared the capital of Germany. Today, Germany is a thriving country and continues to change the history of the world with its economic and political influence and technological innovations.

Germany has the world’s 5th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) and is one of the strongest economies of the European Union. It has the largest economy in Europe and continues to be an attractive destination for investors. It tops the list of the World Competitiveness Yearbook in patent and copyright protection.

The country is known as a leading exporter of vehicles, machinery, chemicals and other goods. The services industry is a leading sector in the country at 71% while heavy industry contributes 28%. The country maintains a strong labor force of close to 44 million people. The current unemployment rate is at 6%. Germany produces much of the world’s iron, steel, coal, cement, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, ships and textiles. Germany also produces 147,200 oil barrels (bbl) per day and 12.65 billion cubic meters of natural gas. The agriculture industry also produces major crops like fruits, potatoes, wheat, sugar beets, barley and cabbage. Its major trading partners are France, the United States, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Belgium, China and Switzerland.

The country’s GDP (PPP) is at US$3.085 trillion as of 2011. The current crisis in the Euro Zone has affected the GDP of the country, which is projected at only .6% in 2012. In 2011, the economy grew a modest 2.7%, while the inflation rate was pegged at 2.2%. The GDP per capita is at $37,900, making it the 28th highest per capita PPP in the world. Germany is indeed an economic powerhouse. It is the second largest exporter of goods in the world. At the same time, it ranks as the third largest importer in the world.

Germany is also leading the way with moving from nuclear energy to renewable energy. Since 2011, half of the country’s nuclear power plants have been shut down. They hope that by 2022, all remaining plants would be closed, showing the world that a country can be industrialized and progressive, yet environmentally conscious.

As a founding member of the European Community in 1957, which later evolved into the EU in 1993, Germany today enjoys many alliances with other countries. It is a member of the Euro Zone and of the Schengen Agreement with 25 other nations. It is an influential member of the United Nations, as well as NATO, G8, G20, OECD and the Council of Europe.

Germany’s climate is just like its people: varied and sometimes quite unpredictable. Overall, the country’s climate is temperate, meaning that there are no extremes in temperatures. Germany enjoys four seasons in the year. The summer season is pleasant yet warm, with temperatures averaging between 20 °C to 30 °C, which is about 68 °F to 86 °F. However, rain showers most often occur during the spring season.

The autumn months of October and November are still pleasant, although the temperature starts to drop. The weather in October still makes it suitable to enjoy a mug of beer outdoors and to enjoy a number of outdoor activities. Starting November, it starts to get a little cooler, in preparation for the snow in December.

During the winter season, heavy snowfall, especially up in the Alpine region is to be expected. This gives travelers a chance to enjoy a number of winter sports activities up in the mountains.

The diversity in the country’s climate makes Germany an attractive destination for travelers. There’s always somewhere to go and something to do, regardless of the season and the type of weather.

The German auto industry is one of the most respected and largest in the world. It is the 4th largest manufacturer of automobile units in the world. Domestically, six million units are made annually, while 5.5 million auto units are manufactured and assembled abroad which carry German name plates. Some of the top German automobile manufacturers are Volkswagen, which is the third largest automobile manufacturer in the world, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Opel, Porsche and Audi.

Germans are largely Christian, although there is a small percentage of Muslims. About a third of the Germans are unaffiliated with religious groups. At over 82 million people, they are the 16th most populous country in the world, with males slightly outnumbering females. In Europe, Germany is the 2nd most populous country, following Russia. The median age of the country’s population is at 44.9 years old and 66 % of the population is between the productive ages of 15 and 64 years old. The country has a very low population growth rate at -0.2%, which translates to about 1.41 children born to every woman. Germans have a long life expectancy at 80.19 years.

74% of the population is located in the urban areas. The most populous is the capital city of Berlin, which has 3.4 million people, followed by Hamburg with 1.8 million, Munich with 1.3 million and Cologne with over a million residents.

Germans enjoy a high standard of living. The entire country has access to potable drinking water. The government spends more than 8% of its GDP on health expenditures. While education expenditures are at 4.5% of the country’s GDP, this results in a healthy and highly literate population at 99%.

The ethnic groups that comprise Germany are largely German, with about 2% Turks, while the remainder or 6% is made up of Greeks, Italians, Polish, Russians, Spanish and Serbo-Croatians. The official language spoken is German, although English is widely understood. Travelers would find that learning a few common German words and phrases will be quite useful during their vacation in Germany. For those who wish to enjoy an extended stay in Germany, either for business of pleasure, it’s best to enroll in a German class to have a better grasp of the language. This is true for those who wish to engage in business transactions in the country, as well as other German speaking nations, or for those who wish to stay in the country to study. Our Travel Guide Germany is a pocket guidebook that travelers will find indispensable since it contains a lot of useful information.

Travelers could expect many great things in Germany. The biggest train station in all of Europe is the Berlin station in Germany. At the same time, the Frankfurt International Airport also holds the record for having the most number of international flight destinations. The first airline in the world is German, the DELAG, which was founded in 1909. Germany is also the country with the 4thlargest airline (Frankfurt-based air carrier Lufthansa) in the world, in terms of international passengers. This is also the largest airline in Europe in terms of fleet size and also in passenger kilometers flown, as well as freight ton-kilometers flown.

Germany has also led the way in terms of infrastructure. The Autobahn is the oldest motorway in the world. The first section was completed in 1932 and is today one of the densest. The world’s tallest church is also in Germany, the Ulm Cathedral, which stands at 161.53 meters or 530 feet high.

Travelers will delight in the shopping options in Germany. After all, the country is home to the largest department store in continental Europe, the KaDeWe, which is located in Berlin. This department store boasts of 60,000 square meters devoted to a wide variety of shops.

Travelers going to Germany will find that our Travel Guide Germany is the perfect travel companion when going to this European nation. Germany is a nation that has a long and rich history, a culture that is vibrant, scenery that is lush, people that are friendly and food and drink that are full of flavor. It is one of the most exciting countries to visit, with something to offer to everyone. History, culture and architecture come alive in Germany! Continue to read and explore our Travel Guide Germany to learn more about this prosperous and beautiful nation.

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