Population:
Germany has nearly 82 million inhabitants and is the most populated country in the European Union. It has 16 counties. Every county has their own parties with a party leader. Germany has 9 neighbouring countries. These are Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Weather:
Germany can get chilly in winter with temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius. But it can also get very hot in summer. Especially the south of Germany which is blessed with a lot of sunshine in the summer and temperatures can rise to more than 40 degrees Celsius. Germany is not as cold as many people think 🙂
Politics and Economy:
The current chancellor of Germany is Angela Merkel who has been in power since 2005. This makes her the most powerful woman in the world.
Germany is an industrial state and its economy is the strongest in Europe. In fact, Germany’s economy is the fourth strongest in the world. Big companies like Volkswagen, Daimler, BMW, Siemens, E.On and many more are German companies with their headquarters in Germany.
The official currency in Germany is the Euro. The Euro was introduced in 2002 and has replaced Germany’s former currency Deutsche Mark. The Euro wasn’t very popular when it was introduced in 2002. Nowadays people have accepted the Euro and it is very handy if you want to travel to other European countries with the same currency.
Formalities/Traditions In Germany:
When meeting someone for the first time strangers will often shake hands and say “hello” whereas in other countries it is more common to hear “nice to meet you” after being introduced to someone. Just a “hello” may sound a little bit rude but for German people it is not rude at all. So don’t get offended if people greet you just with a “hello” 🙂
Another common thing to say is “Gesundheit” when someone sneezes. It would be rude not to. And at every mealtime before eating everyone will say “Guten Appetit.”
On the eve of a wedding it is tradition that anything made from china is dropped and smashed on the floor. This is called in German “Polterabend” which is said to bring good luck to the couple’s marriage.
Food:
Some German food specialties are Kässpätzle, Weißwurst and Schnitzel. Kässpätzle (cheese pasta) is a Swabian dish from south Germany. This is a self made pasta with a lot of melted cheese and roasted onions on top. The Weißwurst is a traditional Bavarian dish. It is a white veal sausage which is served with sweet mustard and pretzels. And last but not least there is the yummy Schnitzel. I think Schnitzels are well known to everyone 🙂
Cost of Living in Germany:
The amount of money needed for a trip to Germany will depend on how long you wish to stay.
If you are living on a budget, you will need about €175 for a week in a hostel dorm and you will need about €15 a day for food (if you are not planning to eat in a restaurant). If you want to do some sightseeing, you will easily spend another €20 a day (depending on where you go).
One litre of unleaded fuel costs about €1.53, a coffee will cost between €2 and €3 and a dorm room in a hostel about €25 per night.
If you have a little bit more spending money and you would rather stay in a hotel, you will be paying about €40 to €50 for a single room and about €60 or higher for a double bedroom. If you want to dine a bit more up market, you will spend about €30 a day for one person.
A very good Internet page for booking journeys by train is www.bahn.de . This is the Homepage of the German rail. You can buy your train ticket online or direct at the desk in the train station in Germany too. You can often find better prices in the internet and some special offers too, for example they often have travel journeys through Germany for 29€. Traveling by Bus in Germany is not very common. The train is the first and most convenient choice, but unfortunately quite expensive. That’s why I would recommend everyone to buy their tickets online rather than at the train station.
Good web pages for affordable hotels are www.hotels.de or www.hotels.com or www.hotelclub.net . The hostel webpages www.hostelworld.com or www.hostelz.com also offer a range of hotels too, not only hostels.