Internal Geography

The German name for Germany is

Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Federal
Republic of Germany).
There are 16 federal states in
Germany; Baden-Wrttemburg,
Bavaria, Bremen, Hamburg,
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania,
Saxony, North Rhine-Weastphalia,
Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein,
Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, Thuringia,
Saarland, Lower Saxony, Brandenburg
and the Capital Berlin.
External Geography
Germany is in the centre of Europe. It
shares borders with 9 countries:
Denmark, Poland, Czech
Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France ,
Luxemburg, Belgium and the
Netherlands.
Germany follows the Central European
Time (CET) time-zone. This is one hour
ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time
zone. Their clocks will also go forward
one hour on the 25th of March this
year.
 The current currency used
Currency is the Euro.
The German Mark (DEM),
also known as the
Deutsche Mark, was the
official
currency of Germany.
It was replaced by
the Euro in 1999 and
stayed in circulation until
2002.
 German Flag
Each state has a different flag, but the German flag is a tricolour of black,
yellow and red.
During the Napoleonic Wars against France in the early 1800s, the
German Ltzow Free Corps, a volunteer unit of the Prussian Army were
required to provide their clothing for themselves.
To present a pragmatic uniform appearance, it was easiest to dye all
clothes black. Gold coloured buttons were widely available and pennons
used by lancers in the unit were
red.
The colours represented; Out of the
blackness (black) of servitude through
bloody (red) battles to the golden (gold)
light of freedom.
History
World War One
In the late 19th century Germany began competing with other European
countries to set up colonies in Africa and Asia. These tensions had a large
influence on the beginning of World War I in 1914, the worst conflict the world
had ever seen.
The war was between the
Allies: Britain, France, Russia (who left in
1917), Italy (who joined in 1915) and USA
(who joined in 1917)
VS
Central Powers: Germany, Austria and The
Ottoman Empire (Turkey).

This was a total-war as it took place I the air, on land and in the sea. It affected everyone
on a global scale; leaving 8 million people dead.
Germany and its allies lost the war to Britain, France and the United States.
History
Consequences of WW1
The Allies blamed Germany for the responsibility
of the entire war, even though each country
was guilty on different occasions.
The Treaty of Versailles was made by France and
Britain and had unfair consequences for
Germany to curb its power.
Germany had to pay all reparation of the war,
which would have cost 1200 billion in our
money today.
The German army had to be limited to 100,000
men and the country lost land to existing and
new countries.
History
Economy and Government from 1919-1933
The Parliamentary system called the Weimar Republic replaced
the imperial form of government in Germany in 1919.
The Weimar Republic failed to improve Germanys bankrupt
economy. They were riddled with issues; hyperinflation, hostility
from other countries and people in Germany as well.
Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party
used these strong emotions to their
advantage. He managed to climb
to the position of Chancellor in
1933.
Hitler adapted a totalitarian
regime and renamed Germany
The Third Reich.
History
World War Two and Onwards
He then began to slowly rebuild Germany by ignoring the Treaty of Versailles
League of Nations and in 1939, Hitler invaded Poland, starting World War II.
During the war, Hitler created camps in
Germany where millions of Jewish people and
others were murdered. The war ended in 1945
with the Germans' defeat and Hitler committing
suicide.
After World War II, Germany was divided into
West and East. The country became the centre
of a standoff between the Soviet Union and
Western powers.

This confrontation, which lasted 44 years, was called the Cold War.
In 1989, East Germany opened its borders and the Cold War came to an end.
Government
Frank-Walter Steinmeier is the German President. The
President, much like in Ireland, is more of a ceremonial
position. The power the hold is great, but rarely must be
used.
The chancellor is appointed by the president and then
voted by the population. Angela Merkel is the German
chancellor now. The chancellor is the equivalent to the
Taoiseach in Ireland.
She is apart of the Christian Democratic Party, which is
currently the countrys leading party.
The Bundestag is the complete parliament, which holds
598 seats. Seats can be added to make sure parties
receive proportional representation, proportional to the
votes they received. These seats are called overhang.
European Union
The European Coal and Steal
Community was created in 1951
by the countries Belgium, France,
West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg
and the Netherlands.
This association became known as
the European Union in 1993.
The Fundamental purpose of the
EU is to promote greater social,
political and economic unity and
harmony throughout the countries
it incudes.
Population
The population of Germany is 82 million, the highest
population of countries in the EU.
It is much more evenly and densely populated then
Ireland.
Germany is only about five times bigger then Ireland,
but its population is 36 times bigger then Ireland. Population

Germanys population growth rate is naturally 9%

decreasing. But the addition of thousands of migrants
into the country are making the overall population
stay at a solid 82 million.
Fifth and senile stage in the demographic transition
model 91%

German Foreign
Education System
The German education system is very different compared to the Irish education
system.
Children enter kindergarten at age three until age five.
Children begin primary school, Grundeschule, at the age of six or seven years old.
They stay here for three years.
Children are then streamed into three different types of secondary schools
depending on their academic performance in their three years of school.
-Gymnasium is the school for those with the
highest level of academic achievements
-Mittelschule is the school for those with lower
academic capabilities then Gymnasium
-Hauptschule is the school for those with lowest
academic capabilities
Only students from Gymnasium schools can
directly apply to universities.
Food
Most Famous German foods
Sauerkraut
Bratwurst (sausages)
Pretzels
Beer
German cakes and pastries
The most famous German meals are
Sptzle, a vegetarian pasta dish made of
egg, flour, salt and fizzy water
Currywurst, sausages with curry sauce
Bratkartoffeln, thinly sliced boiled potatoes
that are fried with bacon
Food
Different states in Germany have
different twists on traditional
German foods.
Turkish food, for example kebabs,
have been incredibly popular
throughout the country ever since
the Turks started to arrive in the
country in the 1950s for jobs.
The populations diet is varied
from region to region. But it
consists of a lot of bread, which is
bought fresh from local bakeries.
Things I like about Germany
Everyone cycles everywhere or uses public transport. I
never got in a car for the whole 10 days I was there.
There are also lots of safe cycling paths.
Bottle recycling scheme: There is an additional 25c
charge on every plastic bottle sold in Germany. Every
shop allows you to return your bottles and you can
retrieve your 25c per bottle.
Lots of amazing Lakes: Old brown coal open cast
mines filled up with water once fully dug out.
Youthclubs Anyone at any age can go. Conne-
Island; Skatepark, basketball court, bar, food-shack,
table tennis, and live music.
Selection of international cuisines and local bakeries.
All very cheap.