Germany
Germany Facts Capital: BerlinGovernment Type: Federal republicCurrency: euro (EUR)Population: 81,147,265Total Area: 137,846 Square Miles357,022 Square KilometersLocation: Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of DenmarkLanguage: German LanguagesGerman. However, the German taught in school and used in the media is often not the German spoken daily. Various dialects have a strong influence in most areas. English is widely understood and many Germans from the former East Germany speak Russian. The German People A handshake is the most frequent way one greets another person. A man waits for a woman to extend her hand before shaking it; in mixed company he shakes a woman’s hand before a man’s. In groups, several people do not shake hands at once; crossing someone else’s handshake is inappropriate. By tradition, only family members and close friends address each other by their first nam...