歐洲:
英国 United Kingdom 爱尔兰 Ireland 比利时 Belgium 荷兰 Netherlands 法国 France 西班牙 Spain 葡萄牙 Portugal 意大利 Italy 希腊 Greece 奥地利 Austria 匈牙利 Hungary 德国 Germany 瑞士 Switzerland 罗马尼亚 Romania 俄罗斯 Russia 波兰 Poland 克罗地亚 Croatia (Hrvatska) 捷克 Czech 芬兰 Finland 瑞典 Sweden 挪威 Norway 冰岛 Iceland 土耳其 Turkey 丹麦 Denmark 阿尔巴尼亚 Albania 爱沙尼亚 Republic of Estonia 安道尔 Andorra 白俄罗斯 Belarus 保加利亚 The Republic of Bulgaria 波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那 Bosnia and Herzegovina 梵蒂冈 Vatican City State (Holy See) 黑山 The Republic of Montenegro 拉脱维亚 Latvia 立陶宛 Republic of Lithuania 列支敦士登 Liechtenstein 卢森堡 Luxembourg 马耳他 Republic of Malta 马其顿 The Republic of Macedonia 摩尔多瓦 The Republic of Moldova 摩纳哥 Monaco 塞尔维亚 the Republic of Serbia 斯洛伐克 The Slovak Republic 斯洛文尼亚 the Republic of Slovenia 圣马力诺 San Marino 乌克兰 Ukraine | ||||
德國 Germany
首都:柏林 國家代碼: de
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 德国釋義：“人民的國傢” 漢語中的德國或日耳曼，來源於同一個英語即German，這個稱呼大概是從公元前90年開始，指稱斯堪的納維亞（Scandinavia)南部移居中歐的民族。而「德意志」則是這些部族使用的語言，最後纔演變成居住地的稱呼，更由此衍生成「德意志帝國」、「德國」。 主要節日 國慶日：10月3日（1990年德國重新統一日） 納粹受害者紀念日：1月27日（蘇聯紅軍解放納粹德國設在波蘭境內的奧斯威辛集中營紀念日，1996年1月3日確定） 民主日 ：5月7日 重要節日:新年：1月1日；納粹受害者紀念日：1月27日；復活節：每年春分月圓之後第一個周日(3月21日至4月25日間)；五一勞動節：5月1日；德國統一日(國慶節)：10月3日；聖誕節：12月25日。 貨幣單位： 歐元（€，EUR） 中央銀行： 德意志聯邦銀行（Deutsche Bundesbank） 國際域名縮寫：de 國際電話區號：+49 德國統一的象徵： 勃蘭登堡門，位於柏林市中心菩提樹大街和６月１７日大街的交匯處，是柏林市區著名的遊覽勝地和德國統一的象徵。 國傢政要：聯邦總統霍斯特·剋勒(Horst Koehler)，２００４年５月當選，７月任職；聯邦議院議長沃爾夫岡·蒂爾澤（Wolfgang Thierse），１９９８年１０月２６日當選；聯邦總理安格拉·默剋爾 (Angela Merkel) ，２００５年１１月就職。 人口：8231萬（2006年底），比2005年減少13萬。主要是德意志人，還有少數丹麥人、吉普賽人和索布族人。有７５０萬外籍人，占人口總數的９％，主要是土耳其人及東歐國傢公民。通用德語。居民中３３．７％的人信奉基督教新教，３３．２％的人信奉羅馬天主教。 首都： 柏林 (Berlin) ，人口：３３８．７萬（２００１年９月），年平均氣溫約８．６℃。 國旗 呈橫長方形，長與寬之比為５∶３。自上而下由黑、紅、黃三個平行相等的橫長方形相連而成。三色旗的來歷衆說紛紜，最早可追溯到公元一世紀的古羅馬帝國，在後來１６世紀的德國農民戰爭和１７世紀的德國資産階級民主革命中，代表共和製的三色旗也飄揚在德意志大地上。在擊敗拿破侖後，一位詩人見到一個穿黑披風佩挂紅色肩章及金色紐扣的學生義勇軍時，唱著「黑色象徵悲憫被壓迫的人們，紅色是爭取自由的心情，金色是理想和真理光輝的表徵」，於是以黑、紅、黃三色旗作為統一的德國的國旗。後多次改製。1949年德意志聯邦共和國成立，仍以三色旗為國旗。１９１８年德意志帝國垮臺後，魏瑪共和國也采用黑、紅、黃三色旗為國旗。１９４９年９月德意志聯邦共和國成立，依然采用魏瑪共和國時期的三色旗；同年１０月成立的德意志民主共和國也采用三色旗，衹是在旗面正中加了包括錘子、量規、麥穗等國徽圖案，以示區別。１９９０年10月3日，統一後的德國仍沿用德意志聯邦共和國國旗。三色國旗可在機場、賓館、宴會和其他場合懸挂。聯邦政府機構和駐外使館等懸挂帶有黑鷹圖案的國旗。 國徽 為金黃色的盾徽。盾面上是一頭紅爪紅嘴、雙翼展開的黑鷹，黑鷹象徵着力量和勇氣。 1950年製定的德國國徽也是歷史的産物。其圖案為一枚土黃色盾徽上繪一隻風格獨特的黑色雄鷹，鷹的喙、爪均為紅色。這一圖案最早出自於十二世紀的霍亨京倫傢族，該傢族曾統治普魯士，後來成為德國皇室。以雄鷹入圖，早在九世紀就已經出現。據說，該圖案是由法蘭剋國王查理一世的軍隊從羅馬帝國傳人德國的。 國歌 《德意志之歌》的第三段，歌詞是奧古斯特海因利希·霍夫曼·馮·法勒斯雷本（１７９８年—１８７４年）於１８４１年撰寫的，麯調由約瑟夫·海頓（１７３２年—１８０９年）譜寫。１９２２年，魏瑪共和國第一任帝國總統弗裏德裏希·艾伯特將“德意志之歌”升格為國歌。１９５２年，在聯邦總統豪伊斯和聯邦總理阿登納之間的一次通信中，這首歌重新被承認為國歌。聯邦總統魏茨澤剋和聯邦總理科爾在１９９１年８月的通信中確認了“德意志之歌”對統一的德國的傳統意義。 國花，國鳥，國石 國花：矢車菊，又名藍芙蓉、荔枝菊、翠藍，屬於菊科。經過德國人多年的培育，這種“原野上的小花”已經有淺藍、藍紫、深藍、深紫、雪青、淡紅、玫瑰紅、白等多種顔色。頭狀花序生在纖細莖稈的頂端，仿佛一位雋秀的少女，嚮着“生命之光”——太陽，祈禱幸福和歡樂。矢車菊是德國的名花，德國人用她象徵日耳曼民族愛國、樂觀、頑強、儉樸的特徵，並認為她有吉祥之兆，因而被譽為“國花”。 國鳥：白鸛，一種著名的觀賞珍禽。在歐洲，自古以來白鸛就被認為是“帶來幸福的鳥”，是吉祥的象徵，是上帝派來的“天使”，是專門來拜訪交好運的人的。白鸛被選為國鳥後，不少德國家庭特地在煙囪上築造了平臺，供它們造巢用。 國石：琥珀 自然地理 德國位於歐洲中部，東鄰波蘭、捷剋，南接奧地利、瑞士，西接荷蘭、比利時、盧森堡、法國，北與丹麥相連並臨北海和波羅的海，是歐洲鄰國最多的國傢。面積為３５７０２０. ２２平方公裏（１９９９年１２月）。地勢北低南高，可分為四個地形區：北德平原，平均海拔不到１００米；中德山地，由東西走嚮的高地塊構成；西南部萊茵斷裂𠔌地區，兩旁是山地，𠔌壁陡峭；南部的巴伐利亞高原和阿爾卑斯山區，其間拜恩阿爾卑斯山脈的主峰祖格峰海拔２９６３米，為全國最高峰。主要河流有萊茵河（流經境內８６５公裏）、易北河、威悉河、奧得河、多瑙河。較大湖泊有博登湖、基姆湖、阿莫爾湖、裏次湖。西北部海洋性氣候較明顯，往東、南 部逐漸嚮大陸性氣候過渡。平均氣溫７月１４～１９℃，１月－５～１℃。年降水量５００～１０００毫米，山地則更多。１９９５年１月１日起，根據１９８２年國際海洋法協定，德國在北海和東海的領海由３海裏增至１２海裏（約２２公裏），其面積各增加４１００和１７００平方公裏。 行政區劃 分為聯邦、州、地區三級，共有１６個州，１４８０８個地區。１６個州的名稱是：巴登－符騰堡、巴伐利亞、柏林、勃蘭登堡、不來梅、漢堡、黑森、梅剋倫堡－前波莫瑞、下薩剋森、北萊茵－威斯特法倫、萊茵蘭－法耳茨、薩爾、薩剋森、薩剋森－安哈特、石勒蘇益格－荷爾斯泰因和圖林根。其中柏林、不來梅和漢堡是市州。 歷史 公元前境內就居住着日耳曼人。公元２－３世紀逐漸形成部落。１０世紀形成德意志早期封建國傢。１３世紀中期走嚮封建割據。１８世紀初奧地利和普魯士崛起，根據１８１５年維也納會議，組成了德意志邦聯，１８４８年德國各地爆發革命，普魯士於１８６６年的“七星期戰爭”中擊敗奧地利，次年建立北德意志聯邦，１８７１年統一的德意志帝國建立。該帝國１９１４年挑起第一次世界大戰，１９１８年因戰敗而宣告崩潰。１９１９年２月德意志建立魏瑪共和國。１９３３年希特勒上臺實行獨裁統治。 德國於１９３９年發動第二次世界大戰，１９４５年５月８日德國戰敗投降。戰後，根據雅爾塔協定和波茨坦協定，德國分別由美、英、法、蘇四國占領，並由四國組成盟國管製委員會接管德國最高權力。柏林市也劃分成４個占領區。１９４８年６月，美、英、法三國占領區合併。翌年５月２３日，合併後的西部占領區成立了德意志聯邦共和國。同年１０月７日，東部的蘇占區成立了德意志民主共和國。德國從此正式分裂為兩個主權國傢。 德國作為一個地理單元在歷史上曾經幾經分裂，最近的一次分裂是上個世紀的四十年代末，當時德國分裂為東德(德意志民主共和國，The German Democratic Republic, GDR)、西德（德意志聯邦共和國The Federal Republic of Germany, FRG）兩個國傢。並於1990年10月3日再次統一。 古代歷史 德意志民族的産生是一個延續了許多世紀的過程。一般認為，德國歷史開始於公元919年。在這一年，薩剋森公爵亨利一世取得了東法蘭剋王國王位，建立了德意志王國。亨利一世的兒子鄂圖一世繼承王位後為了取得所謂上帝授予的皇權，於公元962年強迫教皇約翰十世在羅馬給他加冕，稱為“羅馬皇帝”，德意志王國便稱為“德意志民族的神聖羅馬帝國”，史稱“德意志第一帝國”。神聖羅馬帝國始終不是一個中央集權的統一國傢。隨着地方封建勢力日益強大，皇帝的權力便不斷衰落，形成了不少的邦國。在這四分五裂的帝國中，最大的兩個邦國是普魯士和奧地利。 近代歷史 在17-18世紀時，它們都發展成為當時歐洲大陸的強國。19世紀初，當拿破侖占領德意志時，取消了德意志的神聖羅馬帝國皇帝稱號，有名無實的神聖羅馬帝國就不復存在了。19世紀後半期，普魯士通過三次王朝戰爭，實現了德國在普魯士控製下的統一。1864年對丹麥戰爭後，普魯士和奧地利迫使丹麥割讓石勒蘇益格—荷爾斯泰因地區。在1866年普魯士和奧地利的戰爭中，奧地利敗北，於是奧地利不得不脫離德意志邦聯。德意志邦聯解體後，代之而起的是包括美因河以北所有各邦在內的、由普魯士主導的北德邦聯。普魯士在1870年爆發的普法戰爭中擊敗法國，翌年1月18日，普魯士國王威廉一世在法國凡爾賽宮加冕為德意志皇帝，是為“德意志第二帝國”，這是德國第一次真正意義上的統一。1914年爆發的第一次世界大戰以德國的失敗和德意志帝國的瓦解而告終。戰爭也導致德國第一次建立了聯邦共和國，史稱“魏瑪共和國”。1933年1月30日，希特勒建立了法西斯獨裁統治，宣告了魏瑪共和國的終結。這個由希特勒統治的法西斯德國號稱“德意志第三帝國”。1939年3月法西斯德國軍隊開進捷剋斯洛伐剋；1939年9月1日，德軍進軍波蘭，發動了第二次世界大戰。這次世界大戰共有61個國傢參與，死亡5000多萬人，使世界陷入一片黑暗。1945年5月8日，德國在投降書上簽字。 現代歷史 第二次世界大戰納粹德國戰敗，根據波茨坦會議（Potsdam Conference）中英、美、法、蘇四國的協議，决定在德國戰敗後將其一分為四分別由四個戰勝國占領，並且合組一個最高管理單位盟國管製理事會（Allied Control Council，ACC）來治理德國事務。但由於理念上的差異，在戰後以美國為主的西方陣營與以蘇聯為主的共産陣營逐漸疏遠，1948年3月時，美國、英國、法國三國在倫敦舉行會議，初步决議要將三國所分別管理的德國領土合併，組成一個德國西部的政權，針對這點蘇聯方面作出反製，首先是退出ACC，並進而宣佈著手設立一個東德政權的計劃。 但直接導致東西德分離的導火綫，則是發生在1948年6月20日，西方占領區境內的貨幣重整計劃。當時西方三國占領區內原本分別發行的貨幣進行了整合的動作，但卻排除蘇聯占領區，發行了所謂的西德馬剋，而蘇聯占領區也在短短三日後發行了東德馬剋，儼然象徵東西德正式分離。東西德分離後，東德方面曾在1948年中開始，對使用西德馬剋的西柏林地區進行封鎖，為期11個月，希望透過此舉達到完全控製整個柏林地區的目的，但卻在西方國傢持續以空運方式所進行的柏林空運之支援下沒有實現。在柏林封鎖解除（1949年5月12日）後沒多久的5月23日，西德（德意志聯邦共和國）宣佈正式成立。而東德方面也在同年的10月7日宣佈正式成立以德意志社會主義統一黨（Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands，SED）一黨專政的社會主義共和政體。 相對於英美法占領區所組成的西德加入了以美國為首的北約組織（NATO），東德則是加入了以蘇聯為首的社會主義陣營組織－－華約組織。１９８９年民主德國局勢發生了急劇變化。自同年５月起，大批公民出走聯邦德國。１０月初，許多城市相繼爆發了規模不等的示威遊行，要求放寬出國旅行和新間媒介的限製等。１０月１８日，民主德國總統昂納剋宣佈辭職。１１月９日，“柏林墻”開放。１１月２８日，聯邦德國總理科爾提出關於兩個德國實現統一的十點計劃。１９９０年２月１３至１４日，民主德國總理莫德羅首次訪問聯邦德國。３月１８日，民主德國人民議會實行自由選舉，德梅齊埃任總理後，兩德統一的步伐大大加快。５月１８日，兩德在波恩簽署關於建立貨幣、經濟和社會聯盟的國傢條約。８月３１日，雙方又在柏林簽署兩德統一條約。９月２４日，民主德國國傢人民軍正式退出華約組織。１０月３日民主德國正式加入聯邦德國。民主德國的憲法、人民議院、政府自動取消，原１４個專區為適應聯邦德國建製改為５個州，並入了聯邦德國，分裂４０多年的兩個德國重新統一。以德意志聯邦共和國（Bundasrepublik Deutschland，BDR）為存續單位，東德遂成為一個不再存在的國傢。 1970年的一個蕭瑟鼕日，剛剛上任的聯邦德國總理勃蘭特，來到了波蘭華沙猶太人紀念碑前，二戰中，波蘭有250萬猶太人在集中營裏飽經痛苦、絶望的折磨，最終無助地死去。在冰涼的風中，勃蘭特一步步走到死難者的墓碑前，在全世界的註視下，這位二戰中反納粹的英勇鬥士，做出了一個令所有人震驚不已的動作：他跪倒在地。 一位記者寫道：“不必這樣做的他，替所有必須跪而沒有跪的人跪下了。” 跪下去的是勃蘭特，站起來的是德意志。二戰後，聯邦德國開始陸續嚮遭受德國法西斯迫害的受害者及其遺屬支付巨額賠款，教育部門則將法西斯暴行列為歷史教科書的中心內容，強調“關鍵的任務是教育下一代”，要“將防止歷史悲劇重演的職責視為己任”。 勇於承擔歷史責任的德國回到了歐洲的懷抱，也回到了世界舞臺。 東西柏林問題 1945年，納粹德國投降後，根據二戰時盟國的有關協定，柏林被蘇美英法四國分區占領，東柏林為蘇聯占領，西柏林為美英法共同占領。1948年，東西柏林正式分裂。1948年6月至1949年5月，蘇聯從水陸兩路封鎖西柏林，後解除封鎖。1949年，德意志民主共和國成立，東柏林成為民主德國的首都。但西柏林實際上依然為美英法三國共同控製，雖然聯邦德國基本法和西柏林憲法規定西柏林隸屬於聯邦德國的一個州，但是，西方三國認為該規定同柏林的現實地位不符，宣佈該條款暫不生效，但認為西柏林與聯邦德國間有着“特殊關係”，同意西柏林在司法、經濟、財政、貨幣和社會制度方面同聯邦德國一體化。1961年，為阻隔東德人遷往西德，東德政府在東柏林自己的一側修建了聞名的柏林墻，直至柏林墻倒塌，東德合併到西德。1990年10月3日，勃蘭登堡門上的和平女神又一次見證了國傢命運，分裂了41年的德國再次統一。這一天，被確定為德國的國慶日。 政治 《德意志聯邦共和國基本法》於１９４９年５月生效。１９５６年、１９６８年曾作過較大修改。１９９０年８月兩德“統一條約”對《基本法》某些條款又作了適應性修訂，１０月３日起適用於全德國。《基本法》規定，德國是聯邦製國傢，外交、國防、貨幣、海關、航空、郵電屬聯邦管轄。國傢政體為議會共和製。聯邦總統為國傢元首。議會由聯邦議院和聯邦參議院組成。聯邦議院行使立法權，監督法律的執行，選舉聯邦總理，參與選舉聯邦總統和監督聯邦政府的工作等。聯邦議院選舉通常每四年舉行一次，在選舉中獲勝的政黨或政黨聯盟將擁有組閣權。德國實行兩票製選舉制度。根據德國《選舉法》規定，凡年滿１８周歲的具有德國國籍的公民都有選舉權，每位選民擁有兩張選票。第一票用於選出選民所在選區的議員候選人，並根據簡單多數原則，由獲得選票最多的人當選。選民的第二票用於選舉政黨。各黨獲得第二票的多少將决定其在聯邦議院中擁有席位的比例，對該黨能否上臺執政具有舉足輕重的意義。參加聯邦議院的各黨議員分別組成議會黨團。聯邦參議院參與聯邦立法和對聯邦的行政管理施加影響，維護各州的利益。按各州人口比例由各州政府指派３～６名州政府成員組成參議院，共６９席。議長由各州州長輪流擔任，任期１年，總統因故不能行使職權時代行總統職務。聯邦政府由聯邦總理和聯邦部長若幹人組成，聯邦總理為政府首腦。聯邦憲法法院是最高司法機構，主要負責解釋《基本法》，監督《基本法》的執行，有１６名法官，由聯邦議院和聯邦參議院各推選一半，由總統任命，任期１２年。正、副院長由聯邦議院和聯邦參議院輪流推舉。此外設有聯邦法院（負責民事和刑事案件）、聯邦行政法院（負責一般行政司法案件）、聯邦懲戒法院（負責公職人員違紀案件）、聯邦財政法院（負責財政案件）、聯邦勞工法院（審理勞工案件）、聯邦社會法院（審理社會福利糾紛）和聯邦專利法院（審理有關專利問題的案件）。各級法院設檢察機關，任務是對違法、犯罪提出起訴，但不受法院的管轄，不幹預法院的審判工作，也不獨立行使職權，而受各級司法部門的領導。聯邦行政法院設聯邦最高檢察院，由聯邦檢察長和數名聯邦檢察官進行工作。德國的政黨有：德國社會民主黨、緑黨、基民盟、基督教社會聯盟、自由民主黨、民主社會主義黨、德國共産黨、共和黨等. 經濟 德國是世界第三大經濟體，2007年GDP是32800萬億美元。高度發達的工業國傢，經濟實力居歐洲首位。2007年德國貿易出口突破9000億歐元大關，貿易盈餘達1988億歐元，創歷史新高。德國是商品出口大國，工業産品的一半銷往國外。德國近１／３的就業人員為出口行業工作。主要出口産品有汽車、機械産品、電氣、運輸設備、化學品和鋼鐵。進口産品主要有機械、電器、運輸設備、汽車、石油和服裝。主要貿易對象是西方工業國。政府奉行整頓國傢財政、減少預算赤字、進行稅製改革、刺激個人投資、進一步實行非國有化、減少國傢幹預、充分發揮市場機製作用的政策，使德國經濟持續穩定增長。同時積極采取措施，推動信息技術的發展並調整經濟結構。自然資源貧乏，除硬煤、褐煤和????的儲量豐富之外，在原料供應和能源方面很大程度上依賴進口，２／３的初級能源需要進口。德國的工業以重工業為主，汽車、機械製造、化工、電氣等占全部工業産值的４０％以上。食品、紡織與服裝、鋼鐵加工、采礦、精密儀器、光學以及航空與航天工業也很發達。中小企業多，工業結構佈局均衡。農業發達，機械化程度很高。農業用地約占德國國土面積的一半。産品可滿足本國需要的８０％。旅遊業、交通運輸業發達。德國是啤酒生産大國，其啤酒産量居世界前列。它還是最早研製成功磁懸浮鐵路技術的國傢。２００２年２月２８日２４時，德國馬剋正式停止流通，歐元 (EURO)成為德國法定貨幣。德國是首批使用歐元的１１個國傢之一。 軍事 １９５６年１月正式建立聯邦國防軍。最高軍事决策機構是聯邦安全委員會，主席為聯邦總理。軍隊和平時期由國防部長領導，戰時由聯邦總理任軍隊最高統帥。聯邦國防軍總監為軍隊最高指揮官。國防政策的最高目標是確保德國的和平、自由和獨立，並規定聯邦國防軍是一支純粹防禦性軍隊，實施必要的安全預防措施，不掌握和謀求大規模殺傷性武器。建軍重點是：組織快速反應部隊，製定新軍備規劃，壓縮部隊規模，裁減武器裝備。實行義務兵役製，服役期為9個月。 文化教育 受意大利文藝復興的影響，德國的１８世紀文學走嚮頂峰。歌德、海涅、席勒、萊辛和格林兄弟都是傑出的代表。２０世紀最著名的作傢有托馬斯·曼、海因利希·曼和貝托爾特·布萊希特。作傢海因裏希·伯爾和君特·格拉斯分別於１９７２年和１９９９年獲得諾貝爾文學奬。德國有３０００多座博物館，收藏內容十分豐富。此外，每年都舉行各種藝術節、博覽會和影展等。法蘭剋福和萊比錫是德國圖書出版業中心。德國圖書出版量在世界上僅次於美國占第二位。音樂是德國人生活中不可缺少的組成部分。德國造就了各個不同時期的音樂大師，如貝多芬、巴赫、門德爾鬆、瓦格納等。柏林愛樂樂團更是享譽世界。教堂、宮殿和古堡德國重要的文化遺産。德國聯邦政府迄今評出九所精英大學：亞琛工業大學、柏林自由大學、弗萊堡大學、哥廷根大學、海德堡大學、康斯坦茨大學、卡爾斯魯厄大學、慕尼黑大學、慕尼黑工業大學，並對上述大學進行重點資助。德國人時間觀念比較強，無論是在商務上還是在私人交往上，德國人註重準時。德國人重視商業信譽，一般不輕易更換合作夥伴。德國的教育和文化藝術事業由聯邦和各州共同負責，聯邦政府主要負責教育規劃和職業教育，並通過各州文教部長聯席會議協調全國的教育工作，在中小學教育、高等教育以及成人教育和進修方面，主要立法和行政管理權歸屬於各州。全國性的文化藝術活動由聯邦政府予以資助。對外文化交流由外交部負責協調。大、中、小學和職業教育發達，實行１２年製的義務教育，公立學校學費全免，教科書等學習用品部分減免。小學學製４－６年，中學學製５－９年。高等學校享有一定自主權，原則上實行自由入學，對部分學科采取名額限製。職業教育實行“雙元製”，即職業學校理論學習和企業中的實踐相結合，成人教育和業餘教育普及。教師為終身公職人員，必須受過高等教育。 德國公共假期 日期 中文名稱 當地名稱 說明 1月1日 元旦 Neujahr ./. 耶穌受難日 Karfreitag 星期五，具體日期不固定 ./. 復活節周一 Ostermontag 星期一，具體日期不固定 復活節是春分月圓後第一個星期天，如果月圓正好是星期天，那麽往後延一周 5月1日 勞動節 Tag der Arbeit ./. 耶穌升天節 Christi Himmelfahrt 復活節後40日，具體日期不固定 ./. 聖靈降臨節 Pfingstmontag 升天節後10日，復活節後50日，具體日期不固定 10月3日 德國統一日 Tag der deutschen Einheit 前東、西德在柏林圍墻倒下後統一的日子 12月25/26日 聖誕節 Weihnachten 重要宗教節日 新聞出版 新聞出版事業十分發達，報刊種類繁多。１９９９年出版的日報有３６７種，１６２０個地方版和地區版，由３８０個出版社和１３５傢編輯部出版發行，總發行量約為２５００萬份，人均報紙擁有量占世界第四位，僅次於日、英和瑞士；雜志１６００多種，總發行量約１. ４億份；各種專業刊物８０００多種。１９９４年德國有新聞出版企業２６６１傢，從業人員２６. ３萬。發行量最大的日報是《圖片報》，１９９９年第二季度達４５１萬份。其它全國性大報有：《南德意志報》、《法蘭剋福匯報》、《時代》周報、《世界報》。最大的地方性報紙是《西德意志匯報》，發行量１１３萬份。時事政治性周刊《明鏡》發行量１０３. ９萬份，《明星》畫報１０７. ８萬份。大報業托拉斯施普林格報業集團壟斷了全國報紙出版量的１/５。 通訊社有：（１）德意志新聞社，１９４９年成立，為私營股份有限公司，下設報紙、廣播和電視新聞２００多個部門，屬於世界大通訊社之一。總社在漢堡，圖片新聞編輯總部在法蘭剋福。在波恩設有一個聯邦分社，在國內其它５０多個城市設有分社或編輯部，在８０多個國傢派駐記者或聘用撰稿人。是德國大衆傳媒的主要消息來源。德新社通過衛星、電傳等通訊手段用德語、英語、西班牙語和阿拉伯語每天發稿，內容包括國內外的政治、經濟、科技、和文化等各個領域，在德國日報中的采用率達９９％。（２）德意志電訊社：１９７１年成立，總社在波恩，主要嚮國內報紙提供新聞稿，對外衹用德文嚮瑞士、盧森堡發消息，德統一後，該社與前民德的德通社合併。此外還有一些專業性通訊社：福音教新聞社、體育新聞社、聯合經濟新聞社等。 全國主要廣播電臺有： （1）德國廣播電臺，由聯邦政府和州廣播電臺出資興辦，主要負責對國內廣播； （2）德國之聲電臺，１９６０年成立，總部設在科隆，由聯邦出資興辦，用包括中文在內的３１種語言嚮全世界廣播。此外還有１１傢州電臺。 全國主要電視臺： （1）德國電視一臺（ARD），由各州電臺、德國廣播電臺和德國之聲電臺組成德國廣播協會，共同經營，播放全國性的“第一套節目”及地方性的“第三套節目”； （2）德國電視二臺（ZDF），是德國最大的電視臺，１９６１年由各州共同組建，總部設在美因茲，播放“第二套節目”。另外一些衛星電視節目如德國電視臺的“１ PLUS”和私營電視臺如“SAT １”、“RTL”、“PRO ７”也擁有大量觀衆。 名勝 勃蘭登堡門(Brandenburg Gate)位於柏林市中心菩提樹大街和６月１７日大街的交匯處，是柏 林市區著名的遊覽勝地和德國統一的象徵。公元１７５３年，普魯士國王弗裏德利希·威廉一世定都柏林，下令修築共有１４座城門的柏 林城，因此門坐西朝東，弗裏德利希·威廉一世便以國王傢族的發祥地勃蘭登命名。初時此門僅為一座用兩根巨大的石柱支撐的簡陋石門。１７８８年，普魯士國王弗裏德利希·威廉二世統一德意志帝國，為表慶祝，遂重建此門。當時德國著名建築學家卡爾·歌德哈爾·閬漢斯受命承擔設計與建築工作，他以雅典古希臘柱廊式城門為藍本，設計了這座凱旋門式的城門，並於１７９１年竣工。重建後的城門高２０米，寬６５．６米，進深１１米，門內有５條通道，中間的通道最寬。據史書記載，中間的通道在１９１８年德皇退位前僅允許皇族成員行走。門內各通道之間用巨大的砂岩條石隔開，條石的兩端各飾６根高達１４米、底部直徑為１．７０米的多立剋式立柱。為使此門更輝煌壯麗，當時德國著名的雕塑傢戈特弗裏德·沙多又為此門頂端設計了一套青銅裝飾雕像：四匹飛馳的駿馬拉着一輛雙輪戰車，戰車上站着一位背插雙翅的女神，她一手執杖一手提轡，一隻展翅欲飛的普魯士飛鷹鷲立在女神手執的飾有月桂花環的權杖上。在各通道內側的石壁上鑲嵌着沙多創作的２０幅描繪古希臘神話中大力神海格拉英雄事跡的大理石浮雕畫。３０幅反映古希臘和平神話“和平徵戰”的大理石浮雕裝飾在城門正面的石門楣上。此門建成之後曾被命名為“和平之門”，戰車上的女神被稱為“和平女神”。 無憂宮(Sans Souci Palace)位於德意志聯邦共和國東部勃蘭登堡州首府波茨坦市北郊。宮名取自法文原意“無憂”（或“莫愁”）。無憂宮及其周圍的園林是普魯士國王腓特烈二世（１７４５—１７５７年）時期仿照法國凡爾賽宮的建築式樣建造的。整個園林占地２９０公頃，坐落在一座沙丘上，故也有“沙丘上的宮殿”之稱。無憂宮全部建築工程前後延續了約５０年之久，為德國建築藝術的精華。無憂宮前是平行的弓形６級臺階，兩側由翠緑叢林烘托。宮殿前的大噴泉 是用圓形花瓣石雕組成，四周用“火”、“水”、“土”、“空氣”４個圓形花壇陪襯，花壇內塑有神像，尤以維納斯像和水星神像造形最為精美、生動。據說，整個宮內有１０００多座以希臘神話人物為題材的石刻雕像。正殿中部為半圓球形頂，兩翼為長條錐脊建築。殿正中為圓廳，門廊面對一座大噴泉。瑰麗的首相廳的天花板裝潢極富想象力，四壁鑲金，光彩奪目。室內多用壁畫和明鏡裝飾，輝煌璀璨。宮的東側有珍藏１２４幅名畫的畫廊，多為文藝復興時期意大利、荷蘭畫傢的名作。在無憂宮的花園內有一座六角涼亭，被稱為中國茶亭。茶亭采用了中國傳統的傘狀圓形屋頂、上蓋碧瓦、黃金圓柱落地支撐的建築結構。亭內桌椅完全仿造東方式樣製造。亭前矗立着一隻中國式香鼎。據說當年普魯士國王常在此品茶消遣。 科隆大教堂(Cologne Cathedral)是世界上最完美的哥特式教堂，位於德國科隆市中心的萊茵河畔。東西長１４４．５５米，南北寬８６．２５米，廳高４３．３５米，頂柱高１０９米，中央是兩座與門墻連砌在一起的雙尖塔，這兩座１５７．３８米的尖塔像兩把鋒利的寶劍，直插蒼穹。整座建築物全部由磨光石塊砌成，占地８０００平方米，建築面積約６０００多平方米。在大教堂的四周林立着無數座小尖塔，整個大教堂呈黑色，在全市所有的建築中格外引人註目。 歷史名人 康德（１７２４－１８０４）：生於１７２４年４月２２日，１７４０年入哥尼斯貝格大學。從１７４６年起任家庭教師４年。１７５５年完成大學學業，取得編外講師資格，任講師１５年。在此期間康德作為教師和著作傢，聲望日隆。除講授物理學和數學外，還講授邏輯學、形而上學、道德哲學、火器和築城學、自然地理等。１８世紀６０年代，這一時期的主要著作有：《關於自然神學和道德的原則的明確性研究》（１７６４）、《把負數概念引進於哲學中的嘗試》（１７６３）、《上帝存在的論證的唯一可能的根源》（１７６３）。所著《視靈者的幻夢》（１７６６）檢驗了有關精神世界的全部觀點。１７７０年被任命為邏輯和形而上學教授。同年發表《論感覺界和理智界的形式和原則》。從１７８１年開始，９年內出版了一係列涉及廣阔領域的有獨創性的偉大著作，短期內帶來了一場哲學思想上的革命。如《純粹理性批判》（１７８１）、《實踐理性批判》（１７８８）、《判斷力批判》（１７９０）。１７９３年《在理性範圍內的宗教》出版後被指控為濫用哲學，歪麯並蔑視基督教的基本教義；於是政府要求康德不得在講課和著述中再談論宗教問題。但１７９７年國王死後，他又在最後一篇重要論文《學院之爭》（１７９８）中重新論及這一問題。《從自然科學最高原理到物理學的過渡》本來可能成為康德哲學的重要補充，但此書未能完成。１８０４年２月１２日病逝。 歌德（１７４９－１８３２）：德國詩人。生於萊茵河畔法蘭剋福一個富裕市民家庭。１７６５年入萊比錫大學學法律，但更醉心於藝術和自然科學，１７７０年轉入斯特拉斯堡大學，深受盧梭等先進思想影響。次年結束學業，回到故鄉當律師，但主要精力卻在文學創作。從１７７５年，他在魏瑪公國從政十年，任魏瑪公國樞密院顧問，主張改革，但未實現。歌德一生勤勉寫作，確立了他作為世界大作傢的地位。其作品數量之大達到驚人地步，《歌德全集最後手定本》達４０册，他逝世後的補充本《歌德遺著》達２０册。寫有中篇小說《少年維特之煩惱》，代表作詩劇《浮士德》是現實主義和浪漫主義相結合的著作。 貝多芬（１７７０—１８２７年）：德國作麯傢。生於波恩城，自幼隨父學鋼琴。１７８７年曾經到維也納嚮海頓學習作麯，並結識莫紮特。１７９２年定居維也納，從事教學、演出和創作。貝多芬生活在法國大革命、拿破侖戰爭和維也納體係的反動時代，歐洲的民主和民族意識此時正日益興起。他的作品正反映了這些時代的特徵，或歌頌英雄，或反對封建，爭取民主自由和美好未來。其主要作品有《第三交響麯》《第五交響麯》（《命運》）、《第六交響麯》（《田園》）、《第九交響麯》（《合唱》），以及《悲愴》奏鳴麯、《月光》奏鳴麯等。 黑格爾（１７７０－１８３１年）：德國唯心主義哲學家。生於德國南部斯圖加特的一個紳士家庭。１７８８—１７９３年在圖賓根神學院學習，畢業後當過六年家庭教師，後在紐倫堡中學當校長。１８１６年任海德堡大學哲學教授。１８３０年任柏林大學校長，１８３１年死於霍亂。主要著作有：《精神現象學》、《邏輯學》、《哲學全書》、《法哲學原理》》、《哲學史講演錄》、《歷史哲學》和《美學）等。 海涅（１７９７－１８５６年）：１７９７年１２月１３日生於德國杜塞爾多夫，童年和少年時期經歷了拿破侖戰爭。１８１５年拿破侖兵敗後，曾在銀行工作。１８１９年後，曾在波恩大學、哥廷根大學、柏林大學學習。在柏林時結識法恩哈根·封·恩澤夫婦以及作傢沙米索、富凱等。恩澤夫婦傢的文學沙竜是柏林的文學中心。在它的影響下，海涅的第一部《詩集》於１８２１年在柏林出版。１８２３年發表《悲劇——抒情插麯》。１８２４年１月重返格廷根大學學習法律，並繼續寫詩，完成了《還鄉集》。１８２５年獲法學博士學位。《還鄉集》增訂後與《哈爾茨山遊記》和《北海紀遊》中的第一部分組詩，於１８２６年匯編為《旅行記》發表，引起強烈的反響。１８２７年《旅行記》第２捲出版。從英國旅行回到漢堡後，他的《歌集》出版，收入在此之前發表的大部詩歌，奠定了海涅作為傑出的抒情詩人的地位。１８２９年《旅行記》第３捲出版。以後海涅陸續發表了《法蘭西現狀》、《論法國的畫傢》、《德國近代文學史略》、《路德維希·伯爾納，亨利希·海涅的備亡錄》、《德國，一個鼕天的童話》等文章和詩歌。１８４８年５月完全癱瘓，他以驚人的毅力堅持寫作，口授完成詩集《羅曼采羅》，於１８５１年出版。後還寫了一些散文作品。１８５６年２月１７日，海涅在巴黎逝世。 門德爾鬆（Mendelssohn，１８０９－１８４７）：１８０９年２月３日生於德國漢堡，父母均為猶太人。１２歲開始創作，１７歲即完成《仲夏夜之夢序麯》，２１歲起研究和整理巴赫的作品，為這位音樂之父的作品得以復生作出了最重要的貢獻。２７歲在萊比錫任指揮，１８４３年創辦德國第一所音樂學院，３８歲時即病故。他在短暫的一生中創作了大量的各種體裁的音樂作品，作品風格溫柔舒適、優美恬靜、完整嚴謹、極少矛盾衝突、富於詩意幻想，反映出他生活上的安定富足。他的交響麯《蘇格蘭》、《意大利》，序麯《芬格爾山洞》，《平靜的海與幸福的航行》，《e小調小提琴協奏麯》等都是著名作品。《仲夏夜之夢序麯》是音樂作品中最早描寫神仙境界的。他還獨創了“無詞歌”的鋼琴麯體裁，共八册四十八首，形象生動多姿，是早期標題音樂的代表。以他為中心的萊比錫樂派對十九世紀德國音樂生活産生了很大的影響。 瓦格納（Richard Wagner，１８１３－１８８３年）：１８１３年５月２２日生於萊比錫。自幼喜愛貝多芬、莫紮特和韋伯的音樂，自學鋼琴和作麯。同時，也受莎士比亞、歌德、席勒的戲劇影響，１５歲時就寫了一出５幕的詩悲劇，晚年又受叔本華、尼采甚至弗洛伊德等哲學家的影響。１８３３年夏天在維爾茨堡擔任歌劇指揮，並開始歌劇創作。１８４０年寫成《黎恩濟》，１８４１年創作了他的第一部歌劇代表作《漂泊的荷蘭人》。１８４３年被任命為德纍斯頓宮廷歌劇院指揮。１８４５年演出他根據德國傳說所作的《湯豪塞》。１８４９年後，在國外流亡１５年。１８７５年完成了《尼伯竜根指環》的全部寫作，並於１８７６年８月在新落成的拜羅伊特劇院上演，獲極大成功。其著名的作品尚有《羅恩格林》、《特裏斯坦與伊索爾德》、《紐倫堡的名歌手》等。其著作有《論德國音樂》、《藝術與革命》、《未來的藝術作品》以及《歌劇與戲劇》等。１８８３年２月１３日逝世。他的音樂戲劇的舞臺作品具有極為深遠的意義，特點是都是由自己創作的（包括情節、人物、劇詞、表現方法和音樂）。他對音樂形式本身從不感興趣，衹把它作為情感的和心理的表現手段而已。他徹底改革了作麯的技術，從而對音樂作為一種藝術的發展具有决定性的影響，並導致表現主義音樂的形成。 馬剋思 （１８１８－１８８３年）：１８１８年５月５日出生於德國普魯士萊茵省特利爾城一個猶太人律師家庭。１８３５—１８４１年，先後在波恩大學和柏林大學攻讀法學，得哲學博士學位。１８４２年任萊茵報主編，１８４３年和燕妮結婚並遷居巴黎。１８４４年和恩格斯會見，合著《神聖傢族》（１８４４年）、《德意志意識形態》（１８４５—１８４６年）。１８４７年１１月出席共産主義者同盟第二次代表大會，１８４８年２月發表與恩格斯合寫的《共産黨宣言》；１８４８年歐洲革命爆發後回到德國，創辦《新萊茵報》；１８４０年被驅逐出普魯士，先到巴黎，後定居倫敦；１８６４年在倫敦創立“國際工人協會”（即第一國際），領導國際工人運動，開展反對機會主義的鬥爭。１８８３年３月１４日與世長辭，和先他兩年逝世的夫人燕妮一起，安葬在倫敦的海格特公墓。 恩格斯（１８２０—１８９５年）：１８２０年１１月２８日出生於德國普魯士萊茵省巴門市一個紡織工廠主家庭。１８３７年中學還未畢業，就到不來梅一傢大貿易公司經商，１８４１年在步兵炮團服兵役，同時在柏林大學聽哲學課，參加了青年黑格爾派小組。１８４２年９月到英國曼徹斯特其父與人合營的企業工作。１８４４年在巴黎與馬剋思相見，並於當年合著《神聖傢族》。１８４５年出版《英國工人階級狀況》，同年春遷居布魯塞爾，與馬剋思合著《德意志意識形態》，１８４８年２月又共同發表《共産黨宣言》。１８４８年德國革命爆發，曾親自參加武裝起義。１８５０年１１月重返英國經商，在經濟上支持和幫助馬剋思。參加創建和領導第一國際的工作。１８７７－１８７８年寫成《反杜林論》；１８８５年整理出版了《資本論》第二捲；１８９４年出版了第三捲。１８８９年領導建立第二國際。１８９５年8月5日在倫敦病逝。 奧托·馮·俾斯麥（Otto Von Bismarck，１８１５－１８９８）是德國近代史上一位舉足輕重的人物。作為普魯士德國容剋資産階級的最著名的政治傢和外交傢，他是“從上至下”統一德國的代表人物。俾斯麥於１８１５年４月１日出生於普魯士勃蘭登堡阿爾特馬剋雪恩豪森莊園一傢大容剋貴族世傢。幼時受過良好教育，曾經在哥廷根大學和柏林大學學習法律、歷史和外語。大學期間，他曾與同學作過２７次决鬥。畢業後服兵役。俾斯麥體格強壯、個性粗野，為了追求目標可以不擇手段，持現實主義態度。１８３９年以後，他回到自己的領地，經營莊園經濟，采用新的耕作方法，改進農具，作物輪種，進行商品生産。１８４７年，俾斯麥成為普魯士議會議員；１８５１—１８５８年被任命為普魯士邦駐德意志聯邦代表會的代表，１８５９年任駐俄公使，１８６１年改任駐法公使。１８６２年任普魯士宰相兼外交大臣，極力推行“鐵血政策”，主張通過戰爭，由普魯士統一德國。他相繼發動了對丹麥、奧地利和法國的戰爭，逐步實現了德國統一。１８７１年俾斯麥出任新成立後的德意志帝國宰相，並受封為公爵。此後的２０年間，他權傾朝野。對內加強普魯士和帝國政府的權力，促進容剋和資産階級的聯盟和經濟收益，鎮壓工人運動；對外采取現實主義態度，爭霸歐洲，並嚮海外積極擴張，他本人成為１９世紀下半期歐洲政治舞臺上的風雲人物。１８９０年，他被新皇威廉二世命令辭職，回到莊園。１８９８年去世。 阿道夫·希特勒（Adolf Hitler，1889-1945）德國法西斯主義頭號獨裁者，第二次世界大戰元兇。1889年生於奧匈帝國布勞瑙，1933年出任德國總理 ，宣佈德國為“德意志第三帝國”，使德國擺脫經濟大蕭條。他撕毀《凡爾賽和約》，瘋狂擴充軍隊，占領奧地利、捷剋斯洛伐剋等國。1939年9月1日入侵波蘭，3日，英法對德宣戰，第二次世界大戰爆發。1941年6月22日入侵蘇聯。1945年4月30日在總理府地堡自殺。 貝爾托·布萊希特１８９８年２月１０日生於德國巴伐利亞省奧格斯堡鎮。年輕時任劇院編劇和導演。曾投身工人運動。１９３３年後流亡歐洲大陸。１９４１年經蘇聯去美國，但戰後遭迫害，１９４７年返回歐洲。１９４８年起定居東柏林。１９５１年因對戲劇的貢獻而獲國傢奬金。１９５５年獲列寧和平奬金。他一直從倡導歌劇改革入手，在理論和實踐上進行史詩劇實驗，特別吸收中國戲劇藝術經驗，逐步形成了獨特的表演方法。他的主要戲劇理論著作有：《梅辛考夫》等。代表性劇作有：《母親》、《四川好人》、《高加索灰闌記》、《伽利略傳》等等。 尼采（Friedrich wilhelm Nietzsche 1844-1900）是德國現代著名哲學家。他出身於一個鄉村牧師的家庭。父親社會地位不高，但因與國王有故交，因此得到後者的恩寵。尼采從小接受貴族特權階級的教育，他們傢中的生活方式也是貴族式的。尼采1864年進入波恩大學讀書，一年後轉入萊比錫大學，學習語言學和神學。他喜歡文藝，他後來的著作許多是以文學體裁寫成的。尼采的哲學活動一般可分為三個時期。第一個時期：1870年至1876年。這一時期他主要受到叔本華的影響。他這時的主要著作是《悲劇的起源》（1872）。第二個時期：1877年至1882年。這一時期他主要受了孔德和斯賓塞的影響。主要著作是《人性的，太人性的》（1878），《朝霞》（1881）。第三個時期：1883年至1889年。這時他力求擺脫其他哲學家的影響。獨立創造自己的哲學體係。這時他的主要哲學著作是《查拉圖斯特拉如是說》（四捲1883-1891），《善惡之彼岸》（1886），《道德體係論》（1887）。他的自傳性著作《看這個人！》（1908）以及他哲學思想的總結性著作《權力意志》（1895，未完成）都是這時寫出，死後出版的。 外交 奉行與西方結盟的外交政策，外交政策的重點依次是：推動深化和擴大歐盟，推動歐洲一體化進程，加強以歐洲為核心傳統友誼，鞏固與北約的關係並致力於建立歐洲獨立安全和防務體係。默剋爾總理上臺以後，加強同美國的緊密聯盟，加強跨大西洋兩岸經濟合作，保持和發展與俄羅斯的關係，在經濟上大力開拓中東歐新興市場，加強與中國，印度等有國際影響力發展中國傢的關係，謀求在以聯合國為框架國際組織中發揮更積極作用。 與中國關係：１９７２年１０月１１日，聯邦德國與中國建立外交關係（１９４９年１０月２７日，民主德國與中國建交）。近年來，中德兩國在各領域的互利友好合作不斷取得新進展，在國際事務中的磋商與合作日益加強。但是默剋爾總理上臺以後，由於兩國在西藏問題上認識不同，導致兩國關係一度緊張，經過雙方努力，兩國關係基本恢復正常。 體育 大賽舉辦經歷 1936年柏林奧運會 1974年德國世界杯 2006年德國世界杯 1972年慕尼黑奧運會 德國不僅盛産啤酒，也盛産F1車手，其中車王邁剋爾·舒馬赫就來自德國。現役車手中除了他的弟弟Ralf Schumacher還有海菲爾德，羅斯博格以及蘇蒂爾瀋充。 田徑、遊泳、賽艇、足球，都是德國隊的傳統強項。中長跑選手迪-鮑曼、跳高女選手亨剋爾、跳遠選手德雷剋斯勒、標槍選手西-倫剋，都是歷史上著名的田徑運動員。遊泳界老將有格羅斯、格拉施、施耐德、格韋尼格爾，他們都在各自的項目上創造過世界紀錄。前跳遠世界冠軍德雷剋斯勒，曾在1992年和2000年奧運會時摘取金牌。舒曼是德國隊男子800米悉尼奧運會冠軍。37歲的鐵餅老將裏德爾，曾經拿過五次世界冠軍。德國賽艇隊則是世界一流強隊。 著名撐桿跳高選手羅賓格、女子鉛球名將庫伯努斯、女子鐵餅選手維魯達、遊泳名將阿爾姆西剋、射擊隊的萊昂哈特、庫澤爾等，都是新一代德國國傢隊隊員中的佼佼者。在4x400米接力項目上，能夠出場的運動員中有一位曾是1997年世錦賽該項目金牌獲得者，叫布裏約爾。老將庫伯努斯，曾獲得過亞特蘭大奧運會女子鉛球金牌，她在2004年7月舉行的全國錦標賽上，如願以償的拿到了個人的第七個全國冠軍，她也將參加雅典奧運會的角逐。 德國足球水平一直排在世界的前列，截至2007年，德國國傢足球隊已獲得三座男足世界杯和兩座女足世界杯。德國足球甲級聯賽（德甲）也是歐洲五大聯賽之一。在2006年德國本土舉辦的世界杯中，德國雖然衹有第3名，可他們在這屆比賽中的表現也是令人滿意的。 德國統一後已經參加過三屆奧運會，共獲得67枚金牌，56枚銀牌，81枚銅牌。 下面是德國隊在這幾屆夏季奧運會中的成績： 年份 金牌 銀牌 銅牌 名次 1992 33 21 28 3 1996 20 18 27 3 2000 14 17 26 5 2004 14 16 18 6 戰後德國經濟迅速發展的原因 1.戰後（二戰）德國清除法西斯主義，社會比較穩定 2.試行國民經濟非軍事化，把有限的國力集中到經濟建設中 3.美國的扶植政策幫助 4.政府強調市場規律的作用 5.重視教育和科技，勞動者素質高 60年代初，聯邦德國成為西歐最強大的經濟大國 A region named Germania inhabited by several Germanic peoples has been known and documented before 100 AD. Since the 10th century German territories have formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire that lasted until 1806. During the period, in the 16th century, the northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation. As a modern nation-state, the country was first unified amidst the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. After World War II, Germany was divided into two separate states along the lines of allied occupation in 1949. The two states became reunified again in 1990. West Germany was a founding member of the EC in 1957, which became the European Union in 1993. It is part of the borderless Schengen zone and adopted the common European currency, the Euro, in 1999. Germany is a federal parliamentary republic of sixteen states (Bundesländer). The capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the G8, the G4 nations, and signed the Kyoto protocol. It is the world's third largest economy by nominal GDP and the largest exporter of goods in 2007. In absolute terms, Germany allocates the second biggest annual budget of development aid in the world, while its military expenditure ranked sixth. The country has developed a high standard of living and established a comprehensive system of social security. It holds a key position in European affairs and maintains a multitude of close partnerships on a global level. Germany is recognized as a scientific and technological leader in several fields. History Main articles: History of Germany, Germanic peoples, Germania, and List of country name etymologies The ethnogenesis of the Germanic tribes is assumed to have occurred during the Nordic Bronze Age, or at the latest, during the Pre-Roman Iron Age. From southern Scandinavia and northern Germany, the tribes began expanding south, east and west in the 1st century BC, coming into contact with the Celtic tribes of Gaul as well as Iranian, Baltic, and Slavic tribes in Eastern Europe. Little is known about early Germanic history, except through their recorded interactions with the Roman Empire, etymological research and archaeological finds. Expansion of the Germanic tribes 750 BC – AD 1Under Augustus, the Roman General Publius Quinctilius Varus began to invade Germania (a term used by the Romans running roughly from the Rhine to the Ural Mountains) , and it was in this period that the Germanic tribes became familiar with Roman tactics of warfare while maintaining their tribal identity. In AD 9, three Roman legions led by Varus were defeated by the Cheruscan leader Arminius in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Modern Germany, as far as the Rhine and the Danube, thus remained outside the Roman Empire. By AD 100, the time of Tacitus' Germania, Germanic tribes settled along the Rhine and the Danube (the Limes Germanicus) , occupying most of the area of modern Germany. The 3rd century saw the emergence of a number of large West Germanic tribes: Alamanni, Franks, Chatti, Saxons, Frisians, Sicambri, and Thuringii. Around 260, the Germanic peoples broke through the Limes and the Danube frontier into Roman-controlled lands. Holy Roman Empire (962–1806) Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire (1341 parchment)The medieval empire stemmed from a division of the Carolingian Empire in 843, which was founded by Charlemagne on 25 December 800, and existed in varying forms until 1806, its territory stretching from the Eider River in the north to the Mediterranean coast in the south. Often referred to as the Holy Roman Empire (or the Old Empire) , it was officially called the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation ("Sacrum Romanum Imperium Nationis Germanicæ") starting in 1448, to adjust the title to its then reduced territory. Under the reign of the Ottonian emperors (919–1024) , the duchies of Lorraine, Saxony, Franconia, Swabia, Thuringia, and Bavaria were consolidated, and the German king was crowned Holy Roman Emperor of these regions in 962. Under the reign of the Salian emperors (1024–1125) , the Holy Roman Empire absorbed northern Italy and Burgundy, although the emperors lost power through the Investiture Controversy. Under the Hohenstaufen emperors (1138–1254) , the German princes increased their influence further south and east into territories inhabited by Slavs (Ostsiedlung). Northern German towns grew prosperous as members of the Hanseatic League. Martin Luther, (1483–1546) initiated the Protestant Reformation.The edict of the Golden Bull in 1356 provided the basic constitution of the empire that lasted until its dissolution. It codified the election of the emperor by seven prince-electors who ruled some of the most powerful principalities and archbishoprics. Beginning in the 15th century, the emperors were elected nearly exclusively from the Habsburg dynasty of Austria. The monk Martin Luther wrote his 95 Theses questioning the Roman Catholic Church in 1517, thereby sparking the Protestant Reformation. A separate Lutheran church was acknowledged as the newly sanctioned religion in many German states after 1530. Religious conflict led to the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) , which devastated German lands. The population of the German states was reduced by about 30%. The Peace of Westphalia (1648) ended religious warfare among the German states, but the empire was de facto divided into numerous independent principalities. From 1740 onwards, the dualism between the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy and the Kingdom of Prussia dominated German history. In 1806, the Imperium was overrun and dissolved as a result of the Napoleonic Wars. See also: Medieval demography and German eastward expansion Restoration and revolution (1814–1871) Frankfurt Parliament in 1848Following the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Congress of Vienna convened in 1814 and founded the German Confederation (Deutscher Bund) , a loose league of 39 sovereign states. Disagreement with restoration politics partly led to the rise of liberal movements, demanding unity and freedom. These, however, were followed by new measures of repression on the part of the Austrian statesman Metternich. The Zollverein, a tariff union, profoundly furthered economic unity in the German states. During this era many Germans had been stirred by the ideals of the French Revolution, and nationalism became a more significant force, especially among young intellectuals. For the first time, the colours of black, red and gold were chosen to represent the movement, which later became the national colours. In light of a series of revolutionary movements in Europe, which successfully established a republic in France, intellectuals and commoners started the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states. The monarchs initially yielded to the revolutionaries' liberal demands. King Frederick William IV of Prussia was offered the title of Emperor, but with a loss of power; he rejected the crown and the proposed constitution, leading to a temporary setback for the movement. Conflict between King William I of Prussia and the increasingly liberal parliament erupted over military reforms in 1862, and the king appointed Otto von Bismarck the new Prime Minister of Prussia. Bismarck successfully waged war on Denmark in 1864. Prussian victory in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 enabled him to create the North German Federation (Norddeutscher Bund) and to exclude Austria, formerly the leading German state, from the affairs of the remaining German states. German Empire (1871–1918) Foundation of modern Germany in Versailles-France, 1871. Bismarck is at the centre in a white uniformThe state known as Germany was unified as a modern nation-state in 1871, when the German Empire was forged, with the Kingdom of Prussia as its largest constituent. After the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, the German Empire (Deutsches Kaiserreich) was proclaimed in Versailles on 18 January 1871. The Hohenzollern dynasty of Prussia ruled the new empire, whose capital was Berlin. The empire was a unification of all the scattered parts of Germany except Austria (Kleindeutschland, or "Lesser Germany"). Beginning in 1884, Germany began establishing several colonies outside of Europe. In the Gründerzeit period following the unification of Germany, Emperor William I's foreign policy secured Germany's position as a great nation by forging alliances, isolating France by diplomatic means, and avoiding war. Under William II, however, Germany, like other European powers, took an imperialistic course leading to friction with neighbouring countries. Most alliances in which Germany had been previously involved were not renewed, and new alliances excluded the country. Specifically, France established new relationships by signing the Entente Cordiale with the United Kingdom and securing ties with the Russian Empire. Aside from its contacts with Austria-Hungary, Germany became increasingly isolated. Imperial Germany (1871–1918) , with the dominant Kingdom of Prussia in blue.Germany's imperialism reached outside of its own country and joined many other powers in Europe to claim their share of Africa. The Berlin Conference divided Africa between the European powers. Germany owned several pieces of land on Africa including German East Africa, South-West Africa, Togo, and Cameroon. The Scramble for Africa caused tension between the great powers that may have contributed to the conditions that led to World War I. The assassination of Austria's crown prince on 28 June 1914 triggered World War I. Germany, as part of the unsuccessful Central Powers, suffered defeat against the Allied Powers in one of the bloodiest conflicts of all time. The German Revolution broke out in November 1918, and Emperor William II and all German ruling princes abdicated. An armistice putting an end to the war was signed on 11 November and Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919. Its negotiation, contrary to traditional post-war diplomacy, excluded the defeated Central Powers. The treaty was perceived in Germany as a humiliating continuation of the war by other means and its harshness is often cited as having facilitated the later rise of Nazism in the country. Weimar Republic (1919–1933) Billboard advertising Die Dreigroschenoper by Bertolt Brecht. The Weimar era was dominated by political unrest and cultural liberation.After the success of the German Revolution in November 1918, a republic was proclaimed. The Weimar Constitution came into effect with its signing by President Friedrich Ebert on 11 August 1919. The German Communist Party was established by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht in 1918, and the German Workers Party, later known as the National Socialist German Workers Party or Nazi Party, was founded in January 1919. Suffering from the Great Depression, the harsh peace conditions dictated by the Treaty of Versailles, and a long succession of more or less unstable governments, the political masses in Germany increasingly lacked identification with their political system of parliamentary democracy. This was exacerbated by a wide-spread right-wing (monarchist, völkisch, and Nazi) Dolchstoßlegende, a political myth which claimed that Germany lost World War I because of the German Revolution, not because of military defeat. On the other hand, radical left-wing communists, such as the Spartacist League, had wanted to abolish what they perceived as "capitalist rule" in favour of a Räterepublik. Paramilitary troops were set up by several parties and there were thousands of politically motivated murders. The paramilitaries intimidated voters and seeded violence and anger among the public, which suffered from high unemployment and poverty. After a series of unsuccessful cabinets, President Paul von Hindenburg, seeing little alternative and pushed by right-wing advisors, appointed Adolf Hitler Chancellor of Germany on 30 January 1933. Third Reich (1933–1945) Adolf Hitler.On 27 February 1933, the Reichstag was set on fire. Some basic democratic rights were quickly abrogated afterwards under an emergency decree. An Enabling Act gave Hitler's government full legislative power. Only the Social Democratic Party of Germany voted against it; the Communists were not able to present opposition, as their deputies had already been murdered or imprisoned. A centralised totalitarian state was established by a series of moves and decrees making Germany a single-party state. Industry was closely regulated with quotas and requirements, to shift the economy towards a war production base. In 1936 German troops entered the demilitarized Rhineland, and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's appeasement policies proved inadequate. Emboldened, Hitler followed from 1938 onwards a policy of expansionism to establish Greater Germany. To avoid a two-front war, Hitler concluded the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with the Soviet Union, a pact which he later broke. In 1939, the growing tensions from nationalism, militarism, and territorial issues led to the Germans launching a blitzkrieg on September 1 against Poland, followed two days later by declarations of war by Britain and France, marking the beginning of World War II. Germany quickly gained direct or indirect control of the majority of Europe. Berlin in ruins after World War II, Potsdamer Platz 1945On 22 June 1941, Hitler broke the pact with the Soviet Union by opening the Eastern Front and invading the Soviet Union. Shortly after Japan attacked the American base at Pearl Harbor, Germany declared war on the United States. Although initially the German army rapidly advanced into the Soviet Union, the Battle of Stalingrad marked a major turning point in the war. Subsequently, the German army commenced retreating on the Eastern Front. D-Day marked a major turning point on the Western front, as Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy and made rapid advances into German territory. Germany's defeat soon followed. On 8 May 1945, the German armed forces surrendered after the Red Army occupied Berlin. In what later became known as The Holocaust, the Third Reich regime enacted governmental policies directly subjugating many parts of society: Jews, Communists, Roma, homosexuals, freemasons, political dissidents, priests, preachers, religious opponents, and the disabled, amongst others. During the Nazi era, about eleven million people were murdered in the Holocaust, including six million Jews and three million Poles. World War II and the Nazi genocide were responsible for about 35 million dead in Europe. Division and reunification (1945–1990) Allied occupation zones in 1946The war resulted in the death of nearly ten million German soldiers and civilians; large territorial losses; the expulsion of about 15 million Germans from its former eastern territories and other countries; and the destruction of multiple major cities. The national territory and Berlin were partitioned by the Allies into four military occupation zones. The sectors controlled by France, the United Kingdom, and the United States were merged on 23 May 1949, to form the Federal Republic of Germany; on 7 October 1949, the Soviet Zone established the German Democratic Republic. They were informally known as "West Germany" and "East Germany" and the two parts of Berlin as "West Berlin" and "East Berlin". The eastern and western countries opted for East Berlin and Bonn as their respective capitals. However, West Germany declared the status of its capital Bonn as provisional, in order to emphasize its stance that the two-state solution was an artificial status quo that was to be overcome one day. West Germany — established as a liberal parliamentary republic with a "social market economy" — was allied with the United States, the UK and France. The country eventually came to enjoy prolonged economic growth beginning in the early 1950s (Wirtschaftswunder). West Germany joined NATO in 1955 and was a founding member of the European Economic Community in 1958. Across the border, East Germany was at first occupied by, and later (May 1955) allied with, the USSR. An authoritarian country with a Soviet-style command economy, but many of its citizens looked to the West for political freedoms and economic prosperity. The Berlin Wall, built in 1961 to stop East Germans from escaping to West Germany, became a symbol of the Cold War. However, tensions between East and West Germany were somewhat reduced in the early 1970s by Chancellor Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik, which included the de facto acceptance of Germany's territorial losses in World War II. The Berlin Wall in front of the Brandenburg Gate shortly after the opening in 1989In the face of a growing migration of East Germans to West Germany via Hungary and mass demonstrations during the summer of 1989, East German authorities unexpectedly eased the border restrictions in November, allowing East German citizens to travel to the West. Originally intended as a pressure valve to retain East Germany as a state, the opening of the border actually led to an acceleration of the reform process in East Germany, which finally concluded with the Two Plus Four Treaty a year later on 12 September 1990 and German reunification on 3 October 1990. Under the terms of the treaty, the four occupying powers renounced their rights under the Instrument of Surrender, and Germany regained full sovereignty. Based on the Bonn-Berlin-Act, adopted by the parliament on 10 March 1994, the capital of the unified state was chosen to be Berlin, while Bonn obtained the unique status of a Bundesstadt (federal city) retaining some federal ministries. The move of the government was completed in 1999. Since reunification, Germany has taken a leading role in the European Union and NATO. Germany sent a peacekeeping force to secure stability in the Balkans and sent a force of German troops to Afghanistan as part of a NATO effort to provide security in that country after the ousting of the Taliban. These deployments were controversial, since after the war, Germany was bound by law to only deploy troops for defence roles. Deployments to foreign territories were understood not to be covered by the defence provision; however, the parliamentary vote on the issue effectively legalised the participation in a peacekeeping context. Geography Altitude levelsThe territory of Germany covers 357,021 km² (137,847 sq mi), consisting of 349,223 km² (134,836 sq mi) of land and 7,798 km² (3,011 sq mi) of water. It is the seventh largest country by area in Europe and the 63rd largest in the world. Elevation ranges from the mountains of the Alps (highest point: the Zugspitze at 2,962 metres (9,718 ft)) in the south to the shores of the North Sea (Nordsee) in the north-west and the Baltic Sea (Ostsee) in the north-east. Between lie the forested uplands of central Germany and the low-lying lands of northern Germany (lowest point: Wilstermarsch at 3.54 metres (11.6 ft) below sea level), traversed by some of Europe's major rivers such as the Rhine, Danube and Elbe. Because of its central location, Germany shares borders with more European countries than any other country on the continent. Its neighbours are Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the east, Austria and Switzerland in the south, France and Luxembourg in the south-west and Belgium and the Netherlands in the north-west. Climate Alpine scenery in BavariaMost of Germany has a temperate seasonal climate in which humid westerly winds predominate. The climate is moderated by the North Atlantic Drift, which is the northern extension of the Gulf Stream. This warmer water affects the areas bordering the North Sea including the peninsula of Jutland and the area along the Rhine, which flows into the North Sea. Consequently in the north-west and the north, the climate is oceanic; rainfall occurs year round with a maximum during summer. Winters there are mild and summers tend to be cool, though temperatures can exceed 30 °C (86 °F) for prolonged periods. In the east, the climate is more continental; winters can be very cold, summers can be very warm, and long dry periods are often recorded. Central and southern Germany are transition regions which vary from moderately oceanic to continental. Again, the maximum temperature can exceed 30 °C (86 °F) in summer. Environment The largest wind farm and solar power capacity in the world is installed in Germany. Renewable energy generated 14% of the country's total electricity consumption in 2007.Phytogeographically, Germany is shared between the Atlantic European and Central European provinces of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. The territory of Germany can be subdivided into four ecoregions: the Atlantic mixed forests, Baltic mixed forests, Central European mixed forests and Western European broadleaf forests. Germany is known for its environmental consciousness. Germans generally consider anthropogenic causes to be a major factor in global warming and are almost unanimous in thinking that action is necessary, but are more divided than people in other countries on the urgency of such action. Germany is committed to the Kyoto protocol and several other treaties promoting biodiversity, low emission standards, recycling, the use of renewable energy and supports sustainable development on a global level. Nevertheless the country's carbon dioxide emissions per capita is among the highest in the EU but remains significantly lower compared to Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia or the United States. Emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution. Acid rain, resulting from sulphur dioxide emissions is damaging forests. Pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in former eastern Germany have been reduced. The government under Chancellor Schröder announced intent to end the use of nuclear power for producing electricity. Germany is working to meet EU commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive. Germany's last glaciers in Alpine regions is experiencing deglaciation. Natural hazards are river flooding in spring and stormy winds occurring in all regions. Government The Reichstag is the old and new site of the German parliament.Germany is a federal, parliamentary, representative democratic republic. The German political system operates under a framework laid out in the 1949 constitutional document known as the Grundgesetz (Basic Law). By calling the document Grundgesetz, rather than Verfassung (constitution), the authors expressed the intention that it would be replaced by a proper constitution once Germany was reunited as one state. Amendments to the Grundgesetz generally require a two-thirds majority of both chambers of the parliament; the articles guaranteeing fundamental rights, the separation of powers, the federal structure, and the right to resist attempts to overthrow the constitution are valid in perpetuity and cannot be amended. Despite the initial intention, the Grundgesetz remained in effect after the German reunification in 1990, with only minor amendments. President Horst KöhlerThe Bundeskanzler (Federal Chancellor)—currently Angela Merkel—is the head of government and exercises executive power, similar to the role of a Prime Minister in other parliamentary democracies. Federal legislative power is vested in the parliament consisting of the Bundestag (Federal Diet) and Bundesrat (Federal Council), which together form a unique type of legislative body. The Bundestag is elected through direct elections, yet abiding proportional representation. The members of the Bundesrat represent the governments of the sixteen federal states and are members of the state cabinets. The respective state governments have the right to appoint and remove their envoys at any time. The Bundespräsident (President)—currently Horst Köhler—is the head of state, invested primarily with representative responsibilities and powers. He is elected by the Bundesversammlung (federal convention), an institution consisting of the members of the Bundestag and an equal number of state delegates. The second highest official in the German order of precedence is the Bundestagspräsident (President of the Bundestag), who is elected by the Bundestag and responsible for overseeing the daily sessions of the body. The third-highest official and the head of government is the Chancellor, who is nominated by the Bundespräsident after being elected by the Bundestag. The Chancellor can be removed by a constructive motion of no confidence by the Bundestag, where constructive implies that the Bundestag simultaneously elects a successor. Since 1949, the party system has been dominated by the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party of Germany although smaller parties, such as the liberal Free Democratic Party (which has had members in the Bundestag since 1949) and the Alliance '90/The Greens (which has controlled seats in parliament since 1983) have also played important roles. States Germany comprises 16 states (Länder, Bundesländer), which are further subdivided into 439 districts (Kreise) and cities (kreisfreie Städte) (2004). State Capital Area ( km²) Population Baden-Württemberg Stuttgart 35,752 10,717,000 Bavaria (Bayern) Munich (München) 70,549 12,444,000 Berlin Berlin 892 3,400,000 Brandenburg Potsdam 29,477 2,568,000 Bremen Bremen 404 663,000 Hamburg Hamburg 755 1,735,000 Hesse (Hessen) Wiesbaden 21,115 6,098,000 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Schwerin 23,174 1,720,000 Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) Hanover (Hannover) 47,618 8,001,000 North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) Düsseldorf 34,043 18,075,000 Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) Mainz 19,847 4,061,000 Saarland Saarbrücken 2,569 1,056,000 Saxony (Sachsen) Dresden 18,416 4,296,000 Saxony-Anhalt (Sachsen-Anhalt) Magdeburg 20,445 2,494,000 Schleswig-Holstein Kiel 15,763 2,829,000 Thuringia (Thüringen) Erfurt 16,172 2,355,000 States and cities in Germany. Foreign relations Germany is a founding member of the EC in 1957, which became the European Union in 1993. It maintains close relations with its neighbours to coordinate EU politics.Germany has played a leading role in the European Union since its inception and has maintained a strong alliance with France since the end of World War II. The alliance was especially close in the late 1980s and early 1990s under the leadership of Christian Democrat Helmut Kohl and Socialist François Mitterrand. Germany is at the forefront of European states seeking to advance the creation of a more unified and capable European political, defence and security apparatus. Since its establishment on 23 May 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany kept a notably low profile in international relations, because of both its recent history and its occupation by foreign powers. During the Cold War, Germany's partition by the Iron Curtain made it a symbol of East-West tensions and a political battleground in Europe. However, Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik was a key factor in the détente of the 1970s. In 1999 Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's government defined a new basis for German foreign policy by taking a full part in the decisions surrounding the NATO war against Yugoslavia and by sending German troops into combat for the first time since World War II. Chancellor Angela Merkel hosting the G8 summit in HeiligendammGermany and the United States are close allies. The 1948 Marshall Plan, U.S. support (JCS 1067) during the rebuilding process (Industrial plans for Germany) after World War II, as well as fraternisation (War children) and food support (food policy) and strong cultural ties have crafted a strong bond between the two countries, although Schröder's very vocal opposition to the Iraq War suggested the end of Atlanticism and a relative cooling of German-American relations. The two countries are also economically interdependent; 8.8% of German exports are U.S.-bound and 6.6% of German imports originate from the U.S. The other way around, 8.8% of U.S. exports ship to Germany and 9.8% of U.S. imports come from Germany. Other signs of the close ties include the continuing position of German-Americans as the largest ethnic group in the U.S. and the status of Ramstein Air Base (near Kaiserslautern) as the largest U.S. military community outside the U.S. Development aid The development policy of the Federal Republic of Germany is an independent area of German foreign policy. It is formulated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and carried out by the implementing organisations. The German government sees development policy as a joint responsibility of the international community. Germany's official development aid and humanitarian aid for 2007 amounted to 8.96 billion euros (12.26 billion dollars), an increase of 5.9 per cent from 2006. It has become the world's second biggest aid donor after the United States. Germany spent 0.37 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on development, which is below the government's target of increasing aid to 0.51 per cent of GDP by 2010. The international target of 0.7% of GNP would have not reached either. Military The Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is participating in a UNIFIL II operation off the coast of Lebanon.Germany's military, the Bundeswehr, is a defence force with Heer (Army), Marine (Navy), Luftwaffe (Air Force), Zentraler Sanitätsdienst (Central Medical Services) and Streitkräftebasis (Joint Support Service) branches. Military Service is compulsory for men at the age of 18, and conscripts serve nine-month tours of duty. Conscientious objectors may instead opt for an equal length of Zivildienst (roughly translated as civilian service), or a six year commitment to (voluntary) emergency services like a fire department, the Red Cross or the THW. In 2003, military spending constituted 1.5% of the country's GDP. In peacetime, the Bundeswehr is commanded by the Minister of Defence, currently Franz Josef Jung. If Germany went to war, which according to the constitution is allowed only for defensive purposes, the Chancellor would become commander in chief of the Bundeswehr. As of October 2006, the German military had almost 9,000 troops stationed in foreign countries as part of various international peacekeeping forces, including 1,180 troops stationed in Bosnia-Herzegovina; 2,844 Bundeswehr soldiers in Kosovo; 750 soldiers stationed as a part of EUFOR in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and 2,800 German troops in the NATO-led ISAF force in Afghanistan. As of February 2007, Germany had about 3,000 ISAF troops in Afghanistan, the third largest contingent after the United States (14,000) and the United Kingdom (5,200). Law The Federal Constitutional Court of Germany in KarlsruheThe Judiciary of Germany is independent of the executive and the legislative branches. Germany has a civil or statute law system that is based on Roman law with some references to Germanic law. The Bundesverfassungsgericht (Federal Constitutional Court) , located in Karlsruhe, is the German Supreme Court responsible for constitutional matters, with power of judicial review. It acts as the highest legal authority and ensures that legislative and judicial practice conforms to the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (Basic Law). It acts independently of the other state bodies, but cannot act on its own behalf. Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, 1949Germany's supreme court system, called Oberste Gerichtshöfe des Bundes, is specialized. For civil and criminal cases, the highest court of appeal is the Federal Court of Justice, located in Karlsruhe and Leipzig. The courtroom style is inquisitorial. Other Federal Courts are the Federal Labour Court in Erfurt, the Federal Social Court in Kassel, the Federal Finance Court in Munich and the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig. Criminal law and private law are codified on the national level in the Strafgesetzbuch and the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch respectively. The German penal system is aimed towards rehabilitation of the criminal; its secondary goal is the protection of the general public. To achieve the latter, a convicted criminal can be put in preventive detention (Sicherheitsverwahrung) in addition to the regular sentence if he is considered to be a threat to the general public. The Völkerstrafgesetzbuch regulates the consequences of crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes. It gives German courts universal jurisdiction if prosecution by a court of the country where the crime was committed, or by an international court, is not possible. State level German state police officer in HamburgLegislative power is divided between the federation and the state level. The Basic Law presumes that all legislative power remains at the state level unless otherwise designated by the Basic Law itself. In some areas, federal and state level have concurrent legislative power. In such cases, the federate level has power to legislation "if and to the extent that the establishment of equal living conditions throughout the federal territory or the maintenance of legal or economic unity renders federal regulation necessary in the national interest" (Art. 72 Basic Law). Any federal law overrides state law if the legislative power lies at the federal level. A famous example is the Hessian permission of the death penalty that goes against the ban of capital punishment by the Basic Law, rendering the Hessian provision invalid. The Bundesrat is the federal organ through which the states participate in national legislation. State participation in federal legislation is necessary if the law falls within the area of concurrent legislative power, requires states to administer federal regulations, or if designated so by the Basic Law. Every state with the exception of Schleswig-Holstein (whose constitutional jurisdiction is exercised by the Bundesverfassungsgericht in procuration) has its own constitutional courts. The Amtsgerichte, Landgerichte and Oberlandesgerichte are state courts of general jurisdiction. They are competent whether the action is based on federal or state law. Many of the fundamental matters in administrative law remain in the jurisdiction of the states, though most states base their own laws in that area on the 1976 Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetz (Administrative Proceedings Act) in important points of administrative law. The Oberverwaltungsgerichte are the highest levels in administrative jurisdiction concerning the state administrations, unless the question of law concerns federal law or state law identical to federal law. In such cases, final appeal to the Federal Administrative Court is possible. Demographics Berlin is the largest city with a population of 3.4 million people.With over 82 million inhabitants, Germany is the most populous country in the European Union. However, its fertility rate of 1.39 children per mother is one of the lowest in the world, and the federal statistics office estimates the population will shrink to between 69 and 74 million by 2050 (69 million assuming a net migration of +100,000 per year; 74 million assuming a net migration of +200,000 per year). Germany has a number of larger cities, the most populous being Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt and Stuttgart. By far the largest conurbation is the Rhine-Ruhr region, including Düsseldorf (the capital of NRW) and the cities of Cologne, Essen, Dortmund, Duisburg, and Bochum. Population of German territories 1800 - 2000 and immigrant population from 1975 - 2000As of December 2004, about seven million foreign citizens were registered in Germany, and 19% of the country's residents were of foreign or partially foreign descent. The young are more likely to be of foreign descent than the old. 30% of Germans aged 15 years and younger have at least one parent born abroad. In the big cities 60% of children aged 5 years and younger have at least one parent born abroad. The largest group (2.3 million) is from Turkey, and a majority of the rest are from European states such as Italy, Serbia, Greece, Poland, and Croatia. The United Nations Population Fund lists Germany as host to the third-highest number of international migrants worldwide, about 5% or 10 million of all 191 million migrants, or about 12% of the population of Germany. As a consequence of restrictions of Germany's formerly rather unrestricted laws on asylum and immigration, the number of immigrants seeking asylum or claiming German ethnicity (mostly from the former Soviet Union) has been declining steadily since 2000. Religion The Cologne Cathedral at the Rhine river is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Christianity is the largest religious denomination in Germany with 53 million adherents (64%). The second largest religion is Islam with 3.3 million adherents (4%) followed by Buddhism and Judaism, both with around 200,000 adherents (ca. 0.25%). Hinduism has some 90,000 adherents (0.1%). All other religious communities in Germany have fewer than 50,000 (or less than 0.05%) adherents. About 24.4 million Germans (29.6%) have no registered religious denomination. Protestantism is concentrated in the north and east and Roman Catholicism is concentrated in the south and west. Both denominations comprise about 31% of the population each. The current Pope, Benedict XVI, was born in Bavaria. Non-religious people, including atheists and agnostics amount to 29.6% of the population, and are especially numerous in the former East Germany and major metropolitan areas. Of the 3.3 million Muslims most are Sunnis and Alevites from Turkey, but there are a small number of Shiites. 1.7% of the country's overall population declares themselves Orthodox Christians, Serbs and Greeks being the most numerous. Germany has Western Europe's third-largest Jewish population. In 2004, twice as many Jews from former Soviet republics settled in Germany as in Israel, bringing the total Jewish population to more than 200,000, compared to 30,000 prior to German reunification. Large cities with significant Jewish populations include Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich. Around 250,000 active Buddhists live in Germany; 50% of them are Asian immigrants. According to the Eurobarometer Poll 2005, 47% of German citizens agreed with the statement "I believe there is a God", whereas 25% agreed with "I believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 25% said "I do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force". Languages Knowledge of German in the European Union and some other European countriesGerman is the official and predominantly spoken language in Germany. It is one of 23 official languages in the European Union, and one of the three working languages of the European Commission, along with English and French. Recognized native minority languages in Germany are Danish, Sorbian, Romany and Frisian. They are officially protected by the ECRML. Most used immigrant languages are Turkish, Polish, the Balkan languages and Russian. The standard German is a West Germanic language and is closely related to and classified alongside English, Dutch and the Frisian languages. To a lesser extent, it is also related to the East (extinct) and North Germanic languages. Most German vocabulary is derived from the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family. Significant minorities of words derived from Latin, Greek, a smaller amount from French, and most recently English (known as Denglisch). German is written using the Latin alphabet. In addition to the 26 standard letters, German has three vowels with Umlaut, namely ä, ö and ü, as well as the Eszett or scharfes S (sharp s) which is written "ß" or alternatively " ss ". German dialects are distinguished from varieties of standard German. The German dialects are the traditional local varieties and are traced back to the different German tribes. Many of them are not easily understandable to someone who knows only standard German, since they often differ from standard German in lexicon, phonology and syntax. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 100 million native speakers and also about 80 million non-native speakers. German is the main language of about 90 million people (18%) in the EU. 67% of the German citizens claim to be able to communicate in at least one foreign language, 27% in at least two languages other than their own. Economy Frankfurt is a major financial centre and a global aviation hub.Germany is the largest national economy in Europe, the third largest by nominal GDP in the world, and ranked fifth by GDP (PPP) . Growth in 2007 was 2.4% and is predicted to retain this level in the following years. Since the age of industrialisation the country has been motor, innovator and beneficiary of an ever more globalized economy. The export of goods "Made in Germany" is one of the main factors of the country's wealth. Germany is the world's top exporter with $1.133 trillion exported in 2006 (Eurozone countries are included) and generates a trade surplus of €165 billion . The service sector contributes around 70% to the total GDP, the industry 29.1% and agriculture 0.9%. Most of the country's products are in engineering, especially in automobiles, machinery, metals, and chemical goods. Germany is the leading producer of wind turbines and solar power technology in the world. The largest, annual, international trade fairs and congresses are held in several German cities such as Hanover, Frankfurt and Berlin. Among the world's largest stock market signed companies measured by revenue, the Fortune Global 500, 37 companies are headquartered in Germany. The ten biggest are Daimler, Volkswagen, Allianz (the most profitable company), Siemens, Deutsche Bank (2nd most profitable company), E.ON, Deutsche Post, Deutsche Telekom, Metro and BASF. Among the largest employers are also Deutsche Post, Robert Bosch and Edeka. Well known global brands are Mercedes Benz, SAP, BMW, adidas, Audi, Porsche and Nivea. Germany was the world's leading exporter of goods in 2007.Germany is a strong advocate of closer European economic and political integration, and its commercial policies are increasingly determined by agreements among European Union (EU) members and EU single market legislation. Germany uses the common European currency, the euro, and its monetary policy is set by the European Central Bank in Frankfurt. After the German reunification in 1990, the standard of living and annual income remains significantly higher in the former West German states. The modernisation and integration of the eastern German economy continues to be a long-term process scheduled to the year 2019, with annual transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $80 billion. The overall unemployment rate has constantly fallen since 2005 and reached a 14-year-Low in November 2007 with 8.1%. The percentage is ranging from 6.7% in former Western Germany to 13.4% in former Eastern Germany. The former government of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder launched a comprehensive set of reforms of labour market and welfare-related institutions. The current government runs a restrictive fiscal policy and has cut regular jobs in the public sector aiming for a balanced federal budget in 2008. Infrastructure Hamburg Harbour is the second-largest port city in Europe and ninth-largest port in the world.In 2002 Germany was the world's fifth largest consumer of energy, and two-thirds of its primary energy was imported. In the same year, Germany was Europe's largest consumer of electricity; electricity consumption that year totalled 512.9 billion kilowatt-hours. Government policy emphasizes conservation and the development of renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, biomass, hydro, and geothermal. As a result of energy-saving measures, energy efficiency (the amount of energy required to produce a unit of gross domestic product) has been improving since the beginning of the 1970s. The government has set the goal of meeting half the country's energy demands from renewable sources by 2050. In 2000 the government and the German nuclear power industry agreed to phase out all nuclear power plants by 2021. However, renewable energy is playing a more modest role in energy consumption. In 2006 energy consumption was met by the following sources: oil (35.7%) , coal, including lignite (23.9%) , natural gas (22.8%) , nuclear (12.6%) , hydro and wind power (1.3%) , and other (3.7%). The ICE 3 trainsetBy its central position in Europe, Germany is an important transportation hub. This is reflected in its dense and modern transportation networks. Probably most famous is the extensive motorway (Autobahn) network that ranks worldwide third largest in its total length and features lack of blanket speed limits on the majority of routes. Germany has established a polycentric network of high-speed trains. The InterCityExpress or ICE is predominantly serving major German cities and destinations in neighbouring countries. The train speed varies from 160 km/h to 300 km/h and is the most advanced service category of the Deutsche Bahn. Connections are offered in either 30-minute, hourly or bi-hourly intervals. Science Max Planck presents Albert Einstein with the Max-Planck medal in 1929.Germany has been the home of some of the most prominent researchers in various scientific fields. The Nobel Prize has been awarded to 98 German laureates. The work of Albert Einstein and Max Planck was crucial to the foundation of modern physics, which Werner Heisenberg and Max Born developed further. They were preceded by physicists such as Hermann von Helmholtz, Joseph von Fraunhofer, and Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit. Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discovered X-rays, an accomplishment that made him the first winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901. In Germany and many other countries X-rays are called "Röntgenstrahlen" (Röntgen-rays). Heinrich Rudolf Hertz's work in the domain of electromagnetic radiation was pivotal to the development of modern telecommunication. Through his construction of the first laboratory at the University of Leipzig in 1879, Wilhelm Wundt is credited with the establishment of psychology as an independent empirical science. Alexander von Humboldt's work as a natural scientist and explorer was foundational to biogeography. Extensive Cleanroom complex for Microelectronic Manufacturing in StuttgartNumerous significant mathematicians were born in Germany, including Carl Friedrich Gauss, David Hilbert, Bernhard Riemann, Gottfried Leibniz, Karl Weierstrass and Hermann Weyl. Germany has been the home of many famous inventors and engineers, such as Johannes Gutenberg, who is credited with the invention of movable type printing in Europe; Hans Geiger, the creator of the Geiger counter; and Konrad Zuse, who built the first fully automatic digital computer. German inventors, engineers and industrialists such as Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, Otto Lilienthal, Gottlieb Daimler, Rudolf Diesel, Hugo Junkers and Karl Benz helped shape modern automotive and air transportation technology. Important research institutions in Germany are the Max Planck Society, the Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft and the Fraunhofer Society. They are independently or externally connected to the university system and contribute to a considerable extent to the scientific output. The prestigious award Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize is granted to ten scientists and academics every year. With a maximum of €2.5 million per award it is one of highest endowed research prizes in the world. Education Kindergarten in HesseResponsibility for educational oversight in Germany lies primarily with the federal states individually whilst the government only has a minor role. Optional kindergarten education is provided for all children between three and six years old, after which school attendance is compulsory for at least ten years. Primary education usually lasts for four years and public schools are not stratified at this stage. In contrast, secondary education includes four types of schools based on a pupil's ability as determined by teacher recommendations: the Gymnasium includes the most gifted children and prepares students for university studies and attendance lasts eight or nine years depending on the state; the Realschule has a broader range of emphasis for intermediary students and lasts six years; the Hauptschule prepares pupils for vocational education, and the Gesamtschule or comprehensive school combines the three approaches. The University of Heidelberg was established in 1386The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, assesses the skills of 15-year olds in OECD countries and a number of partner countries. In 2006, German schoolchildren improved their position on previous years, being ranked (statistically) significantly above average (rank 13) in science skills and statistically not significantly above or below average on mathematical skills (rank 20) and reading skills (rank 18). The socio-economic gradient was very high in Germany, the pupils' performance in Germany being more dependent on the socio-economic factors than in most other countries. To enter a university, high school students are required to take the Abitur examination, similar to A-levels; however, students possessing a diploma from a vocational school may also apply to enter. A special system of apprenticeship called Duale Ausbildung allows pupils in vocational training to learn in a company as well as in a state-run school. Most German universities are state-owned and charge for tuition fees ranging from €50–500 per semester from each student. Germany's universities are recognised internationally, indicating the high education standards in the country. In the 2006 THES - QS World University Rankings, 10 German universities were ranked amongst the top 200 in the world. Culture Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) , composerGermany is often called Das Land der Dichter und Denker (the land of poets and thinkers). German culture began long before the rise of Germany as a nation-state and spanned the entire German-speaking world. From its roots, culture in Germany has been shaped by major intellectual and popular currents in Europe, both religious and secular. As a result, it is difficult to identify a specific German tradition separated from the larger framework of European high culture. Another consequence of these circumstances is the fact, that some historical figures, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Kafka and Paul Celan, though not citizens of Germany in the modern sense, must be seen in the context of the German cultural sphere to understand their historical situation, work and social relations. Blaues Pferd I, 1911 by Franz Marc (1880–1916)Germany claims some of the world's most renowned classical music composers, including Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms and Richard Wagner. As of 2006, Germany is the fifth largest music market in the world and has influenced pop and rock music through artists such as Kraftwerk, Scorpions and Rammstein. Numerous German painters have enjoyed international prestige through their work in diverse artistic currents. Hans Holbein the Younger, Matthias Grünewald, and Albrecht Dürer were important artists of the Renaissance, Caspar David Friedrich of Romanticism, and Max Ernst of Surrealism. Architectural contributions from Germany include the Carolingian and Ottonian styles, which were important precursors of Romanesque. The region later became the site for significant works in styles such as Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. Germany was particularly important in the early modern movement, especially through the Bauhaus movement founded by Walter Gropius. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, also from Germany, became one of world's most renowned architects in the second half of the 20th century. The glass facade skyscraper was his idea. Philosophy Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) , philosopherGerman literature can be traced back to the Middle Ages and the works of writers such as Walther von der Vogelweide and Wolfram von Eschenbach. Various German authors and poets have won great renown, including Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller. The collections of folk tales published by the Brothers Grimm popularized German folklore on the international level. Influential authors of the 20th century include Thomas Mann, Berthold Brecht, Hermann Hesse, Heinrich Böll, and Günter Grass. Germany's influence on philosophy is historically significant and many notable German philosophers have helped shape western philosophy since the Middle Ages. Gottfried Leibniz's contributions to rationalism, Immanuel Kant's, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel's, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling's and Johann Gottlieb Fichte's establishment of the classical German idealism, Karl Marx's and Friedrich Engels' formulation of Communist theory, Arthur Schopenhauer's composition of metaphysical pessimism, Friedrich Nietzsche's development of Perspectivism, Martin Heidegger's works on Being, and the social theories of Jürgen Habermas were especially influential. Media Germany's television market is the largest in Europe, with some 34 million TV households. The many regional and national public broadcasters are organised in line with the federal political structure. Around 90% of German households have cable or satellite TV, and viewers can choose from a variety of free-to-view public and commercial channels. Pay-TV services have not become popular or successful while public TV broadcasters ZDF and ARD offer a range of digital-only channels. Germany is home to some of the world's largest media conglomerates, including Bertelsmann and the publisher Axel Springer. Some of Germany's top free-to-air commercial TV networks are owned by ProSiebenSat1. The country's news is provided in English by news magazine Der Spiegel, state broadcaster Deutsche Welle and news site The Local. In November 2007 the top visited websites by German internet users have been Google, Ebay, Youtube, Yahoo, studiVZ and Wikipedia. Cinema The Berlinale Palast during the Berlin Film Festival in FebruaryGerman cinema dates back to the very early years of the medium with the work of Max Skladanowsky. It was particularly influential during the years of the Weimar Republic with German expressionists such as Robert Wiene and Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau. Austria-based director Fritz Lang, who became a German citizen in 1926 and whose career flourished in pre-war German film industry, is said to be a major influence on Hollywood cinema. His silent movie Metropolis (1927) is referred to as birth of modern Science Fiction movies. Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel in 1930, Germany's first major film with soundIn 1930 Austrian-American Josef von Sternberg directed The Blue Angel, which was the first major German sound film and it brought world fame to actress Marlene Dietrich. Impressionist documentary Berlin: Symphony of a Great City directed by Walter Ruttmann, is a prominent example of the city symphony genre. The Nazi era produced mostly propaganda films although the work of Leni Riefenstahl still introduced new aesthetics in film. During the 1970-80s, New German Cinema directors such as Volker Schlöndorff, Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders, Rainer Werner Fassbinder placed West-German cinema back onto the international stage with their often provocative films. More recently, films such as Das Boot (1981) , Lola rennt (Run Lola Run) (1998) , Das Experiment (2001) , Good Bye Lenin! (2003) , Gegen die Wand (Head-on) (2004) and Der Untergang (Downfall) (2004) have enjoyed international success. The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film went to the German production Die Blechtrommel (The Tin Drum) in 1979, to Nowhere in Africa in 2002, and to Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others) in 2007. Among the most famous German actors are Marlene Dietrich, Klaus Kinski, Hanna Schygulla, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Jürgen Prochnow and Thomas Kretschmann. The Berlin Film Festival, held annually since 1951, is one of the world's foremost film festivals. An international jury places emphasis on representing films from all over the world and awards the winner with the Golden and Silver Bears. The annual European Film Awards ceremony is held every second year in the city of Berlin, where the European Film Academy (EFA) is located. The Babelsberg Studios in Potsdam are the oldest large-scale film studios in the world and a centre for international film production. Sports The Allianz Arena is host to the football club Bayern Munich and was a venue for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.Sport forms an integral part of German life. Twenty-seven million Germans are members of a sports club and an additional twelve million pursue such an activity individually. Football (soccer) is the most popular sport. With more than 6.3 million official members, the German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund ) is the largest sports organisation of this kind worldwide. The Bundesliga attracts the second highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world. The German national football team won the FIFA World Cup in 1954, 1974 and 1990 and the European Football Championship in 1972, 1980 and 1996. Germany has hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1974 and 2006 and the UEFA European Football Championship in 1988. Among the most successful and renowned footballers are Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Jürgen Klinsmann, Lothar Matthäus, and Oliver Kahn. Other popular spectator sports include handball, volleyball, basketball, ice hockey, and tennis. Michael Schumacher has won seven Formula One championships.Germany is one of the leading motorsports countries in the world. Race winning cars, teams and drivers have come from Germany. The most successful Formula One driver in history, Michael Schumacher has set the most significant motorsport records during his career and won more Formula One championships and races than any other driver since Formula one's debut season in 1946. He is one of the highest paid sportsmen in history and became a Billionaire athlete. Constructers like BMW and Mercedes are among the leading teams in motorsport sponsoring. Porsche has won the 24 hours of Le Mans, a prestigious annual race held in France, 16 times. The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters is a popular series in Germany. Historically, German sportsmen have been some of the most successful contenders in the Olympic Games, ranking third in an all-time Olympic Games medal count, combining East and West German medals. In the 2004 Summer Olympics, Germany finished sixth in the medal count, while in the 2006 Winter Olympics they finished first. Germany has hosted the Summer Olympic Games twice, in Berlin in 1936 and in Munich in 1972. The Winter Olympic Games took place once in 1936 when they were staged in the Bavarian twin towns of Garmisch and Partenkirchen. Cuisine A Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest gateau)German cuisine varies greatly from region to region. The southern regions of Bavaria and Swabia, for instance, share a culinary culture with Switzerland and Austria. Pork, beef, and poultry are the main varieties of meat consumed in Germany, with pork being the most popular. Throughout all regions, meat is often eaten in sausage form. More than 1500 different types of sausage are produced in Germany. The most popular vegetables are potatoes, cabbage, carrots, turnip, spinach and beans. Organic food has gained a market share of around 3.0% and is predicted to be an increasing trend. A popular saying in Germany is: "Breakfast like an emperor, lunch like a king, and dine like a beggar." Breakfast is usually a selection of cereals and jam or honey with bread. Some Germans eat cold meats or cheese with bread for breakfast. More than 300 types of breads, sold in bakery shops, are known throughout the country. A typical cheese and cold meat buffet served at private festivitiesAs a country with many immigrants, Germany has adopted many international dishes into its cuisine and daily eating habits. Italian dishes like Pizza and Pasta, Turkish and Arab dishes like Döner Kebab and Falafel are well established, especially in bigger cities. International burger chains, as well as Chinese and Greek restaurants, are widespread. Indian, Thai, Japanese, and other Asian cuisines have gained popularity in recent decades. Among high-profile restaurants in Germany the Michelin guide has awarded three stars, the highest designation, to nine restaurants; 15 more received two stars. German restaurants have become the world's second most decorated after eateries in France. Although wine is becoming more popular in many parts of Germany, the national drink is beer. German beer consumption per person is declining but at 116 litres annually it is still among the highest in the world. Beer varieties include Alt, Bock, Dunkel, Kölsch, Lager, Malzbier, Pils, and Weizenbier. Among 18 surveyed western countries, Germany ranked 14th in the list of per capita consumption of soft drinks in general, while it ranked third in the consumption of fruit juices. Furthermore, sparkling mineral water and Schorle (its mixture with fruit juice) are extremely popular in Germany. Society Claudia Schiffer, modelGermany has promoted itself as Land of ideas. A campaign that has started in the year 2006 accompanying the Football World Cup Finals finds its continuation in 2008. The campaign focuses recent innovations in public and private institutions, universities and research institutes, companies, as well as social and cultural projects. Since the World Cup celebrations the internal and external perception of the country's image has changed. In regularly conducted global surveys known as the Anholt GMI Index, Germany as a nation brand, has become significantly and repeatedly higher ranked after the football tournament. Besides economic criteria people were asked to assess a country's reputation in terms of culture, politics, its people and its attractiveness to tourists. Germany has been named the world's second most valued nation brand among 35 countries. Another global opinion poll for the BBC revealed that Germany is recognized for the most positive influence in the world, leading 22 investigated countries. A majority of 56% have a positive view of the country, while 18% have a negative view. Germans invest a large amount of money in international travel and domestic vacation trips (seaside resort in Sellin on the island Rügen)Germany is a legally and socially tolerant country towards homosexuals. Civil unions have been permitted since 2001. Gays and lesbians can legally adopt their partner's biological children (stepchild adoption). The two mayors of the largest German cities Berlin and Hamburg are openly gay politicians. During the last decade of the 20th century Germany has transformed its attitude towards immigrants considerably. Until the mid-nineties the opinion was widespread that Germany is not a country of immigration in spite of an approximately 10% population of non-German origin. After the end of the influx of so-called Gastarbeiter (blue-collar guest-workers), refugees were a tolerated exception to this point of view. Today the government and the German society are acknowledging the opinion, that controlled immigration should be allowed based on the qualification of immigrants. With an expenditure of €58 billion for international travel in 2005, Germans invested more money in travel than any other country. Most popular destinations were Austria, Spain, Italy and France. |
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