2. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
1. The area of Germany covers 137,847 square miles.
2. Central Germany features rough and somewhat patternless hilly and
mountainous countryside, some of it being formed by ancient volcanic
activity.
3. Southern Germany's landforms are defined by various linear hill and
mountain ranges like the two adjacent ranges of the Swabian and
Franconian Alb and the Bavarian Forest along the border between Bavaria
and the Czech Republic.
3. CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
1. German is the predominant language spoken in Germany.
2. 64.1 percent of the German population belongs to Christian
denominations. 31.4 percent are Roman Catholic, and 32.7 percent are
affiliated with Protestantism.
3. German art has a long and distinguished tradition in the visual arts,
from the earliest known work of figurative art to its current output of
contemporary art.
4. CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
A common belief proclaims that on Christmas Eve wine can be tasted
through the river waters, the animals start speaking, precious gems can
be found from the mountains and the church bells can be heard only by
those who have the purest of hearts. In the early days the bride's
furniture were carried to her future home in a cart with driver and
musicians. During the Middle Ages, Miracle plays were put on to teach
the peasants the stories of the bible.
