Germany has a population of over 81 million people who primarily speak German. While German is the dominant language, English is also widely spoken. Some other commonly spoken languages include Turkish, Danish, and Romani. Germany has a democratic government and a strong economy. Popular holidays include Christmas, Easter and Oktoberfest. Traditional foods include bread, sausage, potatoes and beer, which Germans consume in large quantities, especially at Oktoberfest, the annual festival in Munich that draws over 6 million visitors each year.
2. Population
· The population of Germany in 2011 was 81,471,834. Most of these
inhabitants were born in Germany and have resided there since birth,
however much of the population also come from neighboring countries such
as Turkey.
• Germany is the second most populous country Europe under Russia.
• East Germany is less populated with about 140 people per square
kilometer. West Germany is more populated with about 270 people per
square kilometer according to Germanculture.com
• On the next page I have included a chart showing the population from
4. COMMUNICATION
· The official language of Germany is German
· 95 % of the people in Germany do speak German, however today many people
also speak English. When interviewing my Grandmother she said that so many
people are able to speak English because Americans have been in Germany
since World War II.
· Many other languages that are spoken in Germany include Turkish, Danish and
Romani.
· Although German is spoken by most of the country, the language varies from
district to district. Each person may speak German, but have a different accent
depending on their location.
· When addressing an individual in Germany that is older you put the word “Sie”
which translates to “it” before there name. When addressing a child you would
use the word “du” which means “you”.
5. GERMANGREETINGS
· In Germany, the polite way to greet someone is to shake their hands. It is proper
etiquette to shake hands with each person of a group that you encounter.
· In Germany, it is proper etiquette to have both hands on the table during meals. It is
also proper to wish everyone “Guten Apetit” which means “Good Apetite” before a
meal.
·Germans are very punctual, so it is important to always be ontime!
· In Germany, it is considered impolite to wave or shout when getting someone’s
attention. Instead you should raise your hand with your palm out and your index
finger extended.
· When saying “Goodbye” Germans say “Auf Wiedersehen”,
“Hello” is pronounced “Hallo”.
6. RELIGION
· The two main religions of Germany are Roman Catholic and Protestant.
· Many German festivals and traditions date back to pre-Christian times.
The purpose of some festivals were to drive out the ghosts of winter and
bring Spring early.
· Many festivals are based on holidays from the religious calender such as
Easter and Christmas.
· The festival known as Christkindlesmarket meaning Christmas market is
festival planned around the Christmas Holiday.
8. Goverment/Economy
·The capitol of Germany is Berlin.
·Joachim Gauck is the current president of Germany. The former democratic
activist was elected President in March of 2012.
· Germany is under a Democratic government, meaning that the people of
Germany have a voice and a vote about things within their country.
·Germany is the largest economy in Europe
·Like the rest of the world, Germany has also been in economic recovery and
has been the leader in the recovery.
9. NationalAnthem of Germany
Das Deutschlandlied
Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
Über alles in der Welt,
Wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze
Brüderlich zusammenhält.
Von der Maas bis an die Memel,
Von der Etsch bis an den Belt,
|: Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
Über alles in der Welt! :|
Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang
Sollen in der Welt behalten
Ihren alten schönen Klang,
Und zu edler Tat begeistern
Unser ganzes Leben lang.
|: Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang! :|
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
Für das deutsche Vaterland!
Danach lasst uns alle streben
Brüderlich mit Herz und Hand!
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
Sind des Glückes Unterpfand;
|: Blüh' im Glanze dieses Glückes,
Blühe, deutsches Vaterland. :|
The Germany Song
Germany, Germany above all,
Above all in the world,
When, for protection and defence, it always
takes a brotherly stand together.
From the Meuse to the Memel,
From the Adige to the Belt,
|: Germany, Germany above everything,
Above everything in the world. :|
German women, German loyalty,
German wine and German song
Shall retain in the world
Their old beautiful chime
And inspire us to noble deeds
During all of our life.
|: German women, German loyalty,
German wine and German song! :|
Unity and justice and freedom
For the German fatherland!
For these let us all strive
Brotherly with heart and hand!
Unity and justice and freedom
Are the pledge of fortune;
|: Bloom in this fortune's blessing,
Bloom, German fatherland. :|
10. ROMANCE/MARRIAGE
• In Germany people wear their wedding rings on their right hand instead of their
left.
• Germany is thought to be a “romantic” country because of all the castles, old
towns and palaces.
· Marriages in Germany are the same as here in America. The couple will start with
an engagement and then continue by planning and having a wedding ceremony
followed by a reception.
11. LAND& CLIMATEOFGERMANY
·Germany is about the size of Montana and being populated with over 80 million
people makes it a very populated country.
· Although Germany is so populated it is still about 31% woodland.
·Germany borders the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
·The North Sea floods up to eleven times a year, thus causing people to build their
houses on “Halligens” or mini islands to avoid the flooding.
·The Lunenburger Heide is a stretch of land in Germany that stretches from the
Weser River to the city of Hamburg. This land if filled with juniper, heather and
forests and in the late summer the fields are filled with the color purple.
Automobiles are forbidden in this area but horse and buggy are available for
guests.
·The Lunenburger Heide is also known for a special breed of lamb that resides
there known as the “Heidschnucken”
· Germany is very mountainous, being surrounded by mountains such as the
Swabian Alb and Bavarian Forest.
13. TRAVEL
· Germany is part of the Shengen Agreement, which means that any U.S.
Citizen may enter the country for up to 90 days without having a visa.
· The cities of Germany offer something for everyone from shopping to
history to nightlife.
· The top 11 Cities to visit in Germany are Berlin, Dresden, Frankfurt,
Hannover, Dusseldorf, Leipzig, Munich, Nurnberg, Stuttgart, and Cologne.
The cities offer many different, interesting places and activities for
travelers.
· Germany is known for its select beers, great architecture and vast array
of history
14. TRAVELCONT.
· Lufthansa is the airline that most travelers take to reach Germany.
· This picture was taken from a travel magazine- Happy Days in Germany. Deutsche
Zentrale Für Tourismus Ev.
15. EDUCATION/WORK
· Universities in Germany are highly prestigious not only to
Germany natives, but also to transfer students from around the
world.
· German schools are different than American schools. Once the
students reach the age of 10 they go into 4 different types of
schools. The school of choice sets the future of the schools that
they will attend.
16. HOLIDAYS
· In Germany, the Holidays of the year are basically the same as in
America.
*Thanksgiving
*Easter
* Christmas
*Oktoberfest
* New Years
· The people of Germany also celebrate Mardi Gras and of course
Birthday’s.
18. FUN FACTSOF GERMANY
· In Bayern, a city of Germany a normal size beer glass is 1 liter !
· Germany ranks second in beer consumption per person under Ireland.
· Wine is also a popular drink in Germany, and is the national drink of
Germany.
·When driving in Germany, many people will use the Autobahnen. This is
one of the fastest highways in the world. The average speed for a car on
this highway is 130 km/hr.
19. Oktoberfest is a celebration in Germany that starts the third week in
September and goes through until the first week in October. Oktoberfest
began in 1810 as a celebration for a Royal Wedding. The celebration
continued after the wedding in front of the city gates of Munich. Horse races
were a big part of this celebration and the decision to continue the horse
races during this time led to Oktoberfest. In 1896 beer tents were set up to
accommodate the growing need for refreshment during this celebration and
thus led to the tasting of beers from different breweries. More than six
million people attend Oktoberfest every year in Munich .In 2011 the 178th
Oktoberfest was celebrated in the United States.
20. More than six million people attend Oktoberfest
every year in Munich .In 2011 the 178th Oktoberfest
was celebrated in the United States.