Germany

According to the state structure, it is a federal state consisting of 16 subjects - federal states (Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saar, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, North Rhine - Westphalia, Thuringia, Schleswig-Holstein). The form of government is a parliamentary republic.

Germany is a country that is developing dynamically with the economy. GDP for 2017 was $ 3.685 trillion. The monetary unit is the euro.

As a world leader in a number of industrial and technological sectors, it is the world's third largest exporter and importer of goods. Germany is a developed country with a very high standard of living (6th place in the world rankings). It supports social security and universal health care, environmental protection and free higher education.

Germany is one of the founding countries and a member of the European Union, a member of NATO, a member of the G7. As of 2020, 54% of the population are Christians, 4.3% of the population are Muslims, and 40.7% of the population are non-religious.

The largest cities in Germany are Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne. Next in importance is the fifth most populous city in Germany and the financial metropolis of Frankfurt am Main, Germany's largest airport. It is the third largest airport in Europe and the first in terms of revenue from air transportation. The Ruhr Basin is the region with the highest population density.

The northern part of Germany is a low-lying plain formed during the ice age (North German Plain, lowest point - Neuendorf-Saxenbande in Wilstermarsh [de], 3.54 m below sea level). The surface of the North German Plain has preserved traces of ancient glaciation - chains of low moraine ridges and hills. The western part of the lowland is occupied by swampy lowlands - marches, the formation of which is caused by the lowering of the platform. In the central part of the country, forested foothills adjoin the lowlands from the south, and the Alps begin to the south. The highest point in Germany is the Zugspitze at 2962 m.

In Germany there are many rivers, the largest are: Rhine, Danube, Elbe, Weser and Oder, the rivers are connected by canals, the most famous canal is the Kiel Canal, which connects the Baltic Sea. The Kiel Canal begins in Kiel Bay and ends at the mouth of the Elbe River. The largest lake in Germany is Lake Constance, with an area of 540 km² and a depth of 250 m.

Germany is located in a temperate climate zone, in the north with a maritime climate. Midsummer can be hot and sunny, but the next days can be cold and rainy. Extreme natural events (severe droughts, tornadoes, severe frosts or fires) are most likely.

Average temperatures in July range from +14 in the mountains to +22 ° C in the valleys. Average January temperatures range from +4 in the valleys to -5 ° C in the mountains. The average annual temperature is + 5- + 10 ° C. The lowest temperature in Germany was -46 ° C, this figure was recorded in the 20th century in the south of the country, in its mountainous part at an altitude of 1601 m next to Lake Funtensee.

There are 14 national parks, 19 biosphere reserves, 95 nature parks and many other protected natural areas and monuments in Germany.