Germany

Germany is a parliamentary federal republic of sixteen states ( Bundesländer ). The capital city of Germany is Berlin; however, Germany has a great number of larger cities, the most populous being Berlin itself, Hamburg , Munich , Cologne , Frankfurt and Stuttgart .

The country emphasises the conservation and development of renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind , biomass, hydro, and geothermal . As a direct result of these energy-saving measures, energy efficiency has been improving steadily since the 1970s.

Due to its central position in Europe, Germany is deemed a transportation centre. Certainly, the Autobahn is the most famous of all Germany 's motorways – weighing in as the third largest length in the world with very little speed limits on most roads.

Geography:

Germany is a country that lies in West-Central Europe . It is bordered by the North Sea , Denmark and the Baltic Sea in the North, by Poland and the Czech Republic in the East, by Austria and Switzerland in the South and on the West by France , Luxembourg , the Netherlands and Belgium .

Officially, Germany is called the Federal Republic of Germany. It is the seventh largest country in Europe , and boasts the second largest population after Russia . The region ranges from the mountains of the Alps to forested uplands of Central Germany .

The majority of Germany experiences a cool and rather temperate climate. In the North-West and North the climate is Oceanic, with rainfall all year round – most falling during the Summer. Due to the rainfall, the summers are cooler, although temperatures have been known to reach high points. Much like the Summer, the Winter season in the North is generally very temperate, but are very cold in the East. Summers here are very dry and hot. Central and Southern Germany enjoy moderately oceanic and continental climates.

Government:

Germany 's government is a federal parliamentary, representative democratic republic. The political system runs under a constitutional document called the Grundgesetz. In order to amend the Grundgesetz two thirds of both chambers need to agree to the changes.

The two chambers are the Bundestag (a deliberative assembly) and the Bundesrat (the federal council). The Bundestag is gathered through direct election, whereas the members of the Bundesrat are representatives from the governments of the sixteen separate federal states. The Bundestag elects the Chancellor, after nominations from the President, who becomes the Head of Government. The Bundestag also elects its own President, who leads the assembly meetings. The Head of State is the President of Germany, who is appointed by the federal assembly (Bundesversammlung) once every five years.

Foreign Relations:

Germany plays a leading role in the European Union and continues to seek a more unified Europe through this, both in terms of a political standpoint and for the security of all countries involved.

The country has had very close ties with the United States in recent years. In fact, their economies are fairly interdependent: 8.8% of German exports are bound for the United States and 6.6% of German imports originate from the U.S, and 8.8 % of U.S. exports ship to Germany and 9.8 % of U.S. imports come from Germany , according to reports made by the U.S. Military and Embassy in 2006.

Transportation:

Germany is well known for its budget flights to almost every city in Europe . There are also regular train services to neighbouring countries and with non-neighbouring countries which are connected by ‘EuroCity' services.

Did You Know?

• The highly prestigious Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize is awarded to ten scientists and academics each year. It is one of the highest research prizes in the world, with a maximum of €2.5 million per award!
• Secondary education splits students into four types of schools: the Gymnasium takes on the most gifted children, preparing students for university (attendance is usually 8 or 9 years, but depends on the State); the Realschule encompasses a broader range for intermediary students, lasting six years; the Hauptschule focuses on vocational education, and the Gesamtschule (comprehensive school) combines the three other school's approaches towards education.
• Germans drive on the right hand side of the road.

© Written by E.J.Clarke.