Travel Alert Status
Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Time Difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Travel Climate
Germany is in the Temperate Zone and enjoys frequent weather changes, sometimes daily. The country has four distinct seasons with rainfall frequent in most months, especially in the autumn. Winter temperatures and snowfall tend to be more extreme in the southern part of the country where the average elevation is higher, but even low-lying Berlin has snowfalls and winter temperatures that occasionally dip below 10°F.
Travel Currency
0.94
Language Spoken
German is the official language of Germany. 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 former East Germany speak Russian.
Languages
German
Ethnic Groups
German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, and Spanish)
National Holiday
German Unity Day, 3 October (1990)
Geographic Coordinates
51 00 N, 9 00 E
Location
Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark
Airports
318