Everything you need to know about Germany: news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more
Germany: Europe's Powerhouse and Teutonic Country
The history of Germany was nurtured by some of the world's most infamous dictator's like Bismarck and Hitler. Bismarck, a conservative, monarchist, and militaristic Prussian prime minister unified all of Germany before World War I. Hitler, the fanatical nationalist took up the initiative to extend the territorial boundaries of Germany and to include other countries such as Austria. The Nazi party led by Hitler executed millions of innocent Jews that is popularly termed as the ?holocaust'. In the year 1999, Germany joined NATO and is also a G-8 member. After the end of the cold war East and West Germany were reunited after breaking the Berlin wall.
Germany Fast Facts :
Germany Geography, Climate and Economy :
The terrain of Germany consists of plains and lowlands in the north, uplands in the central part and the Bavarian Alps highlands in the south. The major rivers of Germany consist of Rhine, the Oder, the Weser and the Elbe. The highest point is located at a height of 2,963 m at Zugspitze and the lowest at Neuendorf bei Wilster at a depth of -3.54 m.
The climate of Germany is temperate and marine characterized by cool and wet winters and warm summers. The northern part of Germany receives rainfall throughout the year and the climate is oceanic with mild winters and cool summers. While the eastern part has continental features having long and cold winters along with warm summers.
Germany's economy is the fifth largest in the world in terms of PPP. It is the world's foremost merchandise exporter and the total exports accounts to one-third of the national output. It is one of the world's technology leaders with an prosperous economy. Its natural resources include natural gas, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, coal, lignite, iron ore and construction materials.
Culture and Cuisine of Germany:
Germany is known for producing world-class intellectuals and philosophers who have contributed significantly to the world. Since the year 2006, it has called itself the ?Land of ideas'. Its culture has been influenced by both religious and secular currents of Europe. The world-renowned music composers such as Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach and many others have originated from Germany. The architectural designs of Carolingian and Ottonian styles belong to Germany.
The cuisine of German has wide varieties having the influences of the nearby countries such as Switzerland and Austria. The main German dishes include different varieties of meat like pork, beef and poultry. The German wines are popular worldwide and beer is its national alcoholic drink. Besides this, the desserts of Germans are particularly famous and Berliners is a typical German pastry, which is deliciously made.
Tourist Sites in Germany:
Berlin, the capital city of Germany is one of the oldest cities preserving some historical relics belonging to the past centuries. Besides this, one can explore the sites of Reichstag and Bundeskanzleramt to know about the country's rich cultural heritage. The coastal lines along the North and Baltic Sea attracts the tourists for surfing and viewing the scenic sites which enthralls the onlookers. The Hanseatic towns of northern Germany and the Episcopal cities and splendid cathedrals of the south tempt the visitors to explore more.
Some Other German Tourist Attractions are :
Washington, May 21 (ANI): A humanoid robot can receive an object handed to it by a person with something approaching natural, human-like motion, thanks to a new method developed by scientists at Disney Research, Pittsburgh.
London, May 21 (ANI): The new England football kit has been revealed and was instantly compared with West Germany's outfit in the 1960s and 70s by some fans.
London, May 21 (ANI): The keyboard player and co-founder of rock band 'The Doors', Ray Manzarek, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 74.
New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Reiterating his philosophy that India and China need to shake hands across the Himalayas, visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Tuesday pushed for greater economic integration between the two Asian giants and combining the strengths of their 2.5 billion people to make an impact on the global scene.
Berlin, May 21 (IANS) Veteran singer-songwriter Ray Manzarek died Monday night at his home in Rosenheim, Germany. He was suffering from cancer. He was 74.
Washington, May 21 (ANI): Both air and noise pollution may increase an individual's risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a study in which both factors were considered simultaneously.
London, May 20 (IANS) People who begin drinking alcohol during puberty are more likely to become addicts, a German study has said.
New Delhi, May 20 (ANI): Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid here on Monday, as he sought to strengthen mutual trust and deepen cooperation between the two nations after a recent military standoff in Ladakh threatened to derail ties between the two Asian giants.
Beijing, May 20 (Xinhua-ANI): Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here Monday that his official visit to India is aimed at enhancing mutual trust and deepening bilateral cooperation, and is future-oriented.
New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) India and China were "strategic partners and good friends" that could speak to each other with candour, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Monday while stressing on discussions on the border issue and river waters.
New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) India is an important neighbour, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Monday and stressed that the main aim of his visit was to increase areas of mutual interest and intensify cooperation.
New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) BJP leader Tarun Vijay Sunday said India and China must improve their trust levels to have a sincere handshake.
Shanghai, May 19 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva won her first competition of the season by jumping 4.70 metres at the Diamond League meeting here.
Beijing, May 19 (IANS) Chinese Premier Li Keqiang departed here Sunday for official visits to four nations, with India being the first stop.
New Delhi, May 18 (ANI): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha on Saturday said that the UPA-II government should hold talks with the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang "from a position of strength".
Washington, May 18 (ANI): Scientists have used a new X-ray method to record a living frog embryo's internal structure and cell movement.
Los Angeles, May 18 (IANS) Pop sensation Justin Bieber will have to pay hefty bills to the quarantine centre caring for his pet monkey Mally.
Paris, May 17 (IANS) Sharath Kamal took a game off World No.5 Timo Boll before going down 1-4 in the men's singles second round at the World Table Tennis Championships here, ending the Indian challenge in the mega event.
Rio de Janeiro, May 17 (IANS) More than 76 percent of tickets available for next month's Confederations Cup in Brazil have been sold, world football's governing body, FIFA said.
Rome, May 17 (IANS) Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic brushed aside their opponents to reach the quarter-finals while Rafael Nadal was made to sweat before reaching the final eight of the Rome Masters here.
Singapore, May 16 (IANS) The Football Association of Singapore named Bernd Stange the new coach of the national team for two years.
Brussels, May 16 (IANS/EFE) The Eurozone's gross domestic product contracted 0.20 percent in the first quarter of this year, compared to the prior three-month period, while the European Union's GDP declined 0.10 percent during the January-March period, Eurostat said Wednesday.
New Delhi, May 15 (IANS) Germany-based Atlas Elektronix, a leader in naval electronics, has set up a subsidiary here to intensify its partnership with India's government-run institutions and also initiate and expand existing ventures with domestic firms.
Lumani (Nagaland), May 15 (IANS) India lacks quality academic institutions and there is a need to revive higher educational institutions, President Pranab Mukherjee said here Wednesday.
New Delhi, May 15 (ANI): Seeking to obtain a first-hand perspective of the overall energy situation in Germany and the efforts being made for a dramatic shift towards renewable energy, Minister of State for Power Jyotiraditya Scindia recently led a high-level delegation on a visit to Berlin.
London, May 15 (ANI): A German federal court has ordered Google to clean up the auto complete search suggestions that it offers.
New York, May 15 (ANI): France has rated itself as most arrogant among eight European Union nations in a new survey.
Abu Dhabi, May 15 (IANS/WAM) Abu Dhabi has been named among the top 100 busiest global destinations for meetings, in the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) rankings.
Rio de Janeiro, May 14 (IANS) England's Howard Webb has been named by FIFA as one of 10 referees who will officiate at the Confederations Cup in Brazil next month.
Washington, May 13 (ANI): Noncoding DNA, which has puzzled scientists for so many years, and is abundant in many living things, may not actually be needed for creation of complex life, according to researchers.
London, May 13 (ANI): The World Health Organization has said that the novel coronavirus (NCoV) may be passed between people in close contact.
Paris, May 13 (IANS) The 52nd edition of the world's premier table tennis event will be held in Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy May 13-20 with a record 463 men and 360 women participating.
Melbourne, May 12 (Xinhua-ANI): The statistics released by the 14th Save the Children's State of the World's Mothers report showed that Australia has reached the top 10 best countries to be a mother around the world this year, local media reported on Sunday.
Madrid, May 11 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia's Maria Sharapova advanced to the semifinals at the Madrid Open after a straight sets victory over Kaia Kanepi of Estonia.
New York, May 11 (ANI): France is the world's most popular tourist destination, according to a new survey.
Cairo, May 11 (IANS/EFE) The hellish traffic jams that are all too common in the Egyptian capital inspired the Nile Taxi, which lets people reach their destinations in under 30 minutes without having to breathe in exhaust fumes.
New York, May 10 (IANS) An international gang of cyber thieves, accused of stealing $45 million from banks around the globe in "a massive 21st-century bank heist", infiltrated an unnamed Indian card-processing company in one of their operations, according to a media report.
New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) In a bid to reach out to young Indians, the German embassy here Friday launched a new interactive programme on its website, which it said it was designed specially for school students.
New Delhi, May 10 (ANI): Almost a month after the Supreme Court dismissed convicted Khalistani terrorist Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar's plea that his death sentence be commuted to life imprisonment, German President Joachim Gauck and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle have written to their Indian counterparts seeking clemency for him.
Los Angeles, May 10 (IANS/EFE) Spain and the US are the two countries with the most downloads of the 3D blueprints for homemade plastic pistols that were posted on the Internet this week by the Defense Distributed company with the aim of facilitating access to firearms out from under control by the authorities.
Washington, May 10 (ANI): Kids, who grow up in areas where there is an increase in air pollution, risk insulin resistance (the prescursor to diabetes), a new study has claimed.
London, May 9 (IANS) Germany's Thomas Bach is likely to announce his candidature for president of International Olympic Committee to succeed Jacques Rogge.
Moscow, May 9 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has shared pictures of his relatives who fought in World War II to mark the May 9 Victory Day of the erstwhile Soviet troops.
Washington, May 9 (ANI): Researchers say snowstorms lashing down at the northern hemisphere of Mars during the icy cold winters may be predicted several weeks in advance.
Abu Dhabi, May 9 (IANS) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Germany have held talks over bilateral cooperation and existing relations between them, particularly in energy and renewable energy sector.
Rio de Janeiro, May 8 (IANS) Brazil is on target to set a new attendance record for next month's Confederations Cup, world football's governing body FIFA said.
Moscow, May 7 (IANS/RIA Novosti) World War II veterans in the Russian city of Kologriv have shown a laudable disregard for celebrations in their honour. They have asked the administration to scrap a fireworks display to mark Victory Day so as not to scare migrating waterfowl.
Washington, May 6 (ANI): Hayden Panettiere was seen rooting for Wladimir Klitschko as he defended his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles on Saturday in Mannheim, Germany.
Mannheim (Germany), May 5 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Wladimir Klitschko retained his four heavyweight titles by winning a voluntary defence bout against Italian challenger Francesco Pianeta with a sixth-round knockout here.
New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) India's top table tennis star Sharath Kamal could not have asked for more at this juncture of his career than to train with former World No.1 Timo Bol in his native Germany.
Berlin, May 4 (IANS) Researchers have developed a remedy for grey hair and a skin condition called vitiligo, a study says.
Washington, May 4 (ANI): The cure for gray hair is coming - thanks to a team of European researchers.
Nairobi, May 4 (IANS) Kenya's former Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo is keen to bury the disappointment of finishing fourth in her 800m title defence in London as she targets to make the finals of the World Championships for the first time in Moscow.
Moscow, May 4 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Co-host Finland?s world ice hockey championship campaign got off to a stuttering start with a 4-3 overtime win against Germany.
Shanghai, May 3 (IANS) Top teams, including all the medal winners from the season-opening Fuzhou Open, marched into the women's top 16 at the 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Shanghai Grand Slam here Friday.
Jaipur, May 2 (IANS) Cairn India is setting up a centre of excellence in Jodhpur that will provide world class training for upgrading skills of people engaged in the oil and gas industry.
London, May 1 (ANI): Microsoft has announced that its Outlook.com will now support Skype video calling.
Rio de Janeiro, April 30 (IANS) Brazil's Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo has reiterated his desire to overhaul the country's football calendar in a bid to revitalise its foundering domestic competitions.
Panaji, April 30 (IANS) The 2009 rape case of a minor German girl, involving the son of the then Congress minister, could have been sabotaged, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said Tuesday.
London, Apr. 30 (ANI): Mario Balotelli has put his foot in his mouth again it seems.
New Delhi, Apr. 29 (ANI): German Health Minister Daniel Bahr, who called on his Indian counterpart Ghulam Nabi Azad here this morning, appreciated India's efforts in strengthening the health sector.
London, Apr. 29 (ANI): Facebook has lost millions of users per month in its biggest markets, new data have suggested.
Moscow, April 28 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The former head of the ski jump construction project for next year's Winter Olympics in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi said he has been poisoned with mercury.
Stuttgart (Germany), April 27 (IANS) Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek-Sands defeated Liezel Huber and Janette Husarova to enter the women's doubles semifinal at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix here.
Rome, April 27 (IANS) Juventus president Andrea Agnelli has conceded that the Italian Serie A has become uninteresting and a stepping-stone to bigger things for footballers.
Washington, Apr. 27 (ANI): The grand Mycenaens, who inspired the legends of the Trojan Wars, 'The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey,' abruptly disappeared around 1200 B.C., marking the start of a Dark Ages in Greece.
Hyderabad, April 26 (IANS) With its labour force likely to decline by 6.5 million people by 2025 because of its ageing population, Germany is looking to attract young students and skilled workforce from India.
Madrid, April 26 (IANS) Spain coach Vicente del Bosque confirmed Friday that his incredibly successful reign as leader of his country's national side will conclude at the end of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Bangalore, April 26 (IANS) As the second fastest growing economy in Europe after Germany, a recession-free Poland is beckoning Indian industry to invest by taking advantage of its low-cost labour, tax sops, proactive policies and state-of-the-art infrastructure.
Washington, April 26 (ANI): An international team of scientists led by the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB), the CIBERER and the University of Wurzburg (Germany) has discovered a gene that can cause three totally different diseases, depending on how it is altered.
London, Apr. 26 (ANI): A new keyboard layout has been created that will make 'thumb-typing' faster on touch screen devices such as tablets and large smart phones.
Berlin, April 26 (IANS) Germany's under-21 midfielder Sebastian Rode will move from Eintracht Frankfurt to Bayern Munich, said a senior official of the Frankfurt club.
Sydney, Apr. 26 (ANI): Google has been getting requests by governments of various countries to censor its content.
Washington, April 26 (ANI): A recent study has determined the temperature near the Earth's center to be 6000 degrees Celsius, 1000 degrees hotter than estimated in a previous experiment conducted 20 years ago.
New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Thursday arrived in the Kazakhstan capital of Almaty for the April 26 Heart of Asia ministerial conference on the Istanbul Process on regional security and cooperation for a secure and stable Afghanistan.
London, Apr.25 (ANI): Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is reportedly looking forward to luring Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho by offering him the services of star Altetico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao.
Seattle, Apr. 25 (ANI): Microsoft has signed a patent deal with China's smart phones maker ZTE linked to its use of the Android and Chrome operating systems
Paris, April 25 (IANS) France's second largest carmaker Renault has said its revenue fell by 11.8 percent to 8.26 billion euros ($10.75 billion) during the first quarter amid persistent economic downturn in the European bloc.
Geneva, April 25 (IANS/EFE) The BASELWORLD 2013 watch and jewellery trade show opens this week in the Swiss city of Basel, where more than 2,000 exhibitors from 45 countries, including India, will showcase their wares.
Los Angeles, April 25 (IANS) Hollywood actor Shia LaBeouf is said to be in talks to star alongside Brad Pitt in director David Ayer's "Fury".
London, April 24 (ANI): Justin Bieber has apparently contacted German customs authorities and suggested that his pet monkey should be placed in a zoo.
Washington, Apr 24 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Duisburg Essen in Germany have found that humans have similar brain function when shown images of affection and violence being inflicted on robots and humans.
London, April 24 (IANS) Singer Justin Bieber has reportedly dropped the idea of rescuing his pet monkey, Mally, from customs officials in Germany and wants a zoo to take care of him.
Sydney, Apr 24 (ANI): German newsweekly Stern prompted a worldwide sensation when in April 1983 it revealed that it had acquired Hitler's previously undiscovered diaries.
London, April 23 (ANI): Some satellite orbits will become extremely hazardous over the next 200 years if space debris is not actively tackled, a new study has warned.
Beijing, April 22 (IANS) The second stop of IPC Athletics Grand Prix Tour kicked off here Monday, after the first stop held in Dubai last month.
New York, April 22 (ANI): John F. Kennedy was - unbeknownst to him, at first - a methamphetamine addict, an explosive new book has revealed.
Washington, Apr. 21 (ANI): ArcelorMittal CEO Lakshmi Mittal has said that he regrets that the steel giant had to permanently close two French blast furnaces, but added that high labour and energy costs have kept France at a competitive disadvantage.
Tehran, April 21 (IANS) Iran has rejected a UN Security Council statement calling Tehran's nuclear programme a threat to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Xinhua reported.
Berlin, April 21 (IANS/WAM) The 9th meeting of the UAE-German joint economic commission has begun here.
Moscow, April 19 (IANS) Russia Friday launched a satellite with over 100 living creatures, including mice, lizards, snails as well as strains of bacteria, plants and seeds, as its "crew", federal space agency Roscosmos said.
Washington, April 19 (ANI): A new research has refuted the idea that all children under the age of ten have the same taste in food and highlighted the importance of the country of residence, culture and age in these preferences.
Sydney, Apr 19 (ANI): Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in a shooting and bombing rampage in Oslo in 2011, is becoming a cult figure, a lawyer has said.
Washington, April 19 (ANI): A new study has found that long-term exposure to fine particle matter (PM) air pollution in part derived from traffic pollution is also associated with atherosclerosis independent of traffic noise.
Monte Carlo, April 18 (IANS) Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka, seeded 13th, easily made his way past second seed and Olympic champion Andy Murray of Britain here at the Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament Thursday.
Washington, Apr 18 (ANI): A US Republican has apologised for referring to women as "vaginas" in an email to colleagues.
Monte Carlo, April 17 (IANS) Belgian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov caused an upset at the Monte Carlo Masters here by beating eighth seeded Serbian Janko Tipsarevic in straight sets.
Rio de Janeiro, April 17 (IANS) Former Brazil captain Lucio says the Copa Libertadores clash between Sao Paulo and Atletico Mineiro will be a battle of attrition as both teams cast an eye to the tournament's knockout phase.
Washington, Apr 17 (ANI): A US Republican has sparked outrage by referring to women as "vaginas" in an email to colleagues.
Rio de Janeiro, April 17 (IANS/EFE) Seven of Brazil's former justice ministers Tuesday released a letter advocating the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use.
