Country Overview
The Federal Republic of Germany is home to 81 million people. It stretches some 357,000 square kilometers and is bordered on nearly all sides by Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

The official language is German, and while the majority of the population is of white, European ancestry, there is a sizable Turkish minority and many refugees from the former Yugoslavia.

The chief unit of currency is the Euro, which officially replaced the German Mark on January 1, 2002.

Germany is a democracy. There is a president, but his role is more or less ceremonial. The true head of government is the chancellor.

German citizens can vote at age 18. One year of military service is mandatory for all men over 18. Men who are conscientious objectors and do not wish to perform military service for religious or personal reasons must serve by doing social work, such as helping in nursing homes or hospitals. The duration of civil service is somewhat longer, 14 to 18 months.

Germany has a long and complex political history, and Germans have struggled to put the atrocities of the National Socialist (Nazi) period behind them. Even today, this is an extremely sensitive issue and many Germans are reluctant to express any national pride for fear that it will be equated with Nazism.

More recently, Germany is known for the reunification of communist East Germany with democratic West Germany in 1990. The fall of the Berlin Wall a year earlier symbolized the end of the Cold War.

Today Germany is recognized as the world's third largest economic power and boasts a high standard of living, although disparities still exist between the economies of the east and west.

Germany is divided into 16 provinces or Bundeslaender.

One of the most famous of these is Bayern (Bavaria). This is the region that brought us many of the things U.S. Americans most associate with Germany. Bavaria is home to the Alps, BMW, Oktoberfest, Bratwurst, Lederhosen (leather knickers) and Volksmusic (traditional German folk music, not a favorite among teens).

Germany is also famous for the Black Forest, cuckoo clocks, chocolate, cars (Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen), wienerschnitzel, sauerbraten, sauerkraut, beer, wine, and schnapps. Famous German musicians range from classical composers like Beethoven, Bach, and Brahms to modern industrial acts like Einsteurzende Neubauten.

Germany is a meat-and-potatoes country, although recent trends favor a healthier diet. A typical German diet contains a lot of bread, meat (very often pork), and potatoes.

A typical breakfast is muesli, bread, butter, jam, cheese, cold cuts, and coffee.

Lunch is the biggest meal of the day. It is usually a hot meal, and typically contains a meat dish, potatoes or dumplings, and a vegetable.

Dinner is a light meal with cheese, salad, fresh bread, butter, and cold cuts.

People sometimes take a 'coffee and cake' break in the afternoon, usually on Sunday, when it can be followed by a long walk.

School
Kindergarten is not part of the state school system. Attendance is voluntary and parents usually contribute to the cost, despite this, more than 80 of all three to six-year-olds attend kindergarten.

Children generally enter primary school at age six. Primary school lasts for four years. Secondary education in Germany is a three-track system. Upon the completion of primary school, pupils, with the recommendations of parents and teachers decide which track to pursue and, therefore, which school to attend.

The three types of school are the Hauptschule (short- course secondary school), the Realschule (intermediate school), and the Gymnasium (academically oriented high school).

The Hauptschule takes five years. Most students graduate at age 15 then go on to vocational training and apprenticeships.

Realschule takes approximately six years. A graduate from a Realschule is qualified to pursue higher education at a technical college (Fachhochschule), which offers specialized vocational training at the upper secondary level. Graduation from Realschule is also regarded as a prerequisite for a medium-level career in business and administration.

The Gymnasium takes nine years and is the highest level of secondary education. During the last two years of Gymnasium, students are allowed to concentrate on the subjects in which they are most interested. This practice is designed to ease the transition to university. Gymnasium graduation is a prerequisite for university entrance. Teenagers Popular forms of recreation for German teenagers are similar to those in the U.S. -- meeting friends, going to parties, playing sports, club activities, dating, movies, shopping, etc. Going to dance clubs is probably more common for German teens than Americans.

Team sports, bands, and orchestras are not usually a part of school activities. Students who are athletically or musically inclined usually belong to community- based clubs, which are very prevalent and cater to all ages.

Teenagers
Many teens play an instrument, or have taken music lessons at some point.

Many teenagers also take a ballroom dancing course. There is a big formal dance at the end of the course. Couples dress up, girls get corsages, and parents take pictures, much like a prom in the U.S.

Clothing styles are the same as for teens in most countries -- jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, and sneakers.

Teens start dating in groups when they are 13-14 years old (going to movies together, etc.). When they are 15-16 they often begin steady relationships.

Sex, birth control and AIDS are openly discussed at school, at home, and on TV.

Many teens would like to get a driver's license at 18, but in order to do so they must take an expensive driver's education course. It can cost between $470 - $870 to get a driver's license in Germany.

Teenagers rarely own their own cars. Those with a license may share a car with their parents. Germany has an extensive public transportation system, and is very 'bicycle friendly,' so owning a car is more of a luxury than a necessity for teens.

Curfew times and house rules vary from family to family, but in general, German parents allow their children more freedom and independence than many American parents.

In Germany the drinking age is 16 for beer and wine, and 18 for hard liquor. Many people begin drinking before they reach the legal age. Beer and wine are a normal part of meals and social gatherings and drinking is culturally accepted. Because it is so much a part of everyday life, drinking isn't the 'thrill' it can be for American teens. German teenagers generally don't drink for the sole purpose of getting drunk, but drinking is usually a part of teen parties and social gatherings.

Drinking and driving laws are very strict in Germany. Punishments can be a suspended license, a fine, a jail sentence, or a criminal charge, depending on the blood alcohol level.

Community
Many Germans have cable TV, and can receive 20+ stations, including many in English. Often cable subscribers will receive CNN, MTV, BBC, and the Superchannel. Without cable most people can pick up 3 to 5 stations, with one English-language channel.

TV watching among teens varies from individual to individual, but it is generally thought that American teens watch more television.

Typical business hours are 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Many stores close for 2 hours at midday. In some areas, stores stay open late (until 8 p.m.) one day a week. Stores are open Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The first Saturday of every month is ëlong Saturday' and stores stay open until 6:30. Everything is closed on Sunday.

Most families own at least one car, despite the excellent public transportation system.

Recycling is more prevalent in Germany than it is in the U.S. Most families recycle glass, paper, and cans, compost food waste, return glass bottles, and bring their own bags to the supermarket. To encourage recycling, most supermarkets take back boxes and other packaging from products they sell, and charge for each plastic bag taken.

The Family
While it is fairly common for both parents to work, many mothers choose not to work or to work part-time while their children are small. To promote the idea of family, German law allows new mothers to take a year off to raise their baby. They receive kindergeld ('child money') each month, and must be placed in the same or similar position when they return to work. In spite of this, Germany has experienced zero population growth in recent years, and the birth rate is declining.

Families have an average of two children. Pets are fairly common for people who own their own home or live in suburban areas. Favorite pets are dogs, cats, birds, and hamsters.

Many students continue to live with their parents after high school. Students tend to choose a university close to home so they can live there while they attend classes. As more young Germans choose to go to universities, dorm space is at a premium and it is often very difficult or expensive to rent a room. Many people wait until they are working full time to move out of the family home.
Live-in maids are not common in Germany. Sometimes, when both parents work, families have a weekly cleaning person.

It is not common for grandparents or extended family members to live together.

Customs When strangers meet for the first time, they usually shake hands. In general, Germans make more of a point of shaking hands than U.S. Americans do.

Older people tend to be very formal, and the titles Herr and Frau are usually used. The transition from the formal sie to the informal du, is something that should be mutually agreed upon. Among younger Germans, greetings can be much less formal.

Often people will say who they are when they answer the phone, i.e. 'Hello, this is Sabine' instead of just 'Hello'. A formal good-bye on the phone is not Auf Wiedersehen (until we meet again), but Auf Wiederhoren (until we hear each other again). A casual good-bye in person or on the phone is tschues (bye) or ciao, borrowed from Italian.

Germans eat with both hands on the table. The knife is held in the right hand and the fork in the left. The food is cut with the knife, and lifted with the fork in the left hand.

Germany is a predominantly Christian country, with more Protestants in the north, and more Catholics in the south. There are also a small number of Jews and Muslims. Most national holidays coincide with Christian religious holidays.

Germans celebrate Christmas, Easter, and New Year's Eve in much the same way they are celebrated in the U.S. Other holidays Germans celebrate include:

St. Nicholas Day - On St. Nicholas Day, children leave their shoes outside the door. St. Nicholas comes by at night and fills them with sweets, if they are good, and coal, if they've been bad.

Pentecost - Pentecost is celebrated with a day off and a good meal
October 3rd - This is a relatively new holiday that celebrates German Reunification.

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