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MAP OF GERMANY

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Official language
German is the official language and is spoken by almost everyone. There are several regional dialects, some of which differ substantially from High German. The only significant linguistic minority consists of some 100,000 Sorbs (descendants of Slavic tribes called Wends or sold by the Germans in medieval times) living in the region of Lusatia, whichare the cities of Cootbus and Bautzen, and speak a Slavic language

Capital

Main cities

The German capital is Berlin and has a population of 3,472,009 inhabitants (1997 estimates). However, government offices still remain mostly in the former West German capital, Bonn (293 072 inhabitants), an old university town along the Rhine, the definitive move to Berlin will not take place until2003. Apart from the capital, the country's largest cities are Hamburg (1,705,872 inhabitants), a major port; Munich (1,244,676 inhabitants), commercial and cultural center, Cologne (963 817 inhabitants), an industrial city with a famous cathedral Frankfurt Main (652 412 inhabitants), commercial and manufacturing city, Essen (617 955 inhabitants), steel production center in the Ruhr, Dortmund (600,918inhabitants), an industrial center with coal mines in its vicinity; Stuttgart (588 482 inhabitants), a manufacturing and commercial city, Düsseldorf (572 638 inhabitants), industrial city and financial center of fashion, and Leipzig (481 526 inhabitants), an industrial and commercial.

GOVERNMENT

Germany is governed under a Basic Law (Grundgesetz), promulgated on May 23, 1949 for the formerWest Germany (West Germany), which has been amended several times. The Basic Law, which described the country as a democratic federal state based on social justice, is very similar to the Constitution of the Weimar Republic (1919-1933), but allows a higher level of authority of the federal state governments.

From 1968-1989, East Germany was governed by a constitution which defined the countryas a sovereign socialist state in which working people exercise all political powers. In practice, the power was in the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands, or SED), a Marxist-Leninist (Communist). The 1968 Constitution guaranteed the SED a leading role in domestic affairs, and its general secretary, as leader of the party; it was usually the most powerfulperson in the country.

With the unification of the country on October 3, 1990, the Basic Law of the FRG was expanded to cover the new state.
PRESIDENT
Jens Böhrnsen

Area
The territory of Germany covers 357,021 km ² and has a temperate climate. With more than 82 million people, represents the largest population among the member states of the European Union and is home to the third largestgroup of international migrants.

POPULATION
The population consists mostly of two groups of Caucasians. The principal is the alpine type, which is concentrated in the central and southern regions, the population of the Teutonic group lives mainly in the north.
MONETARY UNIT/CURRENCY

The currency in Germany is the deutsche mark, and DM (1.80 DM amounted to U.S. $ 1 in 1998). The frameworkis divided into 100 pfennig.

The issuing bank is the Deutsche Bundesbank, an autonomous non-governmental institution based in Frankfurt. Among the biggest private commercial banks in Germany are the Deutsche Bank AG, Dresdner Bank AG and Commerzbank A.G. There are many savings institutions and credit. After reunification, the country's largest banks were established quickly in the former EastGermany.

The currency of East Germany was part of East Germany subdivided into 100 pfennig. In July 1990, the currencies of the two Germanies were united. In the majority of East Germans were allowed to match the 4000 Eastern Western frameworks and redeem the rest of Western frameworks of a change from two to one. Under the terms of the Maastricht Treaty will form a European Central Bank,...