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Life in Germany > Geographic information

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What is interesting to know in and around Germany?

Germany is the most densely populated country in Europe. On an area of 357.340 square kilometers live 80.523.746 inhabitants. The capital of Germany is Berlin. Located in the heart of Europe, Germany borders to the north by the sea with proximity to Denmark and in the south to the Alps with the neighboring countries Austria and Switzerland. In the west the neighboring countries are France, Belgium and the Netherlands. In the east Germany's neighbors are Poland and the Czech Republic. Germany itself is divided into four major regions. The north, south, east and west each have special scenic peculiarities, but also differ in tradition, culture, architecture, food and dialect. Until 25 years ago, Germany was, in consequence of WW2, divided into the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). Due to the peaceful revolution in 1989, Germany is reunited today. Based on this experience it is very important for Germans to live in peace and freedom.

The country offers a wide variety of landscapes, from the North German lowland, which is mainly influenced by the proximity to the sea, to the Bavarian Alpine foothills. There are wide rivers like the Danube, Rhine, Elbe and Oder, where even trade is operated and large lakes such as Lake Constance.

The largest mountain in Germany is the Zugspitze with 2962m. But there are also smaller mountains, as the Erzgebirge or the Harz, where you can go hiking and even practice winter sports during the cold months.