Hi there everyone! I want to start off the week with a big THANK YOU to everyone who is reading the blog. Last week I had more readers than ever before- each day was at or over 200!! Now some blogs average THOUSANDS a day, but I'm just overwhelmed that hundreds take the time to check out our little project. So thanks for looking- please leave us a comment about what you think! And before you tell me- I already know I have bad grammar and use too many exclamation points!!!!! Now on to Germany.....
Germany is located in central Europe. The capital is Berlin, which can be found on your map at 52.52°N / 13.41°E. The country has a wonderful charm with fairytale castles and quaint villages, snow-capped mountains and beautiful rivers. It also has had a major role in both of the World Wars and the government has had, at times, some serious "control issues" (to say the least). But this is a blog for families with young children and while I think WWII has many important lessons to be learned, I don't think it is appropriate for my 6 and 3 yr. olds. Please don't think I'm glossing over the Holocaust. I'm just saving the discussion for another place and time. So here are some FUN facts about Germany-- Germany has the largest economy in Europe and the 5th largest in the world.
- Germany is the largest producer of iron, steel, chemicals, tools, electronics, textiles and is second to Japan for cars.
- Some of the great inventions to come out of Germany include insulin, the pocket watch, gasoline and diesel engines, jet engines, the printing press, the cuckoo clock and the gummy bear!!
- Many classical music composers were born in Germany- a few include Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Brahms.
Beethoven looks so grumpy in all his pictures!
- Germany is home to 700 zoos, aquariums, animal parks and reserves. The largest zoo in the world is Berlin's Zoologischer Garten.
- Germany is also home to over 1,300 breweries! The country has the second highest rate of beer consumption after Czechoslovakia. The oldest brewery is Weihenstephaner Brewery which has been operating since 1040.
Wow, that's an armful!!