Capital: Berlin
Location:
Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark ( slightlysmaller than Montana )
Registration Embassy and Consulate:
Americans living in Germany are encouraged to register at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy or any of the U.S. consulates and obtain updated information on travel and security.
U.S. Embassy in Berlin is located at:
Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5;
Tel: (49)(30) 238-5174 or 8305-0;
the Consular Section is located at:
Clayallee 170;
Tel: (49)(30) 832-9233; Fax: (49)(30) 8305-1215
U.S. Consulates General are located at:
Duesseldorf: Willi-Becker-Allee 10,
Tel.: (49)(211)788-8927; Fax: (49)(211)788-8938;
Frankfurt: Siesmayerstrasse 21,
Tel: (49)(69) 75350; Fax: (49)(69) 7535-2304;
Hamburg: Alsterufer 27/28,
Tel: (49)(40) 4117-1351; Fax: (49)(40) 44-30-04;
Leipzig: Wilhelm-Seyfferth-Strasse 4,
Tel: (49)(341) 213-8418; Fax: (49)(341) 21384-17 (emergency services only);
Munich: Koeniginstrasse 5,
Tel: (49)(89) 2888-0; Fax: (49)(89) 280-9998.
There is also a U.S. consular agency in Bremen located at:
Bremen World Trade Center, Birkenstrasse 15,
Tel: (49)(421) 301-5860; Fax: (49)(421)301-5861.
When calling another city from within Germany, dial a zero before the city code (for example, when calling Berlin from Munich, the city code for Berlin is 030).
within Germany. A new initiative of the American Embassy in Berlin allows all Americans in Germany to obtain automatic security updates and Public Announcements by e-mail. To subscribe to this service, simply send a blank e-mail to GermanyACS@state.gov and put the word "SUBSCRIBE" on the subject line. Individuals planning extended stays in Germany are encouraged to register in person at their local consular section.
Background:
As Western Europe's richest and most populous nation, Germany remains a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed the country in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the EC and NATO, while the communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then Germany has expended considerable funds to bring eastern productivity and wages up to western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries formed a common European currency, the euro.
Ethnic Groups:
German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Serbo-Croatian, Italian, Russian, Greek, Polish, Spanish)
Language:
German
Currency:
DEM; EUR
deutsche mark (DEM); euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Germany at a fixed rate of 1.95583 deutsche marks per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002
euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); deutsche marks per US dollar - 1.69 (January 1999), 1.7597 (1998), 1.7341 (1997), 1.5048 (1996)
Climate:
Temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm foehn wind
Population:
83,029,536 (July 2001 est.)
Religion:
Protestant 38%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 1.7%, unaffiliated or other 26.3%
Medical:
Good medical care is widely available. Doctors and hospitals may expect immediate payment in cash for health services from tourists and persons with no permanent address in Germany. Most doctors, hospitals and pharmacies do not accept credit cards.
U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the United States, and U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide payment for medical services abroad. Uninsured travelers who require medical care overseas may face extreme difficulties.
Please check with your own insurance company to confirm whether your policy applies overseas, including provision for medical evacuation, and for adequacy of coverage. Serious medical problems requiring hospitalization and/or medical evacuation to the United States can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Please ascertain whether payment will be made to the overseas hospital or doctor or if you will be expected to pay yourself and request to be reimbursed later for expenses that you incur. Some insurance policies also include coverage for psychiatric treatment and for disposition of remains in the event of death.
Safety:
Overall, the security risk to travelers in Germany is low; however, demonstrations occasionally turn violent and should be avoided. Like other developed countries, Germany has recently experienced an increase in large demonstrations by anti-globalization groups that target international conferences and meetings. These demonstrations have a tendency to spread and turn violent, and anyone in the general area can become the victim of a random attack. All Americans are cautioned to avoid the area around these protests and to check local media for updates on the situation.
Also, hooligans, most often young intoxicated "skinheads, have been known to harass or even attack people whom they believe to be foreigners or members of rival youth groups. While U.S. citizens have not been specific targets, several Americans have reported that they were assaulted for racial reasons or because they appeared "foreign.
Traffic Safety:
While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Germany is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
Safety of Public Transportation:
Excellent
Urban Road Conditions/Maintenance:
Excellent
Rural Road Conditions/Maintenance:
Excellent
Availability of Roadside Assistance:
Excellent
Road conditions in general are excellent, although caution should be exercised while traveling on older roads in eastern Germany. The high speed permitted on the German autobahn, weather, and unfamiliar road markings can pose significant hazards, and driver error is a leading cause of accidents involving American motorists in Germany. Rules on right-of-way differ significantly from those in the United States. Notice should be taken that it is generally illegal in Germany to pass vehicles from the right, and that the threshold for determining whether a person has been driving under the influence of alcohol is lower than in some U.S. states. For specific information on travel within Germany, please contact the German National Tourist Board Office in New York at tel. (1-212) 661-7200, fax: (1-212) 661-7174 or via the Internet at http://www.us.germany-tourism.de/e/.
Travelers should also note that railroad crossings are differently marked in Germany than in the United States, and there have been several accidents involving Americans in recent years at railroad crossings. In addition to the standard crossbuck (X-shaped) sign, railroad crossings are often marked by signal lights. Signal lights flash only when a train is approaching. Regardless of the color of the light, a flashing light at a railroad crossing means that a train is approaching and that all vehicles should stop.
Individuals holding U.S. drivers' licenses may drive in Germany for up to six months without acquiring a German driver's license.
