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Business/ Economy |
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Germany
is the largest national economy in Europe and the third largest in
the world (after USA and Japan). Growth in 2007 was 2.4%.Germany is the world's top exporter with $1.133 trillion exported
in 2006 and generated a trade surplus of €165 billion. Germany was
the world's leading exporter of goods in 2007.According to a report by British Petroleum, while global energy
consumption rose by 2.4% in 2007, Germany managed to slash its use
by 5.6% in the same year as compared to 2006, thus gaining the
title of World's Greenest Country. |
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Education/Science & Research |
In Germany, there are currently 1.96 million students enrolled at
institutes of higher education, of which 937000 (48%) are women.
There are 372 institutes of higher education, including 102
universities and 167 universities for the applied sciences.
The Nobel Prize has been awarded to 100 German laureates. Important research institutions in Germany are the Max Planck
Society, the Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft and the Fraunhofer Society. |
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Culture |
 Germany is often called Das Land der Dichter und Denker (the land
of poets and thinkers).
As of 2006, Germany is the fifth largest music market in the
world.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe became one of world's most renowned
architects in the second half of the 20th century. The glass
facade skyscraper was his idea. Fritz Lang, who became a German citizen in 1926, is said to be a
major influence on Hollywood cinema. His silent movie Metropolis
(1927) is referred to as birth of modern Science Fiction movies.The Babelsberg Studios founded in 1911 in Potsdam are the oldest
large-scale film studios in the world and a centre for
international film production. |
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Sports |
The Bundesliga attracts the second highest average attendance of
any professional sports league in the world.
The German national football team won the FIFA World Cup in 1954,
1974 and 1990 and the European Football Championship in 1972, 1980
and 1996.
Michael Schumacher has won seven Formula One championships, more
than any other driver since Formula One's debut season in 1946.
Porsche has won the 24 hours of Le Mans, a prestigious annual race
held in France, 16 times.
Germany ranks third in an all-time Olympic Games medal count,
combining East and West German medals. |
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Cuisine |
More than 1500 different types of sausage are produced in
Germany.
Organic food has gained a market share of around 3.0% and is
predicted to be an increasing trend.
The Michelin guide has awarded three stars, the highest
designation, to nine restaurants in Germany; 15 more received two
stars. German restaurants have become the world's second most
decorated after eateries in France.
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Society |
At 35%, the majority of Germans live in small towns of up to
20000 inhabitants; whereas 30% live in big cities with a
population of more than 100000.
7.3 million foreigners - 8.8% of the population - live in
Germany, including 2.3 million EU citizens.
With an expenditure of €58 billion for international travel in
2005, Germans invested more money in travel than any other
country. The most popular destinations were Austria, Spain, Italy
and France. |
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