Das Land des Monats dieses Monats ist Deutschland!
Geographically, Germany is very diverse. From hilly forests to mountains, to plains that stretch to the sea, there’s a little bit of everything for everyone. Germany borders nine of its neighbors, more than any other European country. The most famous, as well as largest forest is in the southwest, close to the Swiss border. It is named the Black Forest, and is a mountainous region of pine and fir trees. It also holds the source of the Danube, one of Europe’s longest rivers. Other rivers include the Rhine and Main. As for religion, about two-thirds of Germans are Christian, either traditional Catholic or Protestant. Cologne (or Köln in German), is home to a cathedral by its namesake, Cologne Cathedral. The cathedral took over 600 years to build, with work on it starting in 1248 and ending in some time in 1880. Perhaps the most iconic German festival is Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest is the largest celebration of Bavarian culture. Bavaria is a southern German state. If you don’t know the name, you definitely can imagine the clothing and the food. Does Schnitzel ring a bell? Perhaps you’ve always wanted one of those traditional German dresses, like me? Many of the first things that come to mind when you think of Germany are popularized by Oktoberfest.
Germany is a beautiful country, and the German government works hard to keep it that way and preserve the wildlife. There are 97 nature reserves in Germany! The biggest is in the aforementioned Black Forest. Despite these efforts, many species, such as certain species of whales, beavers, and minks, are endangered. There are two major unspoiled regions. The flat northern coast is home to both sea life and wading birds. The south is filled with forested hills and mountains, which make home for wildcats, boar, and ibex. There are also lakes and wetlands along the coastlines, an important resting point for many species of migrating birds.
Student Interview
Leonie Seidler is an exchange student from Germany, and is a Junior here at North Wilkes High School. I was able to interview her to get her insights on both German and American culture.
Leonie is from Northern Bavaria. She says it is similar to Wilkes. Leonie’s favorite part of American High School is our school spirit and the different subjects we teach here. Leonie is part of the Tennis Team here at North!
Leonie says her biggest culture shock coming from Germany is the food. “Everything is so sweet here”! When asked her favorite part of German culture, she says she enjoys celebrating the consecration of her church! Every third Sunday in October, they come together in a big tent and celebrate. Another one of her favorite things is “of course, the food.” (Like pretzels!)
Something that we have in America that Germans don’t have is a lot of fast food. Leonie says where she’s from, they only have McDonald’s, Burger King, and KFC. However, she says that there is nothing she can think of that Germans have and we don’t!
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