Background Information about Germany
Currency: Germany’s currency is the Euro. Until 2002, the Deutsche Mark was the currency in Germany. The Euro is also the currency for 15 other countries in Europe. Because if this, if you were to travel to any of these states, you would not have to change anything about your currency. I find this surprising because even though it is technically the same currency, each country has their own image of their choice on the back of their coins. Unlike the coins, notes are all the same on the front and back.
Food Types: The staple dishes in Germany are pork, sausage, potatoes, bread, trout, and cabbage. The way pork is made, depends on where you live. In some places such as Frankfurt it might be boiled with cabbage but in other places such as Munchen, it might be roasted with dumplings. You can find over 1,500 different varieties of sausage in Germany. The most common fish in Germany is trout. People either grill it or pan fry it. Grilling is the healthier option. Both red and green cabbage is used in Germany. Cabbage is used for a variety of different dishes such as stews, soups, coleslaw, and possibly the most famous, sauerkraut. Maultaschen and Kaesespaetzle are very popular dishes found in the southwest. Maultaschen is dough filled with vegetables or meat while Kaesespaetzle is a dish of noodles with cheese. Usually breakfast includes a roll with a combination of honey, jam, meat, cheese, and hard boiled eggs. This is served with coffee, milk, or tea to drink. It is traditional to serve the principal meal at lunch and the lighter meal at dinner however it is common for two-income families to have a lighter meal at lunch and a bigger meal at dinner instead.
Cultures: Music and theatre are greatly supported in Germany. Many world famous philosophers, writers, composers, and artists come from Germany as well. For example Ludwig van Beethoven, a famous music composer, came from Germany. It is because of private and government support that has allowed even the smallest cities here to have museums, opera companies, and professional orchestras. Expressionism in art is still very important to people throughout Germany. Engraving and printmaking by woodcut are traditional things found in Germany. Throughout the cities, a variety of different architectures are expressed such as Romanesque, Gothic, Classicist, Baroque, Rococo, and even Renaissance. You can see these these different types through castles, churches, and other public buildings.
Languages: The official language of Germany in German. However, many different dialects are spoken in different regions. Kids are required to take English in school. Even after it is no longer required, many people continue to take English to increase their chances of getting hired when they apply for a job.
Major Cities: The capital of Germany is Berlin. Not only is it the capital but it is also one of three cities there that have a population of over one million. The other cities with this large of a population are Hamburg and Munchen(Munich). The population of Berlin is 3,275,000 people. The population of Hamburg is 1,686,100 people. The population of Munchen is 1,185,400 people. The total population of the 300 largest cities is about 37 million. This is 45% of the country’s whole population!
Transportation: Many families in Germany own cars. Owning a car in Germany is considered much more important than if you were to own a car in a different European country. Even though many people do own cars, in big cities, it is more efficient to take to ride a bike or take public transportation.
Sports Teams: Even though soccer is still considered to be the most popular sport in Germany, basketball, ice hockey, and volleyball are now also very popular. Baseball and football however, are not very popular there. For example, NFL Europe was established in 1991 but sadly closed down all five of it’s German American football teams in 2007. On average, each professional soccer game in Germany has over 25,000 fans. In total, they have won the world cup four times(1954,1974,1990, and 2014). They even came close to winning in 2006 when they hosted the world cup when they came in third behind France, and Italy. Italy was the winner that year. The DSB or German Olympic Sports Federation was founded in 2006 and currently has 27 million members! That is one third of the population of Germany! Tennis used to be very popular here, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. However, since the Berlin women’s event was cancelled in 2007 and the Hamburg men’s tournament lost it’s Masters Series statue in 2008, tennis has not been very popular.Michael Schumacher is a very popular F1 racer in Germany. In fact, in 2004 he earned the most money in the world for that time! This is because he was an extremely successful driver. Schumacher has had the most victories won more championships than any other formula one racer. Ice hockey is one of the most popular professional sports in Germany. It was introduced in Germany in 1888 and has grown quickly in popularity.
Weather: The climate of Germany is considered temperate. They have wet winters and mild summers. In the winter, temperatures usually range from 21 degrees Fahrenheit in the mountains to 35 degrees Fahrenheit in the lowlands. In July the average temperatures range between 64 degrees Fahrenheit in low-lying areas to 68 degrees Fahrenheit in southern valleys. Although the amount of rain is greater in the north, snowfall is still greater in the south.
Geographical Location in the World: Five major rivers flow through Germany, these rivers are the Rhine, Danube, Elbe, Weser, and Oder. All of these rivers are supply very important trade for Germany. Germany is located in western Europe and is almost the size of the country of Japan as well as the state of Montana. Around 30% of the land here is forested. Bordering Germany are Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the north, Switzerland to the south, Austria to the southeast, France to the southwest, the Czech Republic and Poland to the east, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg to the west, and lastly the North Sea to the northwest. Berlin, the capital of the country, is located in the northeastern part of Germany.
Population: The current population of Germany is 80,996,685 people. 91.5 percent of these people are ethnic German and 2.4 percent are from Turkey. Many people that live in Germany are immigrants. In fact, Germany has the highest percentage of immigrants in it’s population out of all the European Union states. 10 million or 12% of the population of Germany were born outside of Germany. Many of these immigrants come from Turkey, Russia, Poland, and Italy. The U.S. and Russia are the only other countries that have more immigrants than Germany. It is the largest country in the European Union by size. This surprises me because Germany’s birth rate is considered to be one of the lowest in the world. In fact if it continues to remain this way, in about 50 years, Germany’s population could shrink down to 65-70 million people. Many people that live in the eastern part of Germany travel to the western part to find better jobs and living conditions.
Customs: People in Germany greet each other by shaking hands. If a man and a women are shaking hands, the man always waits for the women to put her hand out first. If there are women and men shaking hands, the men always shake the woman's hand first. When there is a group of people, they take turns shaking hands because it is considered rude to cross someone else’s handshake. When coming across someone else on the street or in a public area, smiles might be exchanged however people usually don’t do anything else. People are only addressed by their first names by family or close friends. Sometimes, people aren’t even addressed by their last name. Instead they are addressed by Mr, Ms, or Mrs and then their profession. For example a male professor would be addressed as Herr(Mr) Professor. In Germany, it is inappropriate and disrespectful to chew gum in public or talk to people with your hands in your pockets. Just like in the U.S., it is very rude and insulting to point your index finger at someone’s head, but unlike the U.S., when people do that in Germany, it means that the person they are pointing to is crazy. Instead of crossing fingers, people “squeeze the thumb”. They do this by folding their fingers and then putting their thumb under the fingers. When going somewhere that requires paying money, it is expected that the person who planned it or the person who asked the other person, pays for the both of them. It is a law in Germany to rest and be quiet on Sundays and holidays. On these days people are expected to be quiet and stay inside. People can’t even hang up their clothes outside. Quiet hours are between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Just like sundays and holidays, there should not be any noise outside and everyone should be quiet. This is also a law.
Holidays: Many different holidays are celebrated in Germany. From Unification Day, celebrated on October 3rd to religious holidays such as All Saints’ Day on November 1st. Fasching is a carnival celebrated in late January or early February. This depends on when Easter is that year. No matter what month or day it starts in, it still begins at exactly 11:11 a.m. The point of this carnival is to say goodbye to winter and welcome spring. During Fasching schools are closed for a week and parades with dancing and music are frequent in the country. Christmas in Germany is very similar to Christmas in the U.S. The only differences are that people also celebrate on December 26th and that the traditional colors are gold and red instead of green and red. Christmas trees are also decorated with candles as well as glass ball ornaments instead of just ornaments.
Food Types: The staple dishes in Germany are pork, sausage, potatoes, bread, trout, and cabbage. The way pork is made, depends on where you live. In some places such as Frankfurt it might be boiled with cabbage but in other places such as Munchen, it might be roasted with dumplings. You can find over 1,500 different varieties of sausage in Germany. The most common fish in Germany is trout. People either grill it or pan fry it. Grilling is the healthier option. Both red and green cabbage is used in Germany. Cabbage is used for a variety of different dishes such as stews, soups, coleslaw, and possibly the most famous, sauerkraut. Maultaschen and Kaesespaetzle are very popular dishes found in the southwest. Maultaschen is dough filled with vegetables or meat while Kaesespaetzle is a dish of noodles with cheese. Usually breakfast includes a roll with a combination of honey, jam, meat, cheese, and hard boiled eggs. This is served with coffee, milk, or tea to drink. It is traditional to serve the principal meal at lunch and the lighter meal at dinner however it is common for two-income families to have a lighter meal at lunch and a bigger meal at dinner instead.
Cultures: Music and theatre are greatly supported in Germany. Many world famous philosophers, writers, composers, and artists come from Germany as well. For example Ludwig van Beethoven, a famous music composer, came from Germany. It is because of private and government support that has allowed even the smallest cities here to have museums, opera companies, and professional orchestras. Expressionism in art is still very important to people throughout Germany. Engraving and printmaking by woodcut are traditional things found in Germany. Throughout the cities, a variety of different architectures are expressed such as Romanesque, Gothic, Classicist, Baroque, Rococo, and even Renaissance. You can see these these different types through castles, churches, and other public buildings.
Languages: The official language of Germany in German. However, many different dialects are spoken in different regions. Kids are required to take English in school. Even after it is no longer required, many people continue to take English to increase their chances of getting hired when they apply for a job.
Major Cities: The capital of Germany is Berlin. Not only is it the capital but it is also one of three cities there that have a population of over one million. The other cities with this large of a population are Hamburg and Munchen(Munich). The population of Berlin is 3,275,000 people. The population of Hamburg is 1,686,100 people. The population of Munchen is 1,185,400 people. The total population of the 300 largest cities is about 37 million. This is 45% of the country’s whole population!
Transportation: Many families in Germany own cars. Owning a car in Germany is considered much more important than if you were to own a car in a different European country. Even though many people do own cars, in big cities, it is more efficient to take to ride a bike or take public transportation.
Sports Teams: Even though soccer is still considered to be the most popular sport in Germany, basketball, ice hockey, and volleyball are now also very popular. Baseball and football however, are not very popular there. For example, NFL Europe was established in 1991 but sadly closed down all five of it’s German American football teams in 2007. On average, each professional soccer game in Germany has over 25,000 fans. In total, they have won the world cup four times(1954,1974,1990, and 2014). They even came close to winning in 2006 when they hosted the world cup when they came in third behind France, and Italy. Italy was the winner that year. The DSB or German Olympic Sports Federation was founded in 2006 and currently has 27 million members! That is one third of the population of Germany! Tennis used to be very popular here, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. However, since the Berlin women’s event was cancelled in 2007 and the Hamburg men’s tournament lost it’s Masters Series statue in 2008, tennis has not been very popular.Michael Schumacher is a very popular F1 racer in Germany. In fact, in 2004 he earned the most money in the world for that time! This is because he was an extremely successful driver. Schumacher has had the most victories won more championships than any other formula one racer. Ice hockey is one of the most popular professional sports in Germany. It was introduced in Germany in 1888 and has grown quickly in popularity.
Weather: The climate of Germany is considered temperate. They have wet winters and mild summers. In the winter, temperatures usually range from 21 degrees Fahrenheit in the mountains to 35 degrees Fahrenheit in the lowlands. In July the average temperatures range between 64 degrees Fahrenheit in low-lying areas to 68 degrees Fahrenheit in southern valleys. Although the amount of rain is greater in the north, snowfall is still greater in the south.
Geographical Location in the World: Five major rivers flow through Germany, these rivers are the Rhine, Danube, Elbe, Weser, and Oder. All of these rivers are supply very important trade for Germany. Germany is located in western Europe and is almost the size of the country of Japan as well as the state of Montana. Around 30% of the land here is forested. Bordering Germany are Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the north, Switzerland to the south, Austria to the southeast, France to the southwest, the Czech Republic and Poland to the east, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg to the west, and lastly the North Sea to the northwest. Berlin, the capital of the country, is located in the northeastern part of Germany.
Population: The current population of Germany is 80,996,685 people. 91.5 percent of these people are ethnic German and 2.4 percent are from Turkey. Many people that live in Germany are immigrants. In fact, Germany has the highest percentage of immigrants in it’s population out of all the European Union states. 10 million or 12% of the population of Germany were born outside of Germany. Many of these immigrants come from Turkey, Russia, Poland, and Italy. The U.S. and Russia are the only other countries that have more immigrants than Germany. It is the largest country in the European Union by size. This surprises me because Germany’s birth rate is considered to be one of the lowest in the world. In fact if it continues to remain this way, in about 50 years, Germany’s population could shrink down to 65-70 million people. Many people that live in the eastern part of Germany travel to the western part to find better jobs and living conditions.
Customs: People in Germany greet each other by shaking hands. If a man and a women are shaking hands, the man always waits for the women to put her hand out first. If there are women and men shaking hands, the men always shake the woman's hand first. When there is a group of people, they take turns shaking hands because it is considered rude to cross someone else’s handshake. When coming across someone else on the street or in a public area, smiles might be exchanged however people usually don’t do anything else. People are only addressed by their first names by family or close friends. Sometimes, people aren’t even addressed by their last name. Instead they are addressed by Mr, Ms, or Mrs and then their profession. For example a male professor would be addressed as Herr(Mr) Professor. In Germany, it is inappropriate and disrespectful to chew gum in public or talk to people with your hands in your pockets. Just like in the U.S., it is very rude and insulting to point your index finger at someone’s head, but unlike the U.S., when people do that in Germany, it means that the person they are pointing to is crazy. Instead of crossing fingers, people “squeeze the thumb”. They do this by folding their fingers and then putting their thumb under the fingers. When going somewhere that requires paying money, it is expected that the person who planned it or the person who asked the other person, pays for the both of them. It is a law in Germany to rest and be quiet on Sundays and holidays. On these days people are expected to be quiet and stay inside. People can’t even hang up their clothes outside. Quiet hours are between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Just like sundays and holidays, there should not be any noise outside and everyone should be quiet. This is also a law.
Holidays: Many different holidays are celebrated in Germany. From Unification Day, celebrated on October 3rd to religious holidays such as All Saints’ Day on November 1st. Fasching is a carnival celebrated in late January or early February. This depends on when Easter is that year. No matter what month or day it starts in, it still begins at exactly 11:11 a.m. The point of this carnival is to say goodbye to winter and welcome spring. During Fasching schools are closed for a week and parades with dancing and music are frequent in the country. Christmas in Germany is very similar to Christmas in the U.S. The only differences are that people also celebrate on December 26th and that the traditional colors are gold and red instead of green and red. Christmas trees are also decorated with candles as well as glass ball ornaments instead of just ornaments.