:: Germany > FACTS & FIGURES Facts + Figures Population: 82 million Size: 357,021 sqkm Capital: Berlin (with a population of 3.47 million) Flag: horizontal tricolor, with black, red and yellow stripes Geography: Germany is located in the centre of Europe. It forms a bridge between the maritime West of Europe and the continental East, between the warmer South and the cool North. Germany is a triad of mountain ranges, uplands and low-land plains, the Bavarian Alps in the South, the pleasant wooded mountains of the "Mittelgebirge" in central Germany and the lowlands along the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts in the North. More than 30% of the country is covered with forests. Highest peak: Zugspitze in the Bavarian Alps (2,962 m) Major rivers: Rhine, Danube, Elbe, Ems, Main, Weser Federal States: 16 - Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia Railway system: 43,966 km Freeways and roads: 633,000 km Neighboring countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland Coastal line: 2,389 km Climate: Germany's climate is moderate. Daytime temperatures average around 25°C to 30°C in summer (June - September). Coldest months are December, January and February. Temperatures can plunge well below zero in winter. Winters are milder in the North and colder in southern Germany. Religions: Lutheran, Catholic and others Life expectancy: 77 years (men 73 years; women 80 years) Currency: Euro Political system: The Federal Republic of Germany is a democracy with a liberal free-market economy, freedom of religion and freedom of the press. Germany is a member of the European Union (EU). GDP (2004): 2,178 billion Euros Time zone: Central European Time. Between End of March and End of October (German summertime) time is identical to the South African time. During the German winter halfyear the clocks in Germany are set back for 1 hour. Electricity: The voltage is 220V.