Today, October 3, is German Unity Day. On this occasion we wish him "Happy Birthday" and bring to your attention some interesting information about Germany. It has a population of 82.8 million, which means 16.2% of the population of the European Union and is the third largest in Europe. Germany covers an area of 357 km400, representing 2% of the EU's surface area, making it the seventh largest country in Europe.
Germany is one of the six countries that laid the foundations of the European Union. We have all heard of German precision, of German perfection, of the quality of the products manufactured in this country. But Germany is known for a lot of things, including the level of education; culture; high standard of living; investments in the technologies of the future.
Germany is one of the European countries with the largest number of tourists reported annually, thanks to the many tourist attractions, but also the relief it has. Are you curious what other interesting information we have about Germany that you probably didn't know?
- Berlin is the capital of Germany. It has a population of 3.6 million inhabitants, but also over 960 bridges and bridges, over Venice in this respect.
- Germany is the largest brewer in the European Union. There are over 1500 different types of beer, over 5000 brands of beer produced by over 1200 producers. Annually, Germans consume over 2.5 billion liters of beer. At the same time, in Germany there are over 300 different types of bread and 1000 types of sausages. There are also over 1200 types of pastries, cakes.
- In Bavaria, beer is considered a food.
- Germany is home to the largest beer festival in the world, called Oktoberfest. Munich's Oktoberfest is the largest popular festival in the world. It officially dates back to 1810, when Crown Prince Ludwig organized a party to celebrate his wedding to Princess Terese on October 12.
- Did you know that to order a beer in Germany it is enough to show your thumb, and for two beers you have to show your index finger? It may be a myth, but give it a try!
- Most German dishes include meat: pork, beef, fish! Let's not forget the duck cabbage!
- German is the most common mother tongue in Europe and the 11th most widely spoken language in the world. There are 35 different dialects of the German language.
- In Germany, three sexes are recognized: masculine, feminine and neuter.
- German has a unique letter that is not used in any other language, ß, called "Eszett", which is pronounced as a double s.
- German has many words that do not exist in other languages. For example, 'fremdschämen' translates to the shame felt in someone else's name and 'Fernweh' translates to the feeling of lust after an adventure.
- German shares 60% of its English vocabulary. Hence the linguistic similarities between the two languages. Less terminations and emphasis.
- Schultüte, a German tradition dating back to the 1800s. On the first day of school, children receive a gift containing toys and candy. Germany is not the only one with this practice, with Austria and the Czech Republic also having a similar tradition.
- In Germany, Sunday is a day of rest and everything is closed except the church. We add that there is an exception among gas stations. If you are in Germany and catch a Sunday, be sure to stock up early.
- In Germany, the most popular surname is Müller. More than 900 people share this name. Other popular surnames: Weber, Meyer, Wagner, Becker, Schmidt.
- There are over 25 castles in Germany. I wrote about the 10 most beautiful castles in Germany!
- Germany has the largest cathedral in the world. Cologne Cathedral is the largest Gothic church in northern Europe.
- Escape from prisons in Germany is legal. In fact, in Germany, escape is considered a basic human instinct for survival and freedom. So, if a prisoner tries to escape from prison, he will not receive an additional punishment for the act itself. However, if the detainee damages any property, injures someone, commits other crimes while trying to escape, he will be charged with those crimes.
- The minimum age for drinking beer is 16 years. For other types of alcoholic beverages, the minimum age is 18 years.
- In 1916, Germany was the first country to adopt daylight saving time.
- Germany is covered by over 11,4 million hectares of forests. It amounts to about 32% of the German land covered by trees.
- The narrowest street in the world is in Reutlingen. It is called Spreuerhofstrasse and is 31 cm wide (one foot) at the narrowest point.
- The tradition of the Christmas tree (Tannenbaum) began in Germany.
- Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein have German as their official language.
Certainly Germany is hiding many more secrets waiting to be discovered. Feel free to plan one holiday in Germany, whether we're talking about a city break or a circuit.