(24) Germany

The Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland), abbreviated as Germany (獨逸, Deutschland), is a federal republic located in Central and Western Europe, offering historical attractions, art, and a vibrant nightlife.

In particular, the capital Berlin is a city where historical ruins and modern culture coexist, and you can visit the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Pergamon Museum, etc., and various festivals and events are held, making it the largest economy in Europe.

It is a country that leads the European Union system along with France, and depending on the point of view, it has a large political, economic, and military position in the EU, and after losing two wars, it was divided and ruled by the four victorious countries consisting of the United States, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union.

Divided into West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) and East Germany (German Democratic Republic), West Germany has achieved rapid economic growth called the ‘Miracle on the Rhine’ since the 1950s, and with the reunification of Germany in 1990 following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989,

Today, it has grown into a new political and economic powerhouse, with a population of 82 million and a GDP of 4 trillion dollars, making it the largest country in the European Union, and even though German is not as widely spoken in the world as English, French, and Spanish, it is one of the three major official languages of the EU and is used like Switzerland, Austria, and Liechtenstein.

It is said to rank 3rd in GDP (nominal), 5th in GDP (PPP), 18th in GDP per capita, 4th in voting rights of the International Monetary Fund, 2nd in gold reserves, 3rd in total trade volume, 4th in AIIB shareholding, 8th in defense expenditure in the world, and 5th in the world in military arms exports.

With an area of 357,022 square kilometers, the country is located in the middle of Europe, bordering Denmark to the north, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France to the west, Switzerland and Austria to the south, and Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, forming borders with a total of nine countries.

The terrain is in the form of a high and low north, and in northern Germany, you can see an endless horizon of a wide and flat plain called the North German Plain, which rises higher and higher as you go south, thanks to the famous Alps.

Contrary to common sense, the southern part of Germany has colder winters than the northern region, because northern Germany has a west coastal climate because it is close to the coast, but southern Germany is close to the Alps, so it has a continental climate.

The southern part of Germany, which is further south in latitude, is likely to be warmer, but the winter is colder and the annual range is larger than that of northern Germany, which is further north in latitude. The West Bank has a cold oceanic climate and is known for its harsh winters among major Western European countries.

Since it is a country with a developed public language education, there are many people who know enough to speak English as a daily conversation, so they can speak English well, and it is also the place where the Reformation occurred by Martin Luther and Protestantism was born.

As of 2024, 26% are Catholics, 25% Protestant, 7% Muslim, and 41% non-religious. The proportion of non-religious people is high, especially the younger generation, who are virtually all non-religious, and the 1919 Weimar Constitution has led to the separation of church and state, so there is no state religion.

In particular, in the economic field, it once competed with the United States for the world’s No. 1 export position before China came up. Currently, the current account balance is still at the highest level in the world. However, unlike the powerful manufacturing industry, the service industry is almost at its end.

Even if you go to a beauty salon or restaurant, you have to solve it by self-service in most cases. Therefore, it is sometimes called the graveyard of the service industry, the ‘desert Germany of service’, but it is said that it also shows a tsundere tendency to do everything that is done even though it is surprisingly blunt.

It is also one of the few countries where prostitution is legalized, and security is generally good, with fewer pickpockets and fewer heinous crimes such as robbery in Europe. It is also a very immigration-friendly country.

In Germany, there are very strict fines for public profanity, especially since Germans are very negative towards the Nazis, so doing anything related to the Nazis or using words praising the Nazis or Hitler is much worse than raising a stop.