General Information:

The Federal Republic of Germany consists of sixteen states (each described below) and is about the size of Montana. It is bordered by 9 nations: the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Denmark (that's a record in Europe, folks!). Most of the country lies inland, but Germany does have major ports on the North and Baltic seas.


The history of Germany begins in the eastern part of Charlemagne's empire (800 A.D.), where German was spoken. These lands became the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation in the 13th century, and then separated into sovereign states after the Reformation and Counter-Reformation (16th-17th century) and the Napoleonic period (1800). These states were loosely associated in a German confederation, but were led by the most powerful state, Prussia. The German Reich was established after the annexation of land from Austria and France, and Otto von Bismark was named Reichskanzler (Reich Chancellor) in 1862. After World War I, a democratic Germany emerged with the formation of the Weimar Republic. The Republic was plagued by economic difficulties from war reparations, a world-wide depression, and massive inflation. In 1933, Reich President Paul von Hindeburg named Adolf Hitler, whose National Socialist party had been steadily gaining popularity and power, to be Reichskanzler. The history of the Nazi period, World War 2, and divided Germany are generally known to most people. These periods are quite disturbing, provoking questions about inherent human rights, the rules of war, and the nature of freedom. In 1989 the Berlin Wall, which stood as the symbol of divided Germany was opened and in 1990 Germany was reunited into the Federal Republic of Germany (the name of the former West Germany). Click here for good summaries of the major periods of German history.


The capital of Germany is now Berlin, and the government returned to Berlin after the completion of the Reichstag reconstruction project in 1999. The recent (2002) elections, returned the SPD/Green coalition government to power (see Bundesregierung.de). The Bundeskanzler (Federal Chancellor) is Gerhard Schröder. The Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister (and perhaps most popular politician in Germany right now) is, Joschka Fischer. Other important officials include the Bundespräsident (Federal President), Johannes Rau, who is the non-political representative of the state, and the head of parliament (and highest elected official from East Germany), Wolfgang Thierse. The Grundgesetz (Basic law) of the state was constituted in 1949 and since 1990 the Länder (states) of the former East Germany have been united with the Federal Republic of Germany (formerly West Germany) under this constitution.


The total population is approximately 80 million. About 35% of the population is Catholic and 35% Protestant. A large foreign population accounts for many other religious groups.


Germans are typically thought to be very intellectual, thorough, methodical, formal and generally unfunny. Certainly some aspects of this stereotype are true, but more knowledge and experience of German history, culture, cool web sites, and individuals reveals a people who are pretty OK! Click here for an article on German Identity

The sixteen states of the Federal Republic of Germany:

Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of the country, contains the magnificent Black Forest, the Neckar Valley, and the Bodensee, and is home to the Heidelberg castle and Germany's oldest university. IBM, Porsche and Daimler-Benz also have headquarters in this region.
Bayern, known to English-speakers as Bavaria, is the largest of the sixteen states and Germany's most popular tourist destination. Oktoberfest takes place here in Munich and the Alps lie along the southern border.
Berlin is officially a state of its own, being the most populous of all the cities in Germany. Although formerly completely surrounded by East Germany, Berlin was divided from 1961 to 1989 into two cities, one belonging to East Germany and one to West Germany. The Berlin Wall has been almost completely removed now and a new business center is being built in its most famous no-man's-land, Potsdamer Platz.
Brandenburg is the largest of the new states and is home to the country palace of Fredrick the Great. Potsdam, in Brandenburg, was the site of the 1945 argeement between the allies that divided Germany into 4 occupied territories. Brandenburg is also home to the other Frankfurt (Frankfurt-on-the-Oder).
Bremen is Germany's smallest state containing only the city of Bremen and the port city, Bremerhaven.
Hamburg is Germany's principal seaport, connected to the North Sea. It also contains a rather infamous red-light district.
Hessen contains Germany's major financial city, Frankfurt. Most flights from America to Germany will land in the Frankfurt airport. "Hessen's landscape isn't as dramatic as the mountain regions to the south, but it somehow embodies more of the essence of Germany--even-keeled, orderly, and brimming with culture."**
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, one of the new Länder from the former East Germany, borders the Baltic Sea and is a popular tourist destination for Germans in the summer.
Nordrhein-Westfalen is the most densely populated state and contains the cities of Bonn, the former capital of West Germany, and Köln (Cologne), home of the famous gothic cathedral.
Niedersachsen, or Lower Saxony, is the second-largest but one of the least densely populated states in Germany. It contains the Harz mountains, the East Friesland Islands off the North Sea coast and is home of the Volkswagen.
Rheinland-Pfalz is a popular tourist destination due to its vineyards and countryside along the Rhein river. The Mosel valley also offers scenic views.
Saarland is named after the river Saar. Shortly after WWII Saarland was was declared an independent state (although it was closely tied to France). It rejoined Germany after a public referendum in 1955.
Sachsen (Saxony) contains the city of Dresden, home of the Semperoper and site of major Allied bombing in World War II. Another of Saxony's major cities, Leipzig, generated resistance to the former Communist government in the late 1980's and helped precipitate the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany.
Sachsen-Anhalt was united into one state by the Russian allied government and, until 1990, formed the border between East and West Germany. Major cities here include Magdeburg, Halle, and Dessau.
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the Länder (connecting Germany to Denmark) and is a center for the fishing and livestock industries.
Thüringen is home to Weimar, the city of Goethe and Schiller, and the center of the Weimar Republic (Germany's democratic government in the early 20th century). Thüringen contains lovely rolling pastureland and is also known for its Bratwurst.

For more information about Germany, visit The Germany Information Center or Lonely Planet's "Destination Germany"