Basic Statistics  

• 356,859 sq km surface area.  The capital is Berlin (previously Bonn; after reunification, the German government moved to Berlin).  Population 82m.
• There are 16 Federal States (Bundesländer): 6 of them in the former East Germany. These states have a very high level of autonomy, so administration may differ slightly from one to another. They have elected parliaments, government, administrative authorities, and independent judiciary. They decide on education, justice, social security, and so on. The states have their own central banks. The Länder are divided into area-states (Flächenstaaten). Exceptions are the 3 city states (Stadtstaaten), Hamburg, Bremen and Berlin.  Click here for a map of the German states.
• German is the main language; quite a lot of people speak English but by no means everybody, and those who do speak it have varying degrees of fluency.  It would be very useful to learn German; The Goethe Institute has plenty of information about where you can do language courses in Germany or abroad.
• Drive on the right hand side of the road; important to remember if you are thinking of bringing your car with you.

• Location
  The Federal Republic of Germany lies in the heart of Europe.  It borders on 9 countries: Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Austria, The Czech Republic and Poland.  Click here for a map of German towns and cities, or you can use Expedia to locate specific towns and/or plan your route.  
  
  
• Getting here 
  The main airports with international connections are Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin, but depending on where you're flying from, you may also be able to fly to any of the big cities.  If you're already in Europe, it's generally cheaper to get to and from Germany by bus or by train.  Ferries run between Germany's northern coast and Scandinavia, the UK and St Petersburg (DFDS Seaways).  Germany's national airline is Lufthansa.   If you're coming for an interview, check our Airport Interview Guide for an overview of getting from airports to city centre. 
  
  
• Economy

Germany possesses the world's third most technologically powerful economy after the US and Japan, but its basic capitalistic economy has started to struggle under the burden of generous social benefits. Structural rigidities - like a high rate of social contributions on wages - have made unemployment a long-term, not just cyclical, problem, while Germany's aging population has pushed social security outlays to exceed contributions from workers. The integration and upgrading of the eastern German economy remains a costly long-term problem, with annual transfers from the west amounting to roughly $100 billion.  The adoption of a common European currency and the general political and economic integration of Europe will bring major changes to the German economy in the early 21st century.

The German embassy publishes a current monthly report on the German economy.

• Culture/History

Culture: Germany has a fantastic cultural history.  Many parts of the country have a distinct medieval feel due to the numerous cathedrals, castles and old fachwerk houses and town halls which are still common.  Germany can also boast some of the world's most influential philosophers, the cream of classical composers and of course the famous Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).  Not to mention the food; Germany has its own particular cuisine to be enjoyed.  Last but not least, there's always the beer!  We've just scratched the surface; Germany is a very interesting country.  More cultural and tourism information.

Recent History: As a result of World War II, Germany was divided. In 1949, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) developed out of the Soviet zone of occupation, and the Federal Republic of Germany out of the U.S., British and French zones. Divided Berlin became a special area under joint administration by the Four Powers. The German Democratic Republic claimed East Berlin as its capital, while the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany was located in Bonn. On August 13, 1961, the East German government built the Berlin Wall, sealing off Berlin East from Berlin West. Twenty-eight years later, on November 9, 1989, the exodus of thousands of East Germans via Hungary and Austria to West Germany, and mass demonstrations in a number of East German cities, led to the opening of the Berlin Wall. On October 3, 1990, East Germany acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany. Germany was united again. In June 1991, the German Parliament decided to move the seat of government and parliament to the capital Berlin. 

Click here for a more comprehensive account of Germany History.