We end our year of virtual travel in Germany, known as Bundesrepublik Deutschland or Deutschland by the people who live there. (I found it interesting that the name of the country is so different from the formal name outside of Germany. Mental Floss produced a video to explain the reasons for this.)
The Federal Republic of Germany is the second largest country in the European Union with a population about 1/3 of the USA. The world’s second-largest exporter, Germany is powerful due to the size of the economy. The country shares a border with nine other countries and has coastline along the Northern Sea and Baltic Sea. Located in Europe and a strong member of the European Union, you need only look at a map to see the importance of strong relationships with neighboring countries.
Countries are filled with a diversity of landscapes and city skylines and like most of the countries we have visited, the landscape of Germany ranges from big beautiful cities like Berlin, Munich, Cologne, and Hamburg to large forests and mountains. We learn that Germany is the home of the original Gummy Bears, the Steiff Toy company, the Ravensburger puzzle company, and some famous car companies -Mercedes Benz, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, and Porsche. We visit the salt mines, the castles, and iconic landmarks. As with every country, we leave with an appreciation of the great diversity of culture in our world.
Nanna Trips 