Federal Republic of Germany

Germany lies at the very heart of Europe. With its extraordinary variety of natural landscapes varying from flat plains dotted with small lakes, marshes, heaths and undulating hills to the complicated patchwork of mountain, rivers and valleys. These picture postcard landscapes are a breathtaking, significant part of Germany.

Populated by 82 million inhabitants in a 356,959 square kilometre area, Germany is very densely populated on top of that being a developed country it is surprising that only 14% of its natural environment is built up. The rest of the natural landscape has managed to still be intact. This could be due to the fact that in general Germans are more environmentally conscious. The German term for it would be Umweltbewusstsein. A country where recycling is top priority, it can be considered as part of the German culture.

Germany has a fairly temperate climate. Within Germany however there are great variations in the climate; in some parts like the Moselle and Rhine valleys they have a relatively mild climate while the southern, eastern, as well as higher elevation areas have colder winters.

Because of its natural beauty, rich culture and historical landmarks, and being a developed country, Germany has always been a tourist county.