Official Name: Bundes Republik Deutschland (Federal Republic of Germany)

Area: Europe

Size: 357,050 km²

Coastline: 2,389 km

Independence: Federal Republic 23 May 1949 

Form of Govt.: Federal multiparty republic

Head of Govt.: Chancellor

Capital: Berlin

Largest City: Berlin

Demographics (2005): 82,401,000,    230.9 /km²

Germans 91.5%, Turks 2.4%, other 6.1%

GDP per Capita (2005): $31,400

Languages: German, English

Geography: The country can be divided into three topographical regions. (1.) The Northern German Plain which includes the northern low lying plains and the moraine covered hills and lakes of the Baltic Sea country. (2.) The Central German Uplands which includes the Rhenish Slate Mountains (Rheinisches Schiefergebirge), and the rolling uplands and low mountains of Hessen. This region also includes the Erzgebirge, which is a high tablelands. (3.) The southern uplands which include the ranges of the Central Alps and other uplands such as the Bayerische Alpen.

Climate: Germany has a continental climate in the western regions of the country with strong Atlantic influences in the northwest causing the winters to be mild but stormy. Further inland the winter temperatures are lower and the summers are warm with slightly higher temperatures in the southwest. A temperate climate is experienced in the eastern regions with an Atlantic influence giving rise to mild winters and cool summers. Due to a stronger Alpine influence rather than the Atlantic in the interior, conditions are generally wetter and colder at higher altitudes with snow lying in the mountains for some time. Average annual precipitation in Berlin is 592 mm and average annual temperature ranges are from 0.5 degrees in January to 19 degrees in July.