| Germany has always held a reputation of being a rich | | | | Mendelssohn, Wagner and R. |
| and progressive nation. Contributingmuch in terms of | | | | Strauss. Some of the worlds wisest philosophers |
| human progress and industrial/financial revolution. | | | | were German: Nietzsche, Kant, |
| Germany has givenbirth to many people and | | | | Hegel, Schopenhauer, and Heidegger. |
| ideologies that have helped to shape the world as we | | | | Germany boasts around 700 zoological gardens, |
| know it. | | | | aquariums, bird parks, wildlife parks,animal reserves, |
| The official name of Germany is The Federal Republic | | | | or safari parks, not to mention 414 registered zoos. |
| of Germany. It is located in West | | | | Berlin's Zoologischer |
| Europe. The Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Denmark | | | | Garten is the worlds largest zoo, number of species |
| surround Germany on the north. It isflanked on the | | | | (1,500) and animal population (14,000). |
| east by the Czech Republic and Poland. Flanked on | | | | The Fairy Grottoes (Feengrotten) in Saalfeld, |
| the west by France, | | | | Thuringia, are the worlds most colorfulcaves, |
| Belgium, and Luxembourg and Netherlands. The | | | | according to the Guinness Book of Records. |
| southern borders are Austria and | | | | Since 2003, Germany is the worlds largest exporter |
| Switzerland. | | | | of goods with $1.016 trillionexported in 2005. 10.1% of |
| Germany is a member of the European Union (EU). | | | | the worlds exports come from Germany. Germany is |
| Germany has Europe's largesteconomy and is | | | | theworlds second largest producer of cars (after |
| Europe's second largest populous nation. The total | | | | Japan) and motor vehicle in general(after the United |
| area of Germanyis 357,021 sq. km. The total land | | | | States). The German based company BASF (Badische |
| area is 349,223 sq. km. The total covered by | | | | Anilin- und Soda- Fabrik)is the second largest chemical |
| waterbeing 7,798 sq. km. The capital of The Federal | | | | company in the world, employing about 87,000 |
| Republic of Germany is Berlin. Other majorcities are | | | | peoplein 160 subsidiaries and joint ventures in 41 |
| Munich, Hanover, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, | | | | countries. |
| Cologne, and Bremen. | | | | The biggest train station in Europe is located in Berlin. |
| Germany is a federal republic with a parliamentary | | | | The European Central Bank isin Frankfurt-am-Main, |
| democracy. | | | | Germany. Frankfurt International Airport claims the |
| The ethnicity of Germany's population is 91.5% | | | | world recordin the most international destinations |
| German, 2.4% Turkish, 6.1% others suchas Greeks, | | | | served. The Lufthansa, based in Frankfurt, is |
| Italians, Polish, Russians, Serb-Croatians, Spanish. The | | | | theworlds largest airline in terms of international |
| main religionsin Germany are Protestant (Evangelisch) | | | | passengers carried, and Europe's largestin terms of |
| 38%, Roman Catholic (Katholisch) 34%, Muslim | | | | passenger-kilometers flown, freight tonne-kilometers |
| 1.7%, and others make up 26.3%. Classical music has | | | | flown and fleet size. |
| been dominated by Germanspeaking composers. A | | | | The largest department store in continental Europe is |
| few of the famous ones born on German ground | | | | the KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des |
| include | | | | Westens) in Berlin, with over 60,000 square meters |
| Beethoven, Schumann, Bach, Brahms, Handel, | | | | covered. |