Fun facts about Germany – Learn German with Accent
Here are some interesting facts about Germany that may surprise you. Did you know that International Students have access to free post graduate courses in Germany?
Test your knowledge and see if you learn something new with these fun facts about Germany.
1 – Germany has sixteen federal states
All states have their own constitution and manage their own affairs.
Berlin and Hamburg and City of Bremen are called Stadtstaaten (city states)
13 states are called Flächenländer (area states)
2 – Germany divided into 402 districts
295 Rural Districts Kreise and Landkreise
107 Urban Districts Kreisfreie Städte and Stadtkreise
3 – There are 80,681,093 million people living in Germany
This makes Germany one of the most densely populated countries in the world.
However, Germany still retains 1/3 of the country for forestry and woodland so the country is still one of the most beautiful in Europe.
4 – Berlin is the Capital of Germany
Former Capitals of Germany include: Aachen, Regensburg, Frankfurt-am-Main, Nuremberg, Berlin, Weimar, Bonn (and East Berlin)
5 – Germany shares its borders with 9 countries
Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
6 – Germany’s current GDP is worth 5.41% of the Worlds Economy
As of 2013 Germany’s GDP was $3.227 trillion (UK was $2.387 trillion).
Real Growth Rate in 2013 was 0.5%
7 – Germany is the EU’s largest economy being 4th behind US, China and Japan
Global brands such as Audi, BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Adidas, SAP, Nivea and Siemens.
Photo from Kristopher Flickr photo stream
8 – 185 million people speak German Globally
105 million of those are native speakers
9 – German is also the official language of Liechtenstien, Luxembourg, Austria, Switzerland
Yes, it’s not just Germans that speak German. Other countries also converse in German.
10 – There are some words that are more than 40 letters long
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis 45 letters is the longest word in the Oxford Dictionary of English meaning ‘lung disease caused by inhaling dust’.
11 – There are 35 dialects of the German language
For example, Frisian is spoken in the Northern Region along the North Coast.
Low German is more related to English than German and is spoken in the Dutch border.
Mitteldeutsch (Middle Germany), Fränkisch (spoken along the main river in centre of Germany) and Alemannisch is spoken in Switzerland.
12 – College education in Germany is free even for International students
Tuition fees for bachelor’s degrees in German Universities was abolished in 2014. Politicians believed that paying for higher education is ‘socially unjust’.
13 – Germany known as the ‘land of poets and thinkers’ Das Land der Dichter und Denker
It is not widely acknowledged but Germany has produced some of the finest writers and poets in history.
Goethe, Schiller, Kant, Marx, Beethoven, Freud, Mann, Brecht to name only a few of Germany’s fine writers, poet’s and thinkers to celebrate and admire.
Photo by Jean Baptist Flickr photo stream
14 – Inventors – Genius comes from Germany
The light bulb, automated calculator, the drivers airbag, the aspirin, the chip card to name only a few well-known inventions from Germany.
14 – 65% of the German Autobahn has zero speed limits
Although it is illegal to run out of fuel as is walking and running on the Autobahn punishable by fines.
15- Over 300 kinds of bread in Germany
Bread remains a very important part of a German diet with different variations to choose from throughout the day.
The Bäckereien (Bakery) can still be found in every town across Germany selling freshly cooked bread. Hmm yummy.
Find out more about German bread
16 – When Germans answer the phone they say their surname first
It is common for Germans to answer the telephone with only their last name to identify themselves.
17 – most employers expect to see a photo on an employees cv
German employers expect a certain style of CV known as lebenslauf.
The Lebenslauf is a factual document with a few must haves such as: photo, marital status and place of birth.
18 – Babies names must be approved by law
In Germany you can not name your child ‘Stardust’ or ‘Cricket’ or something random and obscure.
By law a child’s first name must not negatively impact their wellbeing so the first name must indicate the sex of the baby and the name can not be of a product or surname.
The Standesamt refer to the “International Manual of first names” and consult embassies, but if your name is rejected there is a cost to pay.
19 – Berlin is Europes largest grade-separated train station Hauptbahnhof
Photo by Mariano Flickr photo stream
It has 14 platforms and serves over 300,000 passengers per day.
20 – Germany is one of the worlds leading book nations
Germany publishes around 94,000 titles every year.
21 – Holocaust denial is either implicitly or explicitly crime
In 17 countries, including Germany and Austria.
22- Berlins Zoo boasts largest collection of animals in the world.
Berlins Zoologischer Garten is 84 acres with over 1,500 species and 17,000 animals. Opened in 1844 is one of the oldest Zoos in Germany.
Photo from Volt Flickr photo stream
23 – Worlds Tallest Cathedral
With a steeple measuring 530ft and containing 768 steps this is the tallest Cathedral in Europe.
Photo from Barnyz Flickr photostream
24 – Germans are avid recyclers – 65% of municipal waste was recycled or composted in 2014
The Germans are world leaders in recycling.
In 2012 Germany produced 352,996 tons of waste but recycled 152,807 tons, 33,953 went to energy recover, 91,469 backfilling, 11,017 was incinerated and 62,750 went to landfill.
25 – Germany introduced the Christmas Tree in 16th Century
Called Christbaum or Weihnachtsbaum it is believed that the Christians brought Christmas Trees into the home and decorated them with fruit.
Conclusion
Don’t you just want to hop on a plane right now and fly to Germany to discover more about this rich nation?
Accent Language School have German language Classes for Corporate Clients, individuals and young students who want to learn German. Whether it be for fun or for an examination, we can help you achieve your German language goals.
Contact us today to find out more info@accent.gg
Main photo from Herman Flickr photo stream
