Regional info

^Germany

The Federal Republic of Germany has over 82 million inhabitants, the largets number of all countries in the European Union. After the Second World War the conquered Germany was split up by the western allied countries and the Soviet Union, but since the end of the cold war and the fall of the Berlin wall on 9 November 1989, Germany is united again and the former capital Berlin has been reinstated again as the capital. The country is now made up of 16 federal states. The size of Germany provides for a wide diversity in nature and culture. The southern region borders the Alps, with Germany's highest mountain Zugspitze (2963m) being close to the Austrian border. Well-known tourist areas in the southern half of the country are Bayern with Munich at its heart and the federal state of Baden-Württemberg with the Bodensee (Lake Boden) and the Black Forest – a popular walking area. The Rhine makes up a long part of the French border with Germany and has many impressive castles. The vineyards beside the river wines of excellent quality, as do those grown in the Moselle valley. Close to Luxembourg lies Trier – a city with a well-preserved Roman history.