Amazing Facts » Germany

Interesting Facts About Germany

Germany is next to the United States as the preferred migration destination places in the world. Today, Germany is a world power and one of the most developed nations in the world.

The Germanic tribes are said to have inhabited the lands before 10th century. The proof of human habitation in the lands of Germany comes from the great discovery of the remains of a human fossil in the Neander Valley. The non-modern human remains found there are called the Neanderthal Man, which are about 40,000 years old. Centuries later, the land became a very important part of the Holy Roman Empire under the leadership of the Frankish king Charlemagne. The famous German personality Martin Luther rejected the teachings and practices of the Catholic Church and later initiated the Protestant Reformation with the Ninety-Five Theses questioning the church in 1517.

In the early 19th century, the land of Germany was a confederation of 39 German states which was unified under the leadership of Otto von Bismarck serving as the Chancellor of Germany. In 1914, the country participated in the First World War on the side of the Central Powers losing millions of soldiers and ending the German empire.

The Nazi Party came to power in 1933 led by Adolf Hitler who became the Chancellor of the nation. He is famous in world history as the dictator responsible for killing millions of Jewish people during his tenure, which is known as the Holocaust. He wrote the famous Mein Kampf (My Struggle) and led the country into the Second World War.

Germany lost terribly in the War and the result was the partition of Berlin and the remaining parts of land into East Germany and West Germany. The famous Berlin Wall was broken down in 1990 and followed the unification of the present-day Germany.

As on January 2016, the population of Germany is 79.7 Million and it has a population density of 223 people per square kilometer. The total land mass is about 357,000 square kilometers as per the United Nations Statistics Division.

The nation is part of the European Union and has a very high standard of living. The country has a Federal Republic type of government and the capital Berlin is the most populous part of the country. German is the official language and Christianity is the major religion in Germany.

Germany is situated in Central and Western part of Europe and is bordered by the countries of Poland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Netherlands and France. The land is also bordered by the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. The river is watered abundantly by the rivers Danube, Elbe and the famous Rhine. The climate in Germany is temperate with good amount of rainfall throughout the year.

Germany is well covered with forests and woodlands and the diverse animals and plants found in the land makes the country ecologically rich. There are 14 national parks and 98 Nature Parks in the country along with a large number of zoos across the country. One of the oldest zoos, the Berlin Zoo that was first started in 1844 houses a number of species. The golden eagle is the national symbol of the country and the bird is a protected species in the nation.

The country is well-developed being the largest economy in Europe and it is home to a number of large companies popular everywhere. Volkswagen, BMW, Deutsche Bank, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Adidas, Porsche are the most well- known brands that has presence throughout the world. The country has a long history in the contribution to science and 104 Germans have been awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in different subjects. The most notable of them include Albert Einstein, Max Planck, and Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit etc.

Due to the historic importance, scientific achievements headquarter of major companies and the vast beauty present in the country, Germany receives a number of tourists from all over the world. The presence of 40 World Heritage Sites in Germany makes them a great place to explore and learn. A number of museums that displays the country’s past and historic relics are popular among travellers visiting the place. The cities of Berlin, Munich and Hamburg are a favourite with tourists who may enjoy different things in the cities such as art museums, opera and the variety of architectural beauty throughout the place.

Germany has given a number of writers and philosophers to the world that has influenced the thinking of the Western thoughts. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was one such figure in the German history that had mastery over different subjects. Karl Marx is another famous personality from Germany who wrote the famous Das Kapital and The Communist Manifesto. The Grimm Brothers are another literary figure who made folk tales popular all over the world. The German musician and composers like Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven have remained the most influential persons of music to rule the music scene since long time.

The German cinema is one of the oldest and the country’s Berlin International Film Festival awarding the Golden Bear is popular throughout the world. The cuisine in Germany differs from place to place and bread is an important part of the German diet. Different types of bread are produced throughout Germany. Beer is the national drink of Germany and it is consumed in large quantity throughout the year.

The German people are sports enthusiasts and most German people take part in sports, which shows, in the millions of members in the German Football Association alone. Other popular sports, which bring in many prizes to the country, are hockey, basketball, boxing, tennis, golf, swimming etc. Motor sports are another popular events enjoyed in Germany due to the presence of the motor giants like Mercedes and BMW. Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel of Germany are the top racing drivers of all times with a number of Formula One Championship titles. In addition, it is no surprise that the German Football team won the FIFA World Cup for the fourth time in 2014.

Image courtesy: bhmpics.com