Official Name |
Bundesrepublik Deutschland |
Federal Republic of Germany |
Capital City |
Berlin |
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Major Cities |
Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt-am-Main, Stuttgart, Dresden, Leipzig |
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Area |
137,847 sq. miles (357,022 sq. km) |
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Climate |
Temperate |
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Currency |
Euro |
Replaced the Deutsche Mark in 1999. |
Population |
83.2 million (Statistisches Bundesamt 2020) |
The most populous country in the EU and the second-largest in Europe (after Russia) |
Ethnic Makeup |
91.5% German, 2.4% Turkish, 6.1% others |
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Family Makeup |
The average family size is 2.7 people. |
The average number of children per family is 1.7. |
Language |
German (official) |
Sorbian (Balto/Slavic), Frisian and Danish minority languages are spoken in the north of Germany. |
Religion |
34% Protestant (Lutheran), 34% Roman Catholic, 5% Muslim, 27% others |
Members of religious communities pay the Kirchensteuer, or church tax, of 8% of income in Bavaria and Baden-Württemburg and 9% in the rest of the country. |
Germany is a federal republic of sixteen states (or Länder). The seat of government is in the capital, Berlin. There is an elected chief of state and an elected head of government. The legislature has two houses, the Bundestag (the Federal Parliament) and the Bundesrat (the Federal Council). Germany is a democracy with proportional representation and elections every four years. The leading political parties are the CDU (Christian Democratic Union) and the SDP (Social Democratic Party). |
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Media |
Germany has a mix of publicly and privately owned radio and TV stations, both national and regional. Of the large numbers of regional and national newspapers and magazines, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Bild, and Der Spiegel are the best known internationally. |
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English-Language Media |
Frankfurter Allgemeine has a Web site with local and international news in English. |
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Electricity |
230 volts, 50 Hz |
Two-prong plugs used. Adaptors needed for US appliances. |
TV/Video |
PAL B system |
NTSC DVDs may not work in Germany. |
Internet Domain |
.de |
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Telephone |
Germany’s country code is 49. To dial out, dial 00. |
Private companies may have special codes. |
Time Zone |
CET (Central European Time). UCT/GMT + 1 hour |
6 hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Time |
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