Here are some facts about Germany:
- Germany is a country in Europe with borders with Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands.
- It is over 350,000 sq km in size.
- It has a North Sea coastline and a Baltic Sea coastline.
- The River Rhine, the River Danube and the River Elbe all flow through Germany.
- Germany’s capital is Berlin, and this is also the largest city in the country. Other cities include: Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, Essen, Dortmund and Bremen.
- Germany has a population of over 80 million.
- It is is key member state of the European Union.
- Germany was defeated in both World War 1 and World War 2.
- Following the death of Adolf Hitler and the fall of the Nazi Regime at the end of World War 2, Germany was split into Allied occupation zones which led to Germany being divided into West Germany and East Germany.
- Berlin, located in East Germany, was also divided (by the Berlin Wall) into West Berlin and East Berlin.
- The Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and Germany was reunified in 1990.
- About 30% of Germany is covered in forest and about 30% is arable land.
- The Berlin Zoo, which opened in 1844, is Germany’s oldest zoo.
- Many global brands are based in Germany, including: Volkswagen, BMW, Adidas, Audi, Porsche, Bosch and Nivea.
- Germany’s largest airports are Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport.
- Many famous scientists and inventors have come from Germany, including: Robert Koch (one of the founders of mircobiology), Johannes Gutenberg (inventor of movable type) and Hans Geiger (inventor of the Geiger counter).
- Most people in Germany speak German, and two thirds of the population can also converse in another language as well.
- German artists include: Hans Holbein, Peter Paul Rubens and Max Ernst.
- Some of the world’s most well-known composers have come from Germany, including: Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johannes Brahms, Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss.
- The Brothers Grimm, who popularized German folklore and fairy tales, were from Germany, as were the writers Hermann Hesse and Gunter Grass.
- Sausages are really popular in Germany, and beer is the most popular alcoholic drink.
- Many sports are played in Germany. The Bundesliga is the highest football (soccer) league in the country, and football is the most popular sport.
- Germany has won the World Cup on 4 occasions, and players such as Franz Beckenbauer, Jurgen Klinsmann and Miroslav Klose have featured in the national side.
- Michael Schumacher, born in Germany, is one of the best Formula 1 drivers of all time, and Sebastian Vettel won the F1 championship in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
