Climate.
The majority of Germany has a temperate climate, which ranges from oceanic in the north to continental in the east and southeast. Summers can range from hot and dry to cool and rainy, while winters can be either cold in the Southern Alps or cool and are typically overcast with little precipitation. Westerly winds dominate in the north, bringing moist air from the North Sea that lowers temperatures and increases precipitation. In contrast, temperatures in the southeast are more extreme.
The average monthly temperature in Germany from February 2019 to 2020 ranged from a low of 3 point 3 °C (37 point 9 °F) in January 2020 to a high of 19 point 8 °C (67 point 6 °F) in June 2019. From 30 liters per square meter on average per month in February and April 2019 to 125 liters per square meter on average per month in February 2020, there was precipitation. The number of sunshine hours per month ranged from 45 in November 2019 to 300 in June 2019. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Germany was 37.8 °C on 12 February 1929 in Wolnzach, and the highest temperature was 42.6 °C on July 25, 2019, in Lingen.
The official and most widely used language in Germany is German. It is one of the three procedural languages used by the European Commission and one of the 24 official and working languages of the EU. In the European Union, there are about 100 million native speakers of German, making it the most widely spoken first language.
Danish, Low German, Low Rhenish, Sorbian, Romany, North Frisian, and Saterland Frisian are among the native languages of minorities that are officially protected in Germany under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish, Polish, Greek, Serbo-Croatian, Bulgarian, and other Balkan languages, as well as Russian, are the most common immigrant languages. Germans tend to be multilingual: 67 percent of them claim to be able to communicate in at least one foreign language, and 27% in at least two.
With 371.4 million visitors as of 2017, Germany is the ninth most visited country worldwide. Direct contributions to the German GDP from domestic and international travel and tourism total more than €105 billion. The industry supports 42 million jobs, including induced and indirect effects.
Cologne Cathedral, the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, Dresden's Frauenkirche, Neuschwanstein Castle, Heidelberg Castle, the Wartburg, and Sanssouci Palace are some of Germany's most well-known and frequently visited tourist attractions. The second-most visited theme park resort in Europe is located close to Freiburg at Europa-Park.
Germany has a social market economy with a highly skilled labour force, a low level of corruption, and a high level of innovation. It is the world's third-largest exporter and third-largest importer of goods, and has the largest economy in Europe, which is also the world's fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP, and the fifth-largest by PPP. Its GDP per capita measured in purchasing power standards amounts to 121% of the EU27 average (100%). The service sector contributes approximately 69% of the total GDP, industry 31%, and agriculture 1% as of 2017.The unemployment rate published by Eurostat amounts to 3.2% as of January 2020, which is the fourth-lowest in the EU.
Germany is part of the European single market which represents more than 450 million consumers. In 2017, the country accounted for 28% of the Eurozone economy according to the International Monetary Fund. Germany introduced the common European currency, the Euro, in 2002. Its monetary policy is set by the European Central Bank, which is headquartered in Frankfurt.
Being home to the modern car, the automotive industry in Germany is regarded as one of the most competitive and innovative in the world, and is the fourth-largest by production. The top ten exports of Germany are vehicles, machinery, chemical goods, electronic products, electrical equipments, pharmaceuticals, transport equipments, basic metals, food products, and rubber and plastics.
Of the world's 500 largest stock-market-listed companies measured by revenue in 2019, the Fortune Global 500, 29 are headquartered in Germany. 30 major Germany-based companies are included in the DAX, the German stock market index which is operated by Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Well-known international brands include Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, Siemens, Allianz, Adidas, Porsche, Bosch and Deutsche Telekom. Berlin is a hub for startup companies and has become the leading location for venture capital funded firms in the European Union. Germany is recognised for its large portion of specialised small and medium enterprises, known as the Mittelstand model. These companies represent 48% global market leaders in their segments, labelled hidden champions.
Research and development efforts form an integral part of the German economy. In 2018 Germany ranked fourth globally in terms of number of science and engineering research papers published. Germany was ranked 9th in the Global Innovation Index in 2019 and 2020 and 10th in 2021. Research institutions in Germany include the Max Planck Society, the Helmholtz Association, and the Fraunhofer Society and the Leibniz Association. Germany is the largest contributor to the European Space Agency.
(source wikipedia)
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