Moving to Germany: visas, cost of living & immigrant guide

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Population

84,119,100

Population Growth Rate

-0.12%

Population Distribution

second most populous country in Europe

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations, particularly in the far western part of the industrial state of North Rhine-Westphalia

Urban Population

• population: 77.8% of total population rate of
• urbanization: 0.13% annual rate of change

Population in Major Urban Areas

3.574 million BERLIN (capital), 1.788 million Hamburg, 1.576 million Munich, 1.144 million Cologne, 796,000 Frankfurt

Population: Male/Female

• male: 41,572,702
• female: 42,546,398

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Age Structure

• years: 13.8% (male 5,925,800/female 5,688,603) 15-64
• years: 62.5% (male 26,705,657/female 25,875,865) 65 years and
• over: 23.7% (male 8,941,245/female 10,981,930)

Median Age

• total: 46.8 years
• male: 45.5 years
• female: 48.3 years

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population

9

Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population

12

Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman

1.58

Gross reproduction rate

1

Contraceptive Prevalance Rate - female 12-49

67%

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 12-49

67%

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

54.4%

Mean Age for Mother's First Birth (age 25-49)

29.9

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.9

Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female

• birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14
• years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64
• years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and
• over: 0.81 male(s)/female total
• population: 0.98 male(s)/female

Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population

1.8

Ethnic Groups

German 85.4%, Turkish 1.8%, Ukrainian 1.4%, Syrian 1.1%, Romanian 1%, Poland 1%, other/stateless/unspecified 8.3%

Language Note

• German (official)
• note - Danish, Frisian, Sorbian, and Romani are official minority languages
• Low German, Danish, North Frisian, Sater Frisian, Lower Sorbian, Upper Sorbian, and Romani are recognized as regional languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

Nationality Noun

• noun: German(s)
• adjective: German

Education Expenditures - percent of GDP

4.7%

Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary)

• total: 17 years
• male: 17 years
• female: 17 years

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Life Expectancy at Birth

• population: 81.9 years
• male: 79.6 years
• female: 84.4 years

Infant Mortality Rate

• total: 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births
• male: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births
• female: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births

• total: 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births
• male: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births
• female: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births

4

Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population

4.44

Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population

8

Health Expenditures - percent of GDP

12.8%

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

22.3%

Tobacco Use

• total: 22%
• male: 24.1%
• female: 19.9%

Alcohol consumption per capita

• total: 10.56 liters of pure alcohol
• beer: 5.57 liters of pure alcohol
• wine: 3.02 liters of pure alcohol
• spirits: 1.97 liters of pure alcohol other
• alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol

Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved

• improved: urban: 100% of population
• rural: 100% of population
• total: 100% of population
• unimproved: urban: 0% of population
• rural: 0% of population
• total: 0% of population

Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved

• improved: urban: 100% of population
• rural: 100% of population
• total: 100% of population
• unimproved: urban: 0% of population
• rural: 0% of population
• total: 0% of population

Underweight - percent of children under five years

0.5%

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Economic Overview

The German economy - the fifth largest economy in the world in PPP terms and Europe's largest - is a leading exporter of machinery, vehicles, chemicals, and household equipment.

Germany benefits from a highly skilled labor force, but, like its Western European neighbors, faces significant demographic challenges to sustained long-term growth.

Low fertility rates and a large increase in net immigration are increasing pressure on the country's social welfare system and necessitating structural reforms.

Reforms launched by the government of Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (1998-2005), deemed necessary to address chronically high unemployment and low average growth, contributed to strong economic growth and falling unemployment.

These advances, as well as a government-subsidized, reduced working hour scheme, help explain the relatively modest increase in unemployment during the 2008-09 recession - the deepest since World War II.

The German Government introduced a minimum wage in 2015 that increased to $9.79 (8.84 euros) in January 2017.

Stimulus and stabilization efforts initiated in 2008 and 2009 and tax cuts introduced in Chancellor Angela MERKEL's second term increased Germany's total budget deficit - including federal, state, and municipal - to 4.1% in 2010, but slower spending and higher tax revenues reduced the deficit to 0.8% in 2011 and in 2017 Germany reached a budget surplus of 0.7%.

A constitutional amendment approved in 2009 limits the federal government to structural deficits of no more than 0.35% of GDP per annum as of 2016, though the target was already reached in 2012.

Following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Chancellor Angela MERKEL announced in May 2011 that eight of the country's 17 nuclear reactors would be shut down immediately and the remaining plants would close by 2022.

Germany plans to replace nuclear power largely with renewable energy, which accounted for 29.5% of gross electricity consumption in 2016, up from 9% in 2000.

Before the shutdown of the eight reactors, Germany relied on nuclear power for 23% of its electricity generating capacity and 46% of its base-load electricity production.

The German economy suffers from low levels of investment, and a government plan to invest 15 billion euros during 2016-18, largely in infrastructure, is intended to spur needed private investment.

Domestic consumption, investment, and exports are likely to drive German GDP growth in 2018, and the country’s budget and trade surpluses are likely to remain high.

Industries

Among the world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages, shipbuilding, textiles

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$47,400.00 (USD)

GDP - real growth rate

1.5%

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GDP - Gross Domestic Product (PPP)

$4,238,800,000,000 (USD)

GDP Per Capita

$47,400.00 (USD)

GDP - real growth rate

1.5%

GDP - official exchange rate

$3,371,000,000,000 (USD)

GDP - composition, by end use

• Consumption: 54.2% Government
• Consumption: 19.1% Investment in Fixed
• Capital: 20.2% Investment in
• Inventories: -0.7% Exports of Goods and
• Services: 46.1% Imports of Goods and
• Services: -38.9%

GDP by Sector- agriculture

0.7%

GDP by Sector- Industry

30.2%

GDP by Sector- services

69.1%

Industrial Growth Rate

8%

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Inflation Rate

2%

Exchange Rate per US Dollar

0.94

Currency Name and Code

Euro (EUR)

Fiscal Year

Calendar Year

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

2.8%

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Labor Force

44,010,000

Unemployment Rate

6.5%

Major Industries

Among the world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages, shipbuilding, textiles

Agriculture Products

Potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages; cattle, pigs, poultry

Population Below Poverty Line

15.5%

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Labor Force By Occupation- agriculture

1.6%

Labor Force By Occupation- industry

24.6%

Labor Force By Occupation- services

73.8%

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Annual Budget

$1,511,000,000,000 (USD)

Public Debt (% of GDP)

81.7%

Budget Surplus or Deficit - percent of GDP

0.1%

Taxes and other revenues - percent of GDP

45.3%

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Full Country Name

Federal Republic of Germany

Country Name

Germany

Local - Long

Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Local - Short

Deutschland

Former Name

German Reich

Etymology- history of name

the Gauls (Celts) of Western Europe may have referred to the newly arriving Germanic tribes who settled in neighboring areas east of the Rhine during the first centuries B.C. as "Germani," a term the Romans adopted as "Germania"

the native designation "Deutsch" comes from the Old High German "diutisc" meaning "of the people"

Independence

• 18 January 1871 (establishment of the German Empire)
• divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and France) in 1945 following World War II
• Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed on 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones
• German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed on 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone
• West Germany and East Germany unified on 3 October 1990
• all four powers formally relinquished rights on 15 March 1991
• notable earlier dates: 10 August 843 (Eastern Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire)
• 2 February 962 (crowning of OTTO I, recognized as the first Holy Roman Emperor)

National Holiday

German Unity Day, 3 October (1990)

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Government Type

federal parliamentary republic

Constitution

• history: previous 1919 (Weimar Constitution); latest drafted 10-23 August 1948, approved 12 May 1949, promulgated 23 May 1949, entered into force 24 May 1949
• amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage and enactment into law require two-thirds majority vote by both the Bundesrat (upper house) and the Bundestag (lower house) of Parliament; articles including those on basic human rights and freedoms cannot be amended; amended many times, last in 2020; note - in early 2021, the German federal government introduced a bill to incorporate children’s rights into the constitution

Legal System:

civil law system

Executive Branch:

• chief of state: President Frank-Walter STEINMEIER (since 19 March 2017)
• head of government: Chancellor Friedrich MERZ (since 6 May 2025)
• cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) recommended by the chancellor, appointed by the president election/appointment
• process: president indirectly elected by a Federal Convention consisting of all members of the Federal Parliament (Bundestag) and an equivalent number of delegates indirectly elected by the state parliaments; president serves a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); following the most recent Federal Parliament election, the party or coalition with the most representatives usually elects the chancellor, who is appointed by the president to serve a renewable 4-year term most recent election
• date: president: 13 February 2022
• chancellor: 6 May 2025
• election results: 2025: Friedrich MERZ (CDU) elected chancellor in second round; Federal Parliament vote - 325 to 289 2022: Frank-Walter STEINMEIER reelected president; Federal Convention vote count - Frank-Walter STEINMEIER (SPD) 1,045, Max OTTE (CDU) 140, Gerhard TRABERT (The Left) 96, Stefanie GEBAUER (Free Voters) 58, abstentions 86 expected date of next
• election: president: February 2027

Legislative Branch:

• Description: bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of: Federal Council or Bundesrat (69 seats statutory, 71 current; members appointed by each of the 16 state governments) Federal Diet or Bundestag (736 seats statutory, 736 for the 2021-25 term - total seats can vary each electoral term; currently includes 4 seats for independent members; approximately one-half of members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and approximately one-half directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members' terms depend upon the states they represent)
• Elections: Bundesrat - none; determined by the composition of the state-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has the potential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an election Bundestag - last held on 26 September 2021 (next to be held in September 2025 at the latest); almost all postwar German governments have been coalitions
• Election Results: Bundesrat -
• Composition: men 46, women 23, percent of women 33.3% Bundestag - percent of vote by party - SPD 28%, CDU/CSU 26.8%, Alliance '90/Greens 16%, FDP 12.5%, AfD 11%, The Left 5.3%, other .04%; seats by party - SPD 206, CDU/CSU 197, Alliance '90/Greens 118, FDP 92, AfD 81, The Left 39, other 3;
• Composition: men 479, women 257, percent of women 34.9%;
• Note: total Parliament percent of women 34.8%
• Note: due to Germany's recognition of the concepts of "overhang" (when a party's share of the nationwide votes would entitle it to fewer seats than the number of individual constituency seats won in an election under Germany's mixed member proportional system) and "leveling" (whereby additional seats are elected to supplement the members directly elected by each constituency in order to ensure that each party's share of the total seats is roughly proportional to the party's overall shares of votes at the national level), the 20th Bundestag is the largest to date

Judicial Branch:

• office: Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated states and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament; judges appointed by the president; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half elected by the House of Representatives and one-half by the Senate; judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
• subordinate courts: Federal Administrative Court; Federal Finance Court; Federal Labor Court; Federal Social Court; each of the 16 federated states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts; two English-speaking commercial courts opened in late 2020 in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg - English-speaking Stuttgart Commercial Court and English-speaking Mannheim Commercial Court

Regions or States:

16 states (Laender, singular - Land); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern (Bavaria), Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen (Hesse), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia), Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Saarland, Sachsen (Saxony), Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt), Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen (Thuringia); note - Bayern, Sachsen, and Thueringen refer to themselves as free states (Freistaaten, singular - Freistaat), while Bremen calls itself a Free Hanseatic City (Freie Hansestadt) and Hamburg considers itself a Free and Hanseatic City (Freie und Hansestadt)

Political Parties and Leaders:

• Alliance '90/Greens [Ricarda LANG and Omid NOURIPOUR]
• Alternative for Germany or AfD [Alice WEIDEL and Tino CHRUPALLA]
• Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Friedrich MERZ]
• Christian Social Union or CSU [Markus SOEDER]
• Free Democratic Party or FDP [Christian LINDNER]
• Free Voters [Hubert AIWANGER]
• The Left or Die Linke [Janine WISSLER and Martin SCHIRDEWAN]
• Social Democratic Party or SPD [Saskia ESKEN and Lars KLINGBEIL]

Suffrage:

• 18 years of age
• universal
• age 16 for some state and municipal elections

Citizenship Criteria:

• birth: no citizenship by descent
• only: at least one parent must be a German citizen or a resident alien who has lived in Germany at least 8 years dual citizenship
• recognized: yes, but requires prior permission from government residency requirement for
• naturalization: 8 years

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Capital Name

Berlin

Capital - geographic coordinate

52 31 N, 13 24 E

Capital Time Difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Daylight Savings Time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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International Organization Participation:

• ADB (nonregional member)
• AfDB (nonregional member)
• Arctic Council (observer)
• Australia Group
• BIS
• BSEC (observer)
• CBSS
• CD
• CDB
• CE
• CERN
• EAPC
• EBRD
• ECB
• EIB
• EITI (implementing country)
• EMU
• ESA
• EU
• FAO
• FATF
• G-5
• G-7
• G-8
• G-10
• G-20
• IADB
• IAEA
• IBRD
• ICAO
• ICC (national committees)
• ICCt
• ICRM
• IDA
• IEA
• IFAD
• IFC
• IFRCS
• IGAD (partners)
• IHO
• ILO
• IMF
• IMO
• IMSO
• Interpol
• IOC
• IOM
• IPU
• ISO
• ITSO
• ITU
• ITUC (NGOs)
• MIGA
• MINURSO
• NATO
• NEA
• NSG
• OAS (observer)
• OECD
• OPCW
• OSCE
• Pacific Alliance (observer)
• Paris Club
• PCA
• Schengen Convention
• SELEC (observer)
• SICA (observer)
• UN
• UNAMID
• UNCTAD
• UNESCO
• UNHCR
• UNHRC
• UNIDO
• UNIFIL
• UNMISS
• UNOOSA
• UNRWA
• UNSOM
• UNWTO
• UPU
• Wassenaar Arrangement
• WCO
• WHO
• WIPO
• WMO
• WTO
• ZC

International Law Organization Participation:

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Diplomatic Representation from US:

• Chief of Mission: Ambassador Amy GUTMANN (since 17 February 2022)
• Embassy: Pariser Platz 2, 10117 Berlin Clayallee 170, 14191 Berlin (administrative services)
• Mailing Address: 5090 Berlin Place, Washington DC 20521-5090
• Telephone: [49] (30) 8305-0
• FAX: [49] (30) 8305-1215
• Email: BerlinPCO@state.gov
• Website: https://de.usembassy.gov/
• Consulate(s) General: Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich

Diplomatic Representation in the US:

• Chief of Mission: Ambassador Andreas MICHAELIS (since 15 September 2023)
• Chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
• Telephone: [1] (202) 298-4000
• FAX: [1] (202) 298-4261
• Email: info@washington.diplo.de
• Website: https://www.germany.info/us-en
• Consulate(s) General: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

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Geographic Location

Europe

Geographic Coordinates

51 00 N, 9 00 E

Total Area

137,846 Square Miles 357,022 Square Kilometers

Land Area

134,622 Square Miles 348,672 Square Kilometers

Water Area

3,224 Square Miles 8,350 Square Kilometers

Land Boundaries

2,355 Miles 3,790 Kilometers

Border Countries

Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 815 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577 km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km

Coastline

1,484 Miles 2,389 Kilometers

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Terrain

Lowlands in the north, uplands in the center, Bavarian Alps in the south

Highest Point

2,963 Meters

Highest Point Location

Zugspitze 2,963 m

Lowest Point

-4 Meters

Lowest Point Location

Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.54 m

Natural Resources

Coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land

Irrigated Land

1,991 Square Miles 5,157 Square Kilometers

Time Zone

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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Climate

Germany is in the Temperate Zone and enjoys frequent weather changes, sometimes daily.

The country has four distinct seasons with rainfall frequent in most months, especially in the autumn.

Winter temperatures and snowfall tend to be more extreme in the southern part of the country where the average elevation is higher, but even low-lying Berlin has snowfalls and winter temperatures that occasionally dip below 10°F.

Terrain

Lowlands in the north, uplands in the center, Bavarian Alps in the south

Location

Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark

Total Area

137,846 Square Miles 357,022 Square Kilometers

Border Countries

Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 815 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577 km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km

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Environment - Current Issues

• Emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution
• acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests
• pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany
• hazardous waste disposal
• the government established a mechanism for ending the use of nuclear power over the next 15 years
• government working to meet European Union commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the European Union's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive

Environment - International Agreements

Party To: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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Exports

$1,492,000,000,000 (USD)

Imports

$1,276,000,000,000 (USD)

Major Exports

Motor vehicles, machinery, chemicals, computer and electronic products, electrical equipment, pharmaceuticals, metals, transport equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, rubber and plastic products

Major Imports

Machinery, data processing equipment, vehicles, chemicals, oil and gas, metals, electric equipment, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, agricultural products

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Country Description

Germany is a modern and stable democracy. Tourist facilities are highly developed. In larger towns, many people can communicate in English.

Safety & Security

German authorities are vigilant in combating terrorism and other threats to security.

Authorities have uncovered and disrupted several extremist plots including some targeting U.S. interests.

The most recent deadly attack occurred in March 2011, when two U.S.

Airmen were killed and two others wounded when a lone Islamic extremist opened fire on them at the Frankfurt International Airport.

Like other countries in the Schengen area, Germany's open borders with its European neighbors limit its ability to track suspicious individuals entering and exiting the country with anonymity.

Germany's robust democracy is often expressed in large, public demonstrations on a variety of political and economic issues.

Such demonstrations are common on politically significant holidays, such as German Labor Day on May 1, and during international summits hosted in Germany.

In order to stage a demonstration, groups must obtain prior police approval, and police routinely oversee participants and passersby.

Nonetheless, these demonstrations can attract counter-demonstrations and have the potential to turn violent.

Avoid areas around protests and demonstrations and check local media for updates on the situation and traffic advisories.

U.S. citizens should exercise caution when congregating in areas known as expatriate hangouts such as restaurants, bars, and discos frequented by high numbers of resident U.S. citizens and/or U.S. citizen tourists.

In addition, hooligans, most often drunken "skinheads," have been known to harass or even attack people whom they believe to be foreigners or members of rival groups.

On occasion, German police reported assaults that appeared to have been motivated by racial reasons, and U.S. citizens have reported that they were assaulted for racial reasons or because they appeared "foreign."

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Crime

Violent crime is rare in Germany but can occur, especially in larger cities or high-risk areas such as on large metropolitan subway systems and in train stations, primarily during late night or early morning hours.

There have been several reports of aggravated assault against U.S. citizens in higher-risk urban areas.

However, most incidents of street crime involve the theft of unattended items and pickpocketing.

Take the same precautions that you would in any large city.

Don't buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available.

Not only are the bootlegs illegal to bring back into the United States, but by purchasing them you could also be breaking local law.

Criminal Penalties

While traveling in Germany, you are subject to its laws, even if you are a U.S. citizen.

Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own.

While you are overseas, U.S. laws do not apply, and if you do something illegal in your host country, your U.S. passport won't help you avoid arrest or prosecution.

It is very important to know what is legal and what is not, as criminal penalties vary from country to country.

There are also some things that may be legal where you are traveling, but illegal in the United States; for example, if you engage in sexual conduct with children or use or disseminate child pornography in a foreign country, you can be prosecuted in the United States.

The

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Medical Facilities

Germany has good medical care and facilities.

If you are not a resident of Germany, doctors and hospitals may expect immediate payment in cash.

Most doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies do not accept credit cards.

Due to Germany's strict customs regulations, generally, you are not allowed to receive prescription medication by mail without special permission.

During your trip, you should only carry the amount you plan to use.

Traffic Safety

In Germany, road conditions can be significantly different from those in the United States.

If you hold a valid U.S. driver's license, you can drive in Germany for up to six months without acquiring a German driver's license.

Drivers should be aware that traffic signs in Germany differ from those in the United States, and it is important to be familiar with road signage prior to driving.

Basic information about road signs in Germany is available here.

German road conditions in general are excellent, although you should exercise caution while traveling on older roads in eastern Germany.

Contrary to popular belief, there are posted speed limits on large stretches of the highway, or Autobahn, mostly when traveling through urban areas or when the road has many curves.

The high speed permitted on the Autobahn, adverse weather conditions, and unfamiliar road markings can pose significant hazards.

Driver error is a leading cause of accidents involving U.S. citizen motorists in Germany.

Bicycles are another cause of mishaps.

Many German streets and sidewalks have dedicated bike lanes.

Whether you are driving or walking, be aware that bicycles have priority use of these lanes.

If you are walking, watch for bicyclists before crossing or stepping into bike lanes.

Bicyclists also have priority over cars when turning onto side streets.

If you are driving, check whether a bicyclist is approaching from either direction before attempting to enter side streets, even when the light is in your favor.

If you are turning into a side street and hit a bicyclist using a marked bike lane, you will be held responsible for any injury or damage caused.

Driver right-of-way rules are different from the United States.

Unless you are traveling on a priority road, vehicles coming from the right have the right-of-way.

It is generally illegal in Germany to pass vehicles on the right.

The threshold for determining whether a person has been driving under the influence of alcohol is lower than in the United States.

Under German law, it is illegal to operate a vehicle if the blood level is 0.5 per mill or higher.

The law imposes a penalty and the withdrawal of the driver's license for specified periods of time depending upon the gravity of each violation.

It is illegal to use your cell phone while driving in Germany.

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Airports - total

539

Airports with Paved Runways

318

Heliports

23

Railways

26,086 Miles 41,981 Kilometers

Roadways- total

400,784 Miles 645,000 Kilometers

Roadways- paved

397,677 Miles 640,000 Kilometers

Waterways

4,640 Miles 7,467 Kilometers

Ports and Terminals

Bremen, Bremerhaven, Duisburg, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Lübeck, Neuss-Düsseldorf, Rostock, Wilhelmshaven Oil Terminals: Brunsbuttel Canal terminals

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Pipelines: Condensate

23 Miles 37 Kilometers

Pipelines: Gas

16,768 Miles 26,985 Kilometers

Pipelines: Oil

1,756 Miles 2,826 Kilometers

Pipelines: Refined Products

2,783 Miles 4,479 Kilometers

Pipelines: Water

5 Miles 8 Kilometers

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Telephones

51,800,000

Cell Phones

108,700,000

Internet Users

65,125,000

Internet Country Code

.de

Internet Hosts

20,043,000

Broadcast Media

• A mixture of publicly operated and privately owned TV and radio stations
• national and regional public broadcasters compete with nearly 400 privately owned national and regional TV stations
• more than 90% of households have cable or satellite TV
• hundreds of radio stations including multiple national radio networks, regional radio networks, and a large number of local radio stations

Telephone System

• Assessment: Germany has one of the world's most technologically advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of intensive capital expenditures since reunification, the formerly backward system of the eastern part of the country, dating back to World War II, has been modernized and integrated with that of the western part
• Domestic: Germany is served by an extensive system of automatic telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available, expanding rapidly, and includes roaming service to many foreign countries
• International: country code - 49; Germany's international service is excellent worldwide, consisting of extensive land and undersea cable facilities as well as earth stations in the Inmarsat, Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems

14 facts — expand for details.

Electricity Consumption- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

549,100,000,000

Electricity Exports- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

57,920,000,000

Electricity Imports- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

42,960,000,000

Electricity Production- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

558,000,000,000

Natural Gas Consumption - Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

75,200,000,000

Natural Gas Exports- Cubic Meters (cu m)

18,170,000,000

Natural Gas Imports- Cubic Meters (cu m)

87,960,000,000

Natural Gas Production- Cubic Meters (cu m)

9,000,000,000

Natural Gas Reserves- Cubic Meters (cu m)

125,000,000,000

Oil Consumption- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

2,400,000

Oil Exports- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

14,260

Oil Imports- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

1,876,000

Oil Production- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

165,300

Oil Reserves- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

254,200,000

3 facts — expand for details.

Anthem History

The "Deutschlandlied", the German national anthem, dates back to the liberal national movement of the 19th century.

The words stem from the pen of August Heinrich Hoffmann The "Deutschlandlied" was initially unable to compete successfully against other songs.

After 1871 the Prussian royal anthem "Heil dir im Siegerkranz" ("Hail to Thee in Victor's Laurels"), which had been designated the imperial anthem, was sung wherever Emperor William I appeared.

Not until around the turn of the century did Hoffman's song become popular.

In 1922, in a speech marking the third anniversary of the Weimar constitution, Reich President Friedrich Ebert publicly proclaimed the "Deutschlandlied", although the term "national anthem" was not yet used on that day.

In his speech, Friedrich Ebert stated: "Unity and right and freedom - in times of internal fragmentation and oppression, this triad from the poet's song voiced the longing of all Germans; may it now accompany us on our arduous path to a better future." After the end of World War II, the newly founded Federal Republic of Germany had difficulty reaching a decision on a national anthem.

In contrast to the federal flag, no provision was made for an anthem in the Basic Law.

Not until 1952 was an arrangement reached.

In a letter dated 29 April 1952, Federal Chancellor Dr.

Konrad Adenauer asked the Federal President, Prof.

Dr.

Theodor Heuss, to "designate the song by Hoffmann and Haydn the national anthem.

At state functions, the third verse should be sung." President Heuss gave his consent in a response dated 2 May 1952, after his prior attempt to initiate a new anthem, had proved unsuccessful.

After the reunification of Germany, in an exchange of letters in August 1991, Federal President Dr.

Richard von Weizsäcker and Federal Chancellor Dr.

Helmut Kohl designated the third verse of the "Deutschlandlied" the national anthem.

Anthem Lyrics

The "Deutschlandlied" Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit Für das Deutsche Vaterland. Danach laßt uns alle streben, Brüderlich mit Herz und Hand. Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit Sind des Glückes Unterpfand. Blüh' im Glanze dieses Glückes, Blühe deutsches Vaterland.

Anthem Lyrics English

Unity and Rights and Freedom For the German Fatherland Let us all strive for that Brotherly with heart and hand Unity and Rights and Freedom Are the foundation for happiness Bloom in the glow of happiness Bloom German Fatherland