Germany Country & Tourist Information

Location
Western/Central Europe.

Area
357,021 sq km (137,847 sq miles).

Population
82.6 million (UN estimate 2007).

Population Density
231 per sq km.

Capital
Berlin.
Population: 3.4 million (2007).

Government
Federal Republic.

Language
German. Some English is spoken and French is also spoken, particularly in the Saarland. In the north of Schleswig-Holstein, Danish is spoken by the Danish minority and taught in schools. In eastern Brandenburg and Saxony, Sorbic is spoken by the Slavic minority called the Sorbs and is also taught in about 50 schools. Regional dialects often differ markedly from standard German.

Religion
Approximately 34% Protestant, 34% Roman Catholic, 4% Muslim, with Jewish and other non-Christian minorities.

Time
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Electricity
230 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style round two-pin plugs are in use.

Head of Government
Chancellor Angela Merkel since 2005.

Head of State
President Horst Köhler since 2004.

Recent History
From 1995 onwards, a new leadership under would-be chancellor Gerhard Schröder emerged to challenge the long-standing Helmut Kohl Christian Democrat (CDU) government. The Social Democratic (SPD) party won the 1998 general election and Kohl stood down. Schröder held on to power in September 2002, and then sought to continue Helmut Kohl’s aim of a more activist German foreign policy. Along with former French president Jacques Chirac, Schröder opposed much Anglo-American policy in the Middle East.

However, Schröder’s reign came to an end amid confusion following September 2005’s inconclusive election. Germany faced weeks of uncertainty resulting in a deal between the CDU and the SPD that October. Angela Merkel was declared Germany’s first woman chancellor and sworn in late in November, as the first chancellor to have grown up in the former Communist east. Merkel is more pro-US than her predecessor, and has pledged to overhaul the ailing economy, suffering since reunification in 1990. It is gradually improving.

Telephone
Country code: 49.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with many international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good. It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile telephone while driving.

Internet
Internet is readily available; there are many Internet cafes all over the country. Large Internet access centers exist in most main cities. Most hotels also provide facilities, either included in the room rate or charged separately.

Media
Germany’s competitive TV market is the largest in Europe. Each of the country’s 16 regions regulates its own private and public broadcasting, and operates public TV and radio services. Around 90% of German households have cable or satellite TV. Germany is home to some of the world’s largest media conglomerates, such as Bertelsmann.

Post
Stamps are available from hotels, slot machines and post offices.

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1800, Sat 0900-1200. Smaller branches may close for lunch.

Press
• The most influential dailies include Die Welt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Süddeutsche Zeitung.
• The most widely read of the weekly publications are Der Spiegel and Die Zeit.
• Some new or revamped newspapers, such as Berliner Kurier, have emerged out of eastern Germany and are competing well with western German papers.
• Most major English-language newspapers and international magazines are also available in large cities.

Radio
• Deutsche Welle TV broadcasts radio in many languages.
• Deutschlandradio operates national public radio stations, Deutschlandfunk and Deutschlandradio Kultur (broadcasting news/current affairs and cultural programs).
• ARD is an umbrella organization of many public radio services, including regional stations.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
1 Jan New Year's Day.
6 Jan* Epiphany.
10 Apr Good Friday.
13 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May Labor Day.
21 May Ascension.
1 Jun Whit Monday.
11 Jun* Corpus Christi.
15 Aug* Assumption.
3 Oct Day of German Unity.
31 Oct* Day of Reformation.
1 Nov* All Saints' Day.
18 Nov* Repentance Day.
25-26 Dec Christmas.

2010
1 Jan  New Year's Day.
6 Jan* Epiphany.
2 Apr Good Friday.
5 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May Labor Day.
13 May Ascension.
24 May Whit Monday.
3 Jun* Corpus Christi.
15 Aug* Assumption.
3 Oct Day of German Unity.
31 Oct* Day of Reformation.
1 Nov* All Saints' Day.
17 Nov* Repentance Day.
25-26 Dec Christmas.

Note
*Epiphany, Corpus Christi, Assumption, Day of Reformation, All Saints’ Day and Repentance Day are not observed in all areas. Consult the German National Tourist Office for details (see Contact Addresses).

Contact Information:

Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the UK
23 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PZ, UK
Tel: (020) 7824 1300 (general enquiries).
Website: www.london.diplo.de
Opening hours: 0900-1130.
Consular section: (020) 7824 1463 (passport enquiries, Mon-Thurs 1330-1530, Fri 1330-1430 only) or 09065 508 922 (recorded visa information; calls cost £1 per minute) or 540 740 (24-hour automated visa appointment booking service; calls cost £1 per minute) or (020) 7824 1465/6 (individual visa enquiries Mon-Thurs 1330-1530, Fri 1330-1430 only).
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1030.

German National Tourist Office in the UK
PO Box 2695, London W1A 3TN, UK
Tel: (020) 7317 0908.
Website: www.germany-tourism.co.uk

Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the USA
4645 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Tel: (202) 298 4000.
Website: www.germany.info

German National Tourist Office in the USA
122 East 42nd Street, Suite 2000, New York, NY 10168, USA
Tel: (212) 661 7200 or 1 800 651 7010, in the USA.
Website: www.cometogermany.com


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