Picture choosen by: MissCinidi Germany Overview Germany, (officially: the Federal Republic of Germany), is the largest country in Central Europe both in population and size, Germany has the largest economy in Europe and is also the world's biggest exporter nation. In contrast, its size is tiny compared with most of the other powerful nations in the world. Germany also boasts a heady mix of history and nature, fine arts and youthful rebellion.
The capital city-Berlin is relatively smaller than most of the capital in other nations. The undisputed financial capital of Germany is Frankfurt am Main (not to be confused with Frankfurt an der Oder). It features an unusual skyline in Central Europe with its many high-rise buildings, an ever growing airport and the city is sometimes being referred to as "Mainhattan".
The historically decentralised structure leads to a regional stronghold of traditions. Germany's famous beer culture is centered around Southern Germany's biggest city (Munich), where beer is traditionally served in 1 liter mugs (not in Kneipen (pubs) and Restaurants). Munich is also the site of the annual Oktoberfest , Europe's most visited festival and the world's largest fair.
Germany's south-western regions are known for their wine growing areas (e.g. Rheinhessen and Palatinate) and Bad Duerkheim on the 'German wine route' organises the biggest wine festival worldwide with over 600,000 visitors annually.
Cars are a symbol of national pride, and manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and Volkswagen (VW) are famous internationally for their quality, safety and style. This quality is matched by Germany's excellent network of roadways including the world famous Autobahn network, which has many sections without speed limits and attracts lots of speed hungry drivers. Germany also features an extensive network of high speed trains - the InterCityExpress (ICE).
Germany was the host of the FIFA World Cup 2006.