Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Geography. Germany has a population of 82,532 million and an area of 357,030,32 km² , density 231 inhabitants per km² (source: “Statistiche Ämter des Bundes und der Länder”, 25/2/2005). Berlin, the capital, has a population of 3,388 million. Germany is a Federal Republic comprising 16 Länder. The President of the Federal Republic is elected every 5 years; President Horst Köhler was elected on 23 May 2004. Mrs Angela Merkel was elected Federal Chancellor, head of the government, on 22 November 2005. Mrs Merkel, the first woman to lead the country, is a member of the CDU Christian Democratic Union. The Chancellor is elected every four years.
Germany has borders with Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. It has coastlines on the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Germany is crossed by three great rivers: the Rhine (865 km), the Elba (700 km) and the Danube (647 km). The most important sea ports are Hamburg, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Lubecca and Rostock. Germany has several lakes including Lake Konstance (571 km², of which 305 km² in Germania), Lake Müritz (110 km²) Lake Chiemsee (80 km²). (to be continued) (J.M.) (Agenzia Fides 22/6/2007 - righe 16, parole 238)
