Location

Germany is located in central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, and south of Denmark. How far is Germany from your place? The land is mainly flat with some rough terrain. It is approximately 387,021 km wide and long. In Germany, the land is used mainly for mining iron ore, coal, potash, lignite, uranium, copper, salt, natural gas, and farming. A few of the water bodies nearby are the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Climate

In Germany, the climate is temperate and marine, cool and cloudy with wet winters and summers and an occasional warm foehn wind because the land is near the sea. The average temperature in winter is -1 degree Celsius. In summer, the temperature averages about 18 degrees Celsius. West winds from the sea help warm Germany in winter and cool it in summer.

People

The population of Germany is 83,029,536 people since the year 2000. Germans live in modern day houses and apartment buildings like we do in Canada; they wear clothes made of polyester, cotton, fleece, silk, rayon, and leather. In Germany there are many services provided such as hospitals, gas stations, hotels, radio stations, grocery stores and restaurants.

Travel

Germany's transportation system consists of airways, waterways with ports and harbors, highways, and railways. Germans communicate by telephones, radios, TV, and computers.

Government

Germany is a federal republic today but was a divided country consisting of West Germany and East Germany. Unification of West Germany and East Germany took place October 3, 1990. Chief of state is President Johannes Rau (since July 1, 1999), and the head of government is Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (since October 27, 1998). Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the chancellor. The president is elected for a five-year term by a Federal Convention including all members of the Federal Assembly and an equal number of delegates elected by the state parliaments.

Education

Germans write and speak German or Deutsch. Children learn their language at home with their parents before they are 3. They learn their etiquette, customs and religion in school as well as their history, geography, drawing, handcrafts, domestic science, sewing, music and physical training. The German people like to play games such as hopscotch, soccer, volleyball, tennis, and they watch TV in their spare time.

By Margaret Carpenter