Germany

Home - Independent Countries - Germany
Germany

As one of Europe's largest countries, Germany is home to a wide variety of landscapes: the high, steep mountains of the south, the sandy, rolling plains of the north, the urbanized forested hills of the west, and the agricultural plains of the east. The country's capital is the magnificent east-central city of Berlin, which rose like a phoenix after World War II. The country's landmark is the Rhine River, which flows north from Switzerland and is celebrated in art, literature, folklore and song. On the banks of the river and its major tributaries, including the Neckar, Main, Moselle and Ruhr, are medieval castles, churches, picturesque villages, market towns and centers of learning and culture, including Heidelberg, one of Europe's oldest universities, and Mainz, one of Europe's most important publishing centers. They are all at the heart of Germany's flourishing tourist economy, attracting millions of visitors each year who drawn to the country's natural beauty, history, culture and cuisine. The territory of Germany can be split into five terrestrial ecoregions: Atlantic mixed forests, Baltic mixed forests, Central European mixed forests, Western European broadleaf forests and Alps conifer and mixed forests. Its flora and fauna are similar to those commonly found in Central Europe. Among the wild animals are Roe Deer, wild boar, mouflon, fox, badger, hare and a small number of Eurasian Beavers. Germany has 16 national parks, 17 biosphere reserves, 105 nature parks and more than 400 zoos and animal parks.