Basic Facts

For further information regarding Bavaria, please look at the websites
http://www.bayern.de/welcomeE.html and http://www.invest-in-bavaria.com

Countries bordering Germany: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland

Coastline: 2,389 km

Forests and woodland: cover 31% of the country

Climate: Temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm, tropical foehn wind; high relative humidity

Lowest point: Freepsum Lake (-2 m)

Highest point: Zugspitze (2,962 m)

Life expectancy at birth: 77 (73 for males, 80 for females)

Religions: Protestant 38%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 1.7%, unaffiliated or other 26.3%

Government type: Federal Republic

National capital: Berlin

Voting Age: 18

States: Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thüringen

Political parties: Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Christian Social Union (CSU), Free Democratic Party (FDP), Social Democratic Party (SPD), Alliance 90/Greens, Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), Republikaner, National Democratic Party (NPD), Communist Party (DKP)

Number of residents in Germany from English-speaking nations as of 31 December 1997,
not including members of the military: Great Britain 115,162, USA 110,105. India 35,609, Ireland 16,039