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2021-06-04T14:27:00.000+07:00

Nama Islami

HUMAIRA

Humaira , Apa arti nama Humaira dalam islam? Nama Humaira (tulisan arab: همايرا) adalah nama bagus dan indah untuk anak bayi perempuan islam. Selain tergolong dalam nama bayi islam dari asal bahasa Arab, unik nya kata ini ada pada arti dan maksud nama Humaira yang memiliki makna (1) Kemerahan (2) Putih campur merah (3) Yang berpipi merah. Kita pun dapat maknai arti Kemerahan, Putih campur merah, dan Yang berpipi merah sebagai doa agar calon bayi perempuan kita diharapkan menjadi anak bayi perempuan yang berani, tangguh, cantik jelita dan elok.

Tentunya nama islami Humaira ini bisa Anda kombinasi dan gabungkan dengan nama-nama anak lainnya sehingga membentuk kesatuan rangkaian nama bayi perempuan islami modern terdiri dari 2 kata, 3 kata atau bahkan 4 suku kata.

Nama untuk bayi perempuan yang akan lahir harus pas, cocok serta dipertimbangkan dengan matang agar memiliki arti indah, dan spesial. Nama Humaira bisa menjadi salah satu pilihan nama terbaik untuk si calon buah hati tercinta. Nama islam bayi perempuan berawalan huruf H ini terdiri dari 7 karakter huruf.

Seperti tertulis dalam Al Quran surat maryam ayat 7 :

يَا زَكَرِيَّا إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلامٍ اسْمُهُ يَحْيَى لَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ سَمِيًّا

“Hai Zakariyya, sesungguhnya Kami memberi kabar gembira kepadamu akan (beroleh) seorang anak yang namanya Yahya, yang sebelumnya Kami belum pernah menciptakan orang serupa dengannya.” (Q.S. Maryam: 7)

dan juga tercantum dalam hadits riwayat Imam Abu Daud dari Abu Dardak r.a. yang menyebutkan :

إنكم تُدعون يوم القيامة بأسمائكم وأسماء آبائكم فأحسنوا أسماءكم

“Sesungguhnya kamu sekelian akan diseru/dipanggil pada hari Kiamat dengan nama-nama kamu dan nama-nama bapa kamu.Oleh demikian, elokkanlah nama-nama kamu.” (H.R. Imam Abu Daud dari Abu Dardak r.a.)

Tentunya kita ingin agar arti nama anak yang akan disandang seumur hidupnya tersebut sesuai dengan ajaran agama islam. Dalam pemilihan nama, Islam mengajarkan untuk memilih nama yang baik, karena nama anak merupakan identitas yang akan dikenali semenjak lahir, bayi, dewasa, dan sampai akhir hayat. Jika teman dan sahabat menyebutnya dengan nama yang berarti positif dan baik, maka bisa diibaratkan dengan mendoakan anak tersebut. Jadi alangkah baiknya jika sebagai orang tua memberi nama anak bayi kita menurut pedoman Al-quran dan hadits diatas.

Arti Nama Humaira

Berikut rincian lebih lanjut mengenai keunikan, serta karakteristik arti nama Humaira:

NAMA ISLAMI	Humaira
VARIASI PENULISAN	Humaira’, Humairah
GENDER	Perempuan
ARTINYA	(1) Kemerahan (2) Putih campur merah (3) Yang berpipi merah
ASAL BAHASA	Arab
DOA DAN HARAPAN	diharapkan menjadi anak bayi perempuan yang berani, tangguh, cantik jelita dan elok

Rangkaian Nama Humaira dan Artinya

Berikut ini adalah contoh ide nama Humaira dalam rangkaian nama bayi islami:

Rangkaian Nama Depan Humaira

Humaira Nasywa Nuzha artinya anak perempuan yang berpipi merah yang selalu bersemangat menghibur orang yang sedang bersedih.
[Arab] Humaira : (1) Kemerahan (2) Putih campur merah (3) Yang berpipi merah
[Islami] Nasywa : (1) Besar hati (2) Bersemangat
[Arab] Nuzha : Tempat hiburan

Humaira Burairah Faroque artinya wanita yang memiliki pipi kemerahan yang selalu berkata jujur dan selalu berbakti kepada kedua orang tua.
[Arab] Humaira : (1) Kemerahan (2) Putih campur merah (3) Yang berpipi merah
[Arab] Burairah : (1) Berbuat baik (2) Berbakti
[Arab] Faroque : Jujur

Humaira Keyla Khathirah artinya bayi perempuan yang berpipi merah dan memiliki pikiran yang cemerlang dalam meraih sebuah kemenangan.
[Arab] Humaira : (1) Kemerahan (2) Putih campur merah (3) Yang berpipi merah
[Arab-Ibrani] Keyla : (1) Kemenangan (2) Mahkota
[Islami] Khathirah : (1) Pikiran (2) Rasa yang melintas dalam hati

Humaira Noura Zalsa maknanya bayi perempuan yang memiliki pipi kemerahan dan bermartabat tinggi yang sangat menyukai berbagai ilmu pengetahuan.
[Arab] Humaira : (1) Kemerahan (2) Putih campur merah (3) Yang berpipi merah
[Arab] Noura : (1) Sentosa (2) Sangat menyukai ilmu pengetahuan (3) Bersemangat (4) Perempuan yang indah (5) Cahaya
[Islami] Zalsa : Martabat

Gabungan Nama Tengah Humaira

Ayra Humaira Haniyya artinya cewek yang berpipi merah yang selalu menyenangkan hati orang yang menghormatinya.
[Islami] Ayra : (1) Dihormati (2) Diberkati
[Arab] Humaira : (1) Kemerahan (2) Putih campur merah (3) Yang berpipi merah
[Islami] Haniyya : (1) Yang senang (2) Gembira (3) Tempat beristirahat (4) Menyenangkan

Radhiyyah Humaira Tisha artinya anak wanita yang berpipi merah dan berakal pandai yang selalu aktif dalam berbagai kegiatan.
[Islami] Radhiyyah : Pandai
[Arab] Humaira : (1) Kemerahan (2) Putih campur merah (3) Yang berpipi merah
[Islami] Tisha : Yang selalu aktif

Zoya Humaira Rescha artinya bayi perempuan yang memiliki pipi kemerahan dan bercahaya yang memiliki kepedulian terhadap sesama.
[Islami] Zoya : (1) Menyenangkan (2) peduli
[Arab] Humaira : (1) Kemerahan (2) Putih campur merah (3) Yang berpipi merah
[Arab] Rescha : (1) Nama sebuah bintang (2) Kawat (3) Kabel (4) Tali

Qawiemah Humaira Shardae maksudnya putri yang berpipi merah yang menjadi pelarian menuju jalan yang lurus.
[Arab] Qawiemah : Yang lurus
[Arab] Humaira : (1) Kemerahan (2) Putih campur merah (3) Yang berpipi merah
[Arab] Shardae : (1) Seorang pelarian (2) Pelarian

Kombinasi Nama Belakang Humaira

Jalilah Rasanah Humaira artinya cewek yang berpipi merah dan penuh kemuliaan yang selalu bermanfaat bagi orang lain.
[Arab] Jalilah : (1) Mulia (2) Agung
[Arab] Rasanah : (1) Tempat pemberhentian (2) Halte
[Arab] Humaira : (1) Kemerahan (2) Putih campur merah (3) Yang berpipi merah

Keysha Zayda Humaira artinya perempuan yang memiliki pipi kemerahan yang hidup dalam keadaan baik dan penuh kemakmuran.
[Islami] Keysha : Hidup dalam keadaan baik
[Arab] Zayda : (1) Makmur (2) Keberuntungan (3) Pemburu wanita (4) Harta Benda (5) Kaya raya
[Arab] Humaira : (1) Kemerahan (2) Putih campur merah (3) Yang berpipi merah

Safaira Sane Humaira maknanya bayi perempuan yang kemerahan dan memiliki kejernihan pikiran dan mempunyai hati yang baik sekali.
[Arab] Safaira : (1) Kejernihan (2) Kemurnian (3) Ketentraman
[Arab] Sane : (1) Baik sekali (2) Pandai dan Cerdas (3) Atas/Puncak gunung (4) Cemerlang dan brilian (5) Indah
[Arab] Humaira : (1) Kemerahan (2) Putih campur merah (3) Yang berpipi merah

Shakir Fikriya Humaira artinya bayi perempuan yang berpipi merah yang selelau bersyukur atas nikmat yang telah diberikan dan bisa memahami ilmu fislafat secara lebih mendalam.
[Arab] Shakir : (1) Bersyukur (2) Berterima kasih
[Arab] Fikriya : Ahli filsafat
[Arab] Humaira : (1) Kemerahan (2) Putih campur merah (3) Yang berpipi merah

Pilihan Variasi Nama Islami Humaira Yang Populer Dan Unik

Humaira Balqis : Ratu yang berparas cantik nan menawan dengan pipinya yang kemerah-merahan.
Humaira Shakila Najma : Perempuan yang bercahaya bak bintang dan memiliki paras yang cantik dengan pipinya yang kemerahan.
Humaira Azzahra : Perempuan yang memiliki pipi kemerahan dan kecerdasan yang luar biasa di dalam dirinya.
Humaira Arsyila : Wanita dengan pipi kemerahannya yang memiliki jalan penghidupan yang tentram dan damai.
Humaira Khairunnisa : Sebaik-baik wanita yang memiliki pipi kemerahan.

Demikianlah kiranya penjabaran mengenai apa arti nama Humaira yang bagus digunakan untuk penamaan bayi perempuan islam. Jika berkenan, bantulah IdeNamaIslami.com juga para calon orang tua baru lainnya dengan cara memberikan rating (tanda bintang) terhadap posting makna nama Humaira ini. Penilaian Anda akan mempengaruhi bobot rangking nama Humaira yg dapat dilihat di halaman nama-nama islami terpopuler di hompage. Tak lupa juga kami mohon kesediaan Pembaca yang budiman untuk membagikan artikel ini kepada kerabat dan sahabat. Terima kasih.

Festivals in Germany Coming Soon

2011-05-12T11:02:00.000+07:00

Open-Air Art Festival in Frankfurt

Frankfurt celebrates its annual open-air art festival along the banks of the river Main. Running through the city’s center, the river is lined on both sides by some of best museums in the country. During the "Museum Embankment Festival", you can enjoy special exhibitions, open-air theater, concerts, readings, and fireworks.

When: August 26-28, 2011
Where: Schaumainkai, Frankfurt

Festival of Jewish Culture in Berlin

The annual "Jewish Culture Days" is the largest festival in Germany dedicated to Jewish life, art and history. In its 24th year, the Berlin festival presents concerts, exhibitions, readings, and architectural tours; venues are the fantastic Jewish Museum, which was designed by Daniel Libeskind, and various synagogues throughout Berlin.

When: End of August 2011
Where: Berlin

Wine Festival Stuttgart

Wine aficionados can raise their glass in the city of Stuttgart, which hosts one of the largest and best wine festivals in Germany. Located in the Neckar wine region, Stuttgart is proud to have a 1000-year old viniculture. Its wine festival attracts more than a million wine connoisseurs, who can sample Swabian specialties and try 250 regional wines, including Trollinger, Riesling, Kerner, Müller-Thurgau.

When: end of August, 2011
Where: City center of Stuttgart

International Horse Racing Baden Baden

Fast Horses and big hats: The international horse racing in Iffezheim, Baden Baden, close to the Black Forest, has been celebrates for over 150 years. Besides daily races, you can look forward to open-air concerts and special events; a special treat are the race courts breakfasts, where you can start your day on the race terraces while watching the horses getting ready for their race.

When: August – September, 2011
Where: Iffezheim, Baden Baden

2011-05-12T11:01:00.000+07:00

City Festival Dresden

During the summer months, almost every German city organizes a city festival ("Stadtfest"). Locals of all ages enjoy open-air concerts, fun rides, fire works, and lots of food and drink in the heart of their city. It is a great experience for travelers to take part in these (free) festivities and to soak up some local flavor.
Dresden’s Stadtfest is especially worth visiting: It is celebrated in the charming Baroque Old Town.

When: middle of August, 2011
Where: Dresden

2011-05-12T11:00:00.000+07:00

Richard Wagner Festival in Bayreuth

With this annual musical festival, the Bavarian town of Bayreuth pays tribute to the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner. The world's largest Wagner Festival has been sold out since 1876, and Wagner fans get their tickets years in advance to enjoy some of the composer's best operas, from The Ring Cycle, to Parsifal.

When: July 25 – August 28, 2011
Where: Festspielhaus, Bayreuth

2011-05-12T10:58:00.000+07:00

The World Cup Is Back in Germany:

In 2011, the soccer World Cup is coming back to Germany: The FIFA women's world cup will take place in nine German cities from June 26th to July 17th, 2011.

Besides the two-time defending world champion team from Germany, 15 soccer teams from around the world will compete in the Women's World Cup. The following teams have been qualified for 2011: USA, Australia, North Korea, Japan, France, Norway, England, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Brazil, and Colombia.

World Cup Games and Tickets:

The opening game for the 2011 World Cup will be held at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany's capital; other world cup venues include Dresden, Moenchengladbach, Augsburg, Sinsheim, Bochum, Wolfsburg and Leverkusen. The final match will be held in Frankfurt.

Ticket sales for the 2011 World Cup have already in begun, and tickets are in high demand; for more information on tickets and online sales, head over to the official website of theFIFA Women's World Cup.

2009-06-11T17:03:00.000+07:00

Air transport

Frankfurt Airport Terminal 1
Frankfurt International Airport is a major international airport and European transportation hub. Frankfurt Airport ranks among the world's top ten airports and serves 304 flight destinations in 110 countries. It is the airport with the largest number of international destinations served worldwide. Depending on whether total passengers, flights or cargo traffic are used as a measure, it ranks first, second or third in Europe alongside London Heathrow Airport and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Germany's second most important international airport is Munich. Other major airports are Berlin Tegel, Berlin Schönefeld, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne-Bonn, Leipzig/Halle and in the future Berlin Brandenburg International Airport.
Short distances and the extensive network of motorways and railways make airplanes uncompetitive for travel within Germany. Only about 1% of all distance travelled was by plane in 2002. But due to a declinie in prices with the introduction of low-fares airlines, domestic air travel is becoming more attractive.
The national carrier is Lufthansa.
Airports: 615 (1999 est.)
Airports — with paved runways:
total: 320
over 3,047 m: 14
2,438 to 3,047 m: 61
1,524 to 2,437 m: 67
914 to 1,523 m: 56
under 914 m: 122 (1999 est.)
Airports — with unpaved runways:
total: 295
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 55
under 914 m: 226 (1999 est.)
Heliports: 59 (1999 est.)

2009-06-11T17:01:00.001+07:00

Water transport

Hamburg Harbour
Waterways: 7,500 km (1999); major rivers include the Rhine and Elbe; Kiel Canal is an important connection between the Baltic Sea and North Sea, the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal links Rotterdam on the North Sea with the Black Sea.
Pipelines: crude oil 2,500 km (1998)
Ports and harbours: Berlin, Bonn, Brake, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Cologne, Dortmund, Dresden, Duisburg, Emden, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Kiel, Lübeck, Magdeburg, Mannheim, Oldenburg, Rostock, Stuttgart
The port of Hamburg is the largest sea-harbour in Germany and ranks #2 in Europe, #7 worldwide (2004), in total container traffic.
Merchant marine:total: 475 ships (with a volume of 1,000 gross register tons (GRT) or over) totaling 6,395,990 GRT/8,014,132 metric tons deadweight (DWT)ships by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo ship 181, chemical tanker 12, container ship 239, Liquified Gas Carrier 2, multi-functional large load carrier 5, passenger ship 2, petroleum tanker 8, rail car carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off ship 13, short-sea passenger 7 (1999 est.)

2009-06-11T16:58:00.000+07:00

Rail transport

InterCityExpress train, Stuttgart
Railways:
total: 40,826 km, including
at least 14,253 km electrified and
14,768 km double- or multiple-tracked (1998)
Deutsche Bahn (German Rail) is the major German railway infrastructure and service operator. Though Deutsche Bahn is a private company, the government still holds all shares and therefore Deutsche Bahn can still be called a state-owned company. Since its privatisation in 1994, Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG) no longer publishes details of the tracks it owns; in addition to the DB AG system there are about 280 privately or locally owned railway companies which own an approximate 3,000 km to 4,000 km of the total tracks and use DB tracks in open access.
There are significant differences between the financing of long-distance and short-distance (or local) trains in Germany. While long-distance trains can be run by any railway company, the companies also receive no subsidies from the government; instead, the long-distance trains receive no direct subventions for current operations. Local trains however are subsidised by the German states, which pay the operating companies to run these trains. This resulted in many private companies offering to run local train services as they can provide cheaper service than the state-owned Deutsche Bahn. Track construction is entirely and track maintenance partly government financed both for long and short range trains.
The InterCityExpress or ICE is a type of high-speed train operated by Deutsche Bahn in Germany and large cities in neighbouring countries, such as Zürich, Vienna, Paris, Amsterdam, Liège and Brussels. The rail network throughout Germany is extensive and provides excellent services in most areas. On regular lines, at least one train every two hours will call even in the smallest of villages. Nearly all larger metropolitan areas are served by S-Bahn, U-Bahn, Strassenbahn and/or bus network.
Rail links in adjacent countries
Denmark — same gauge — voltage change 15 kV AC/25 kV AC
Poland — same gauge — voltage change 15 kV AC/3 kV DC
Czech Republic — same gauge — voltage change 15 kV AC/3 kV DC
Austria — same gauge — same voltage
Switzerland — same gauge — same voltage
France — same gaugem — voltage change 15 kV AC/(25 kV AC or 1500 V DC).
Luxembourg — same gauge — voltage change 15 kV AC/(25 kV AC or 3 kV DC)
The Netherlands — same gauge — voltage change 15 kV AC/1500 V DC
Betuweroute - same gauge = voltage change 15kV AC/ 25 kV AC - freight only
Belgium — same gauge — voltage change 15 kV AC/ 3 kV DC

International passenger trains
(only major connections listed)
Amsterdam Centraal — Berlin Ostbahnhof:
Amsterdam Centraal, Netherlands
Amersfoort, Netherlands
Deventer, Netherlands
Hengelo, Netherlands
Bad Bentheim, Lower Saxony
Rheine, North Rhine-Westphalia
Osnabrück Hbf, Lower Saxony
Bünde, North Rhine-Westphalia
Bad Oeynhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia
Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia
Hannover Hbf, Lower Saxony
Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony
Stendal, Saxony-Anhalt
Berlin Spandau
Berlin Zoo
Berlin Ostbahnhof
Amsterdam Centraal — Vienna Westbf:
(see also Transportation in the Netherlands)
Emmerich, North Rhine-Westphalia
Wesel
Oberhausen Hbf, North Rhine-Westphalia
Duisburg Hbf, North Rhine-Westphalia
Düsseldorf Hbf, North Rhine-Westphalia
Köln Hbf North Rhine-Westphalia
Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, Hesse
Nürnberg Hbf, Bavaria
Regensburg Hbf
Straubing
Plattling
Passau Hbf
(see also Transportation in Austria)
Copenhagen Hovedbanegarden — Hamburg Hauptbahnhof:
Copenhagen, Denmark
Roskilde, Denmark
Ringsted, Denmark
Næstved, Denmark
Nykøbing, Denmark
Rødby, Denmark
Puttgarden, Schleswig-Holstein
Oldenburg, Schleswig-Holstein
Neustadt, Schleswig-Holstein
Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein
Hamburg Hbf, Hamburg
Novosibirsk/Astana/Moscow/Saint Petersburg/Kharkiv — Berlin Lichtenberg (not all stations in Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Ukraine listed):
Astana, Kazakhstan
Saratov, Russia
Minsk, Belarus
Moscow Belorusskaya, Russia
Minsk, Belarus
Brest, Belarus
Warsaw Wschodnia, Poland
Kharkiv, Ukraine
Kiev, Ukraine
Yahodyn, Ukraine
Warsaw Wschodnia, Poland
Warszawa Centralna station, Poland
Warsaw Zachodnia, Poland
Kutno, Poland
Konin, Poland
Poznań, Poland
Świebodzin, Poland
Frankfurt (Oder), Brandenburg
Berlin Lichtenberg
Berlin — Prague Holesovice:
Berlin Ostbahnhof
Elsterwerda, Brandenburg
Dresden-Neustadt, Saxony
Dresden Hbf, Saxony
Bad Schandau, Saxony
Děčín, Czech Republic
Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic
Prague Holesovice, Czech Republic
Frankfurt am Main — Strasbourg/Basel:
Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, Hesse
Mannheim Hbf, Baden-Württemberg
Karlsruhe Hbf, Baden-Württemberg
Kehl, Baden-Württemberg
Strasbourg, France
Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg
Basel Badischer Bahnhof, Germany/Switzerland
Munich — Verona:
München Hbf, Bavaria
München Ost, Bavaria
Rosenheim, Bavaria
Kufstein, Tirol, Austria
Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof, Tirol, Austria
Brenner Pass, Austria — Italy
Bolzano, Italy
Trento, Italy
Verona Porta Nuova, Italy
It is also possible to travel to London, United Kingdom by changing onto the Eurostar at Brussels

International freight trains
While Germany and most of contiguous Europe use standard gauge (1435 mm), differences in signalling, rules and regulations, electrification voltages, etc. tend to hamstring freight operations across borders. These obstacles are slowly being overcome, with international (in- and outgoing) and transit (through) traffic being responsible for a large part of the recent uptake in rail freight volume.

S-Bahn
In some areas of Germany an urban railway called S-Bahn is in operation. These trains usually connect larger agglomerations to the suburban areas, although in the case of the Rhein-Ruhr S-Bahn these also serve as a method of interurban transport between large cities.

Metros

Train of the U-Bahn Berlin
Relatively few cities have a full-fledged underground U-Bahn system, and S-Bahn (suburban commuter railway) systems are far more common. In some cities the distinction between U-Bahn and S-Bahn systems is blurred, for instance some S-Bahn systems run underground, have frequencies similar to U-Bahn, and form part of the same integrated transport network. A larger number of cities has upgraded their tramways to light rail standards. These systems are called Stadtbahn (not to be confused with S-Bahn),on main line rails.
Cities with pure U-Bahn systems are:
Berlin (U-Bahn)
Hamburg (U-Bahn)
Frankfurt am Main (U-Bahn)
Munich (U-Bahn)
Nuremberg/Fürth (U-Bahn)
Cities with Stadtbahn systems can be found in the article Trams in Germany

Transport in Germany

2009-06-11T16:54:00.000+07:00

Road and automotive transport

Map of the German autobahn network
The volume of traffic in Germany, especially goods transportation, is at a very high level due to its central location in Europe. In the past few decades, much of the freight traffic shifted from rail to road, which led the Federal Government to introduce a motor toll for trucks in 2005. Individual road usage increased resulting in a relatively high traffic density to other nations. A further increase of traffic is expected in the future.
High-speed vehicular traffic has a long tradition in Germany given that the first freeway (Autobahn) in the world, the AVUS, and the world's first automobile were developed and built in Germany. Germany possesses one of the most dense road systems of the world. German motorways have no blanket speed limit. However, posted limits are in place on many dangerous or congested stretches as well as where traffic noise or pollution poses a problem.
The German government has had issues with upkeep of the roads in the country. For the government has had to revamp the eastern portions transport system since the unification of Germany between the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). With that, numerous construction projects have been put on hold in the west, and a vigorous reconstruction has been going on for almost 20 years. However ever since the European Union formed an over all streamlining and change of route plans have occurred as faster and more direct links to former Soviet bloc countries now exist and are in the works, with intense co-operation among European countries.

Roads
Germany has approximately 650,000 km of roads. The road network is extensively used with nearly 2000 billion kilometers travelled by car in 2005, in comparison to just 70 billion km travelled by rail and 35 billion km travelled by air.

Other roads
The national roads in Germany are called Bundesstraßen (federal road). Their numbers are usually well known to the road users, as they appear (written in black digits on a yellow rectangle with black border) on direction traffic signs and in street maps. A Bundesstraße is often referred to as "B" followed by its number, for example "B 1", one of the main east-west routes. More important routes have lower numbers. Odd numbers are usually applied to east-west oriented roads, and even numbers for north-south routes. Bypass routes are referred to with an appended "a" (alternative) or "n" (new alignment), as in "B 56n".
Other main public roads are maintained by the Bundesländer (states), called Landesstraße (country road) or Staatsstraße (state road). The numbers of these roads are prefixed with "L", "S" or "St", but are usually not seen on direction signs or written in maps. They appear on the kilometre posts on the roadside. Numbers are unique only within one state.
The Landkreise (districts) (number prefix "K") and municipalities are in charge of the minor roads and streets within villages, towns and cities

2009-04-23T16:12:00.001+07:00

Newspapers in Germany

The complexion of the print media in eastern Germany changed markedly with unification. By mid-1991 only 100,000 copies of East Germany's most widely circulated newspaper, Neues Deutschland, the newspaper of the communist party, were being printed daily, down from roughly 1 million in the recent past. Western consortia bought many of the other established urban newspapers and brought in new management. According to a public opinion survey during the 1990 national election, 68 percent of western Germans and 88 percent of eastern Germans read a newspaper on a regular basis. Not surprisingly, Germany boasts among the highest per capita newspaper circulations within Europe.

The press is privately owned, and most Germans rely on local or regional newspapers for their information. Five daily newspapers enjoy good reputations nationally because of their sophisticated domestic and international coverage: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Rundschau, Handelsblatt, and Die Welt. The FAZ is probably Germany's most prestigious daily newspaper and is the one newspaper read by virtually all members of the political and business establishment. Although independent of any political party, its views are similar to those of the right-of-center CDU. Handelsblatt is the leading business daily. Die Zeit, a weekly newspaper, provides an erudite review of news and culture from a perspective sympathetic to Social Democratic views. Weekly editions of Die Zeit are often more than 100 pages, with in-depth articles filling an entire page. Former chancellor Schmidt is one of its publishers; the paper's circulation is 493,000. Because these newspapers appeal to an elite readership, their circulation figures are much lower than that of the tabloid press. Bild Zeitung, with a daily circulation of close to 5 million, is Germany's most widely circulated daily. It puts a sensationalist spin on topical issues and tends to support right-of-center policies.

Both Bild Zeitung and Die Welt are published by the Axel Springer Group, based in Hamburg. Axel Springer, now deceased, built an enormous media empire, which also includes the two largest Sunday newspapers, Bild am Sonntag and Welt am Sonntag, two Berlin daily newspapers, and many popular magazines. Springer publications are generally considered to have a strong conservative bent.

The liberal counterpart to Axel Springer and his successors has been Rudolf Augstein, founder and publisher of the weekly Der Spiegel, a highly respected and influential newsmagazine combining news coverage with investigative journalism. The magazine's decidedly liberal critique of politics and politicians has often steeped it in controversy. In 1994 its circulation stood at over 1 million copies. Der Spiegel is distributed in 165 countries, and close to 15 percent of its sales are outside Germany.

In 1993 competition for market share held by Der Spiegel emerged with the publication of Focus , a newsmagazine fashioned after Time and Newsweek , with shorter articles and a more colorful layout than that offered by Der Spiegel. Focus appeared on newsstands in January 1993, was less expensive than Der Spiegel, and, after a few months, was faring better than expected. By mid-April Focus was maintaining a circulation of 600,000 and had exceeded its annual target for pages of advertising sold. Since its founding in 1946, Der Spiegel has successfully faced down competition from more than fifty publications. However, the circulation of Focus is growing while that of Der Spiegel is falling.

Although newspapers owned by political parties were common during the Weimar period, the partisan press is much less significant in the Germany of the 1990s. Vorwaerts is the official newspaper of the SPD, and Bayernkurier serves the CSU. Rheinischer Merkur has informal links to the CDU, and Neues Deutschland offers views of the PDS.

2009-04-23T16:09:00.000+07:00

Prussia's Emergence as a Military Power

The German military heritage was epitomized by a succession of Prussian rulers in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The first of these was the Great Elector, Frederick William (r. 1640-88), who recognized that a standing army with an elite officer corps was the key to the development of a powerful state in his remote part of the empire. His grandson, Frederick William I (r. 1713-40), more than doubled the size of his professional army to 90,000 and added a trained reserve of conscripted peasants, forming one of the most modern and efficient fighting units in eighteenth-century Europe. Heavy taxes supported the army, which consumed 80 percent of state revenues even in peacetime. The next Prussian king, Frederick II (r. 1740-86), known to posterity as Frederick the Great, raised the strength of the army to 150,000 and launched a series of wars between 1740 and 1763, wresting control of the province of Silesia from Habsburg Austria. Prussia had become one of the most powerful continental states and a contender with the Habsburgs for domination over the myriad German political entities.

The aristocratic character of the officer corps was established early in the eighteenth century as Prussian kings tried to gain the support of wealthy landed aristocrats, known as Junkers, by granting them a virtual monopoly over the selection of officers. In 1733 a cadet school was established in Berlin to train sons of Junkers to be officers. The officer corps was well on the way to becoming the most privileged social class in Prussia.

The chauvinistic militarism of Prussia inspired fear and hatred among other European states and peoples. Under the strong leadership of a self-perpetuating general staff, the army brooked little interference in its affairs by the civil government. Nevertheless, the failure to reform and the lack of preparedness after the death of Frederick the Great in 1786 led to the army's decisive defeat by Napoleon's forces at Jena in October 1806.

Over the next few years, General Gerhard von Scharnhorst guided the revitalization of the army. Reforms included the introduction of universal military service and an end to dependence on mercenaries. The officer corps was expanded to include commoners, and officers were encouraged to take greater initiative in battle. The new Prussian army distinguished itself at the Battle of Leipzig in 1813 and again at Waterloo in 1815, where, under the command of Field Marshal Gebhard von Bluecher, the army was instrumental in the ultimate defeat of Napoleon.

Prussia's reputation for military efficiency was reestablished by the army's final victories over Napoleon. The Prussian War College (Kriegsakademie) became a model for military staff colleges around the world in the early nineteenth century. A book of that era--On War --written by Karl (Carl) von Clausewitz, a Prussian general, became a classic, its theories of land warfare still studied by officers of many armies more than 160 years after the author's death.

The unification of the many German states into the German Empire (1871-1918) followed Prussian-led victories over Denmark in 1864, Austria in 1866, and France in 1870-71. Prussia's aggressive policies were masterminded by Otto von Bismarck, who became united Germany's first chancellor. Following unification, the legendary Prussian General Staff became the German General Staff. Clausewitz's dictum that civilians should control the military was ignored, and the General Staff became a power center in the highly militaristic regimes of Kaiser Wilhelm I (1858-88) and Kaiser Wilhelm II (1888-1918).

2009-04-23T16:08:00.001+07:00

The German Military in Two World Wars

Prussian-German excellence in military matters was an accepted fact of life, but in the twentieth century the excessive accent on militarism led to two disastrous world wars. Germany's insistence on building a fleet that could challenge Britain's naval domination underscored German bellicosity and pushed Britain toward alignment with France and Russia.
When World War I broke out in 1914, Germany attempted to conquer France quickly with a sudden thrust through Belgium. The Germans nearly reached Paris, but the desperate French managed to stiffen their defenses along the Marne River. The front was stabilized in northern France and shifted little during the course of the war in spite of the sacrifice of whole armies in the effort to break through opposing defenses. Although Germany was able to force Russia out of the war in March 1918, the arrival of fresh United States troops, strikes and protests among German workers, and the exhaustion of material resources brought about Germany's collapse in November 1918. General Erich Ludendorff and Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg formed what was in effect a military dictatorship in 1917 but sidestepped responsibility for the military catastrophe by restoring civilian control in the chaos of 1918. They then falsely claimed that the military, undefeated in the field, had been "stabbed in the back" by domestic enemies, a charge that Adolf Hitler employed later to great effect.

Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, the German General Staff was abolished. The army was limited to 100,000 personnel and the navy to a force of 15,000. Aircraft, tanks, submarines, and other offensive weapons were prohibited. The left bank of the Rhine was demilitarized. The Allies intended that the civilian government of the postwar Weimar Republic (1918-33) completely control the military and that the destruction of the General Staff epitomize the end of Prussianism. Nevertheless, a general staff continued to function under the sobriquet "Troop Office," and its leaders took advantage of the weak civilian government to reassert their privileged positions. When Hindenburg was elected president of the republic in 1925, the general staff officers regained their influence in the government.

During the 1920s, a clandestine alliance was formed between the armies of the Weimar Republic and the Soviet Union to circumvent the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. The German high command under General Hans von Seeckt made secret arrangements with the Soviet high command enabling German officers and specialists to study and train with modern weapons in the Soviet Union in return for German technical assistance in the establishment of Soviet defense industries. This collaboration helped keep alive the military know-how used later as the basis of Hitler's war machine.

By September 1939, when Hitler's invasion of Poland triggered World War II, Germany had a formidable army, a potent navy, and the best equipped air force in the world. The blitzkrieg (lightning war), in which highly mobile, tank-heavy land armies were deployed in conjunction with large numbers of close-support aircraft, included tactics never before seen in warfare. In the spring of 1940, the German army, the Wehrmacht, defeated Denmark and Norway, outflanked French defenses along the Maginot Line, destroyed the armies of France and Belgium, and forced the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Forces at Dunkirk--all in a little over a month.

The rapid victories of the early war period did not lead to peace, however. France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Poland were occupied, but the staunch resistance of Britain's Royal Air Force deterred Hitler's planned invasion of Britain. The war took on a global character in 1941, with the Wehrmacht's invasion of its erstwhile ally, the Soviet Union, in June and Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor the following December, which drew the United States into the conflict. Even though the redoubtable Nazi war machine fought on for almost four more years, the resources and manpower that the Allies could invest eventually sealed the fate of Hitler's vaunted "Thousand-Year Reich."

Once the Soviet forces were able to turn the tide in their favor on the Eastern Front and the Western Allies established themselves in France, there could no longer be any doubt about the outcome of the war. Nevertheless, Hitler refused to seek peace. The inevitable result was the destruction not only of the country's armed forces but also of its towns and cities, its industrial capacity, and its transportation system. Despite this second catastrophic defeat in fewer than thirty years, the German reputation for military excellence survived. The defeats could be attributed to strategic blunders, two-front wars, and madness and depravity among the Nazi leadership.

The Allies demanded and received Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender in May 1945. Two months later, at a summit conference held at Potsdam, near Berlin, the leaders of the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union decreed, inter alia, the demilitarization of Germany. Although the Allies disagreed on many issues discussed at Potsdam, they were in accord on the need to prevent a resurgence of German militarism; toward that end, they ordered total disarmament. In the immediate postwar years, however, the Allies could not agree on the terms of a peace treaty, and before long they were aligning on opposite sides of the Cold War. By 1949 the British, French, and United States zones of occupation had become West Germany, and the Soviet zone had become East Germany. The border between the two republics became the front line of the Cold War, or, in the term popularized by Winston Churchill, the Iron Curtain. Soon, uniformed Germans carrying weapons were appearing on both sides of the border.

2009-04-23T16:05:00.001+07:00

Federal Police Agencies in Germany

Established in 1951, the Federal Border Force (Bundesgrenzschutz--BGS) was the first federal police organization permitted by the Allied occupation authorities. During the early 1950s, there were frequent incidents on the borders with East Germany and Czechoslovakia, and the occupation authorities became convinced of the need for a competent border police. Even though the BGS is organized along paramilitary lines, that is, in battalions, companies, and platoons, and is armed as light infantry, it remains a police force controlled by the Ministry of Interior rather than by the Ministry of Defense. The strength of the BGS was 24,000 in early 1995. The BGS is equipped with armored cars, machine guns, automatic rifles, tear gas, hand grenades, rifle grenades, and antitank weapons. All personnel on border duty wear sidearms. Some units have light aircraft and helicopters to facilitate rapid access to remote border areas and for patrol and rescue missions. A coast guard force (Bundesgrenzschutz-See) of approximately 550 members forms a part of the BGS. It is equipped with fourteen large patrol craft and several helicopters. In addition to controlling Germany's border, the BGS serves as a federal reserve force to deal with major disturbances and other emergencies beyond the scope of Land police. The BGS guards airports and foreign embassies, and several highly trained detachments are available for special crisis situations requiring demolition equipment, helicopters, or combat vehicles. After shortcomings in police procedures and training were revealed by the terrorist attack on Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics, a BGS task force known as Special Group 9 (BGS-9) was formed to deal with terrorist incidents, especially hostage situations. The BGS-9 won world attention when it rescued eighty-six passengers on a Lufthansa airliner hijacked to Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1977.

A military rank structure similar to that of the Bundeswehr was replaced in the mid-1970s by civil service-type personnel grades. The service uniform is green, but field units also wear camouflage fatigues and, at times, steel helmets.

Another central police agency, the Federal Criminal Investigation Office (Bundeskriminalamt--BKA), with approximately 3,000 agents, operates nationwide from headquarters in Wiesbaden. Similar in some respects to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, the BKA is a clearinghouse for criminal intelligence records. It provides assistance to Länder in forensic matters, research, and criminal investigations. It is also the national point of contact for the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). The BKA enters cases only when requested by Land authorities, or in cases involving two or more Laender. The BKA is involved in combating various terrorist gangs, which have plagued the country since the 1960s.

Two federal agencies involved in security matters are the Federal Intelligence Service (Bundesnachrichtendienst--BND) and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz--BfV). Based in Munich, the BND is restricted to the investigation of threats originating abroad. It depends heavily on wiretapping and other surveillance techniques applied to international communications. Such activities are authorized only to counter the danger of an armed threat to the country, but intelligence authorities have pressed for the added power to monitor suspected international traffickers of weapons and drugs. The BfV is primarily a domestic intelligence-gathering service concerned with espionage, treason, and sedition. It has no powers of arrest and cannot use force, but it carries out surveillance and supplies the BKA and other police agencies with information on international crime, drug trafficking, terrorism, and other illegal activities. Its main office is in Cologne. Similar offices exist in each Land; although they cooperate closely with the federal office, they operate under the control of Land authorities.

2009-04-16T15:30:00.001+07:00

Physical Map of Germany

Germany has, in addition to coastline and mountains, forests, hills, plains, and river valleys. Several navigable rivers flow along the uplands. Canals connect the rivers of the Elbe, Rhine and Danube and link the North Sea with the Baltic.

2009-04-16T15:29:00.002+07:00

Flora And Fauna of Germany

About one-third of the country is covered with woodlands and consists of trees like oak, ash, elm, beech, birch, pine, fir, and larch. The animals include deer, red foxes, hares, and weasels. Migratory birds include various species of songbirds, storks, geese, and other larger fowl that fly into Germany from Africa. Herring, flounder, cod, and ocean perch are also found near the coastal waters.

2009-04-16T15:29:00.001+07:00

Climate of Germany

Germany has mainly moderate climate, characterized by cool winters and warm summers. River valleys like Rhine tend to be humid and somewhat warmer in both winter and summer, whereas mountain areas can be much colder. Rainfall on an average is much heavier towards the south, especially along the Alpine slopes, which force incoming weather fronts to rise and shed their moisture in the form of rain and snow.

2009-04-16T15:27:00.002+07:00

Facts and Figures

Official Name	(Federal Republic of Germany) Bundersrepublik Deutschland
Capital	Berlin
Population	82 million
Area	357,020 sq km
Currency	Euro ($1=1.08)
Religion	Christianity
Literacy	100%
Languages	German
Major Cities	Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Colonge, Frankfurt, Leipzig
Climate	Mainly moderate climate

Germany Profile

2009-04-16T15:27:00.001+07:00

About Germany

Germany has emerged as a strong nation and has contributed generously to the economic, political and cultural growth of the European continent. The country has seen much tumult including the brunts of two World Wars, the effects of the Cold War and at the same time has experienced the unification of the western Federal Republic of Germany and the eastern German Democratic Republic.
The country is strategically located in Central Europe and is guarded in all the sides by the Baltic Sea, North Sea, Netherlands Poland and south of Denmark. It experiences natural diversity and is covered by lowlands in the north, uplands in the central part and is surrounded by Bavarian Alps in the south. The country boasts of a multi-ethnic culture and the terrain is inhabited by 91.5% Germans, 2.4% Turks and the rest is a mixed group comprising of Greeks, Italians, Polish, Russians, Serbo-Croatians and Spanish. The religious practices vary according to the different groups of people and the people are either Protestants, or Roman Catholics or Muslims. The official language of the country is German.
Germany has the most flourishing economic system in the world. It has shown considerable growth in 2006 with 2.2% of growth in the urban sector. The corporate restructuring and capital investment promises to be fruitful for German economy which faced stagnation because of the macroeconomic condition. Euro is the official currency of Germany. Germany is well-connected with all the other countries through roadways, waterways and airports.
One of the few things that distinguish Germany is its fashion which unlike the classic Italian and French style is conceived for everyday wear. Some of the world-famous brands are Boss, Bogner and Germany has a carved a niche for itself as the biggest exporter of women’s clothes. Germany is the favorite destination for travellers all the year round. Apart from package tours the holidayers can also hitch-hike to various spots and accommodation is available until and unless it is one of the most favorable beach and mountain resorts. A country known for its fine eateries and world famous wineries, Germany is every food-lover’s heaven. There are ample opportunities for the holidayer to sample some of finest liquor of the country and are urged to distinguish between a Rhine wine from a Mosel wine, a Riesling from a Silvaner.
A glimpse of the new modern Germany will be incomplete without a look into the innovative subculture that has grown in the big German cities. Cities like Hamburg, Cologne, Leipzig and Munich are known to hone some of the local talents and the budding young generation is given ample scope to cultivate their artistic faculties.

Berlin Wall

2009-04-13T15:42:00.001+07:00

Brief historical overview:

Until August 1961

The border between East and West Berlin is opened and daily half a million people cross the border from one part of the city into the other. Many East Berliners go into the cinema or discos in the West, they even work in the West or they go shopping in the West. Women get the first seamless panty hoses in the West, tropical fruits are only available there.
At the same time the leaders of the Communist parties of the Commecon meet in Moscow from August 3 until August 5, 1961 and they decide to close the open border between East and West Berlin.

August 12/13, 1961

In the afternoon of August 12 at 4 p.m. Walter Ulbricht, the East German leader, signed the commands to close the border. Next Sunday at midnight the army, police and the "Kampfgruppen" began to bolt the city. The wall is built and separates the city into two parts for more than 28 years.
Streets, the railway and the S-Bahn (city railway) are broken, stations of the U-Bahn (underground railway) are closed, even cemeteries are not spared. Nothing is forgotten and the East Germans will not be allowed to free travel to the West until 1989.

November 9, 1989

A press conference is held where the SED government announced that travel restrictions for East Germans had been lifted. In that night people from East Berlin flooded into the western part of the city and hundreds of thousands celebrated throughout the city. Next day Berliners begin to discover the other part of their city.

The Berlin Wall today

The German are thorough people. The Wall was completly removed and there are only a few parts which can still be found. One of the most asked question is: "Where is the Wall?".

Germany people

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People of Germany Germany consists of people hailing from mixed ethnic backgrounds. The Turkish forms the largest group, while foreign residents make up for nine percent of the population. Besides this, there are also large numbers of refugees from East European Union as well as immigrants from countries like Italy, Spain and Greece. German is the language that is commonly spoken.

Arts, Culture and Music of Germany Germany has contributed immensely towards art and culture. However, today German culture remains so merged with that of Europe that it becomes slightly difficult to draw the boundaries. German culture reflects various traces of medieval art and architecture in the form of cathedrals, monasteries, and castles that dot the country. Germany is also known for its love for music and literature.

Flag of Germany The flag of Germany consists of three equal horizontal.bands - black at the top, red in the middle and gold at the bottom.

Economy of Germany Germany had a flourishing economy, which however, was forced onto a decline curve after the unification of East and West Germany in 1990. It was the differences between the economic systems of the two portions that caused the economy of East Germany to deteriorate. Even today, improving the East Germany's economy amounts to be a costly affair, with annual transfers from west to east working out to roughly $70 billion. This accompanied with the country's ageing population and high rate of unemployment has pushed social security outlays to a level exceeding contributions from workers. In the years 2002 and 2003, the economic growth fell short of 1%. However, corporate restructuring and growing capital markets are laying the foundations to allow Germany to meet the long-term challenges of European economic integration and globalization.

2009-04-10T15:36:00.000+07:00

INDONESIA THE SECOND MOST-FAVORED TOURIST DESTINATION IN ASIA

Indonesia is the second-most popular destination in Asia for tourists. Go Asia, a German market research initiative for Asia, established this following a survey and awarded Indonesia with the Go Asia Award in Berlin on 11 March 2009. This brings Indonesia to the top of the most valued tourist destinations in Asia after Thailand and before Malaysia.

Go Asia almost awards prizes in the categories The Best Hotel in Asia, The Most Innovative Package tour to Asia, The Best Asian Airlines, The Best Tourist Office of Asia and The Best German Tour Operator for Asia.

The Director General for Marketing at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia, Sapta Nirwandar, expressed his pleasure for the award also in view of the number of German tourists to Indonesia which increased by 22.6% in 2008 compared to 2007 and added that the tourism sector of Indonesia was able to generate 7,5 billion US $ in currencies despite of the financial crisis. He said further that the current financial crisis should be a catalyst for further advance the development of the country, especially the tourism sector.

Indonesian – German Bilateral Relations

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The most important pillar of Indonesian-German relations is not abstract, but it is the people who stimulate and bring to life a partnership – or even better – a friendship between Indonesia and Germany. As early as in the 16th century, Germans lived in Indonesia, explored the country and its people did a lot of trade with them. Today , there are Germans who take pleasure in living in Indonesia, working for more than 150 large and small scale companies, or as development experts, scientists and teachers. On the other side, there are all those Indonesians who in several ways feel close to Germany, particularly more than 2000 young Indonesians who are currently studying in Germany.

The relations between Indonesia and Germany have been guided from its early years until today by a spirit of goodwill, friendship as well as mutual respect and understanding. It is upon these basic tenets that the close cooperation between the two countries and peoples have developed over the years. The relations between the two nations have developed independently of the actual governments. They are created and sustained by the people. The most important topics of Indonesia-German relations may be found in the domain of politics and security; economic, trade and investment; development cooperation; as well as scientific research and culture. The Government of Germany has played an important role in the implementation of the Indonesian reform, by among others offering help in restructuring the Indonesian Central Bank, in strengthening small and medium scale enterprises and in promoting decentralisation.

Ever since the opening of diplomatic relations in 1953, the Indonesian-German bilateral relations have proceeded on positive and friendly terms. Indonesia sees Germany as an important partner both on a bilateral level and with regard to its relations with the European Union. This has been indicated among others by the exchange of visits at the levels of the Head of State/Government, ministerial and of senior officials as well as exchange visit among members of parliaments of both countries. President Megawati Soekarnoputri has met Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) in Johannesburg in September 2002 and upon invitation of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder on May 2003 together with numbers of high ranking officer, has made his state visit to Indonesia. It is a clear signed on the important of the two countries bilateral relations. To underscore this positive trend, the Minister of Economic and Labor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Wolfgang Clement and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Hassan Wirajuda have signed the Agreement on the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investment, witnessed by President Megawati and Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. The Indonesian government earnestly hopes that this agreement will be instrumental in promoting future German’s investment to Indonesia.

The Government of Germany has consistently supported for the stability, territorial integrity and national unity of Indonesia, and welcomed the Indonesian government efforts to solve internal conflicts through dialogue and negotiation. In this context the German government welcomed the signing of the Aceh Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in Geneva on 9 December 2002 and contributed constructively in the Preparatory Conference on Peace and Reconstruction in Aceh, held on 3 December 2002 in Tokyo. During the period of transition to democracy in Indonesia, the German government has also rendered actively technical support for decentralization process, good governance and the drafting of national electoral and political party laws. Close bilateral cooperation between the two countries was further demonstrated by the involvement of Germany and Indonesia in a number of international fora like the United Nations as well as within the framework of ASEAN-EU dialogue and ASEM. Moreover, the heads of state of the two countries have assumed patronship of a research project to deepen the understanding between the Islamic and the Western cultures.Furthermore, to intensify dialog between two countries as well as to deepen understanding of their respective political aspirations, a caucus of friends of Indonesia at the Bundestag has been established since July 4th, 2003.

The cooperation between Indonesia and Germany in the military and security fields have been conducted over years focused on the procurement of military and security equipments. These relations expanded to include cooperation in training programmes. The procurement programme reached its peak with the purchase by the Indonesian Government of submarines and ex-GDR vessels. Cooperation in military training programme between Indonesia and Germany was initiated in May 1972 when two countries agreed on a mutual training support programme on an annual basis. However, military and security cooperation between Indonesia and Germany in recent years experienced a setback due to the linkage of military cooperation by the Government of Germany to the “code of conduct on arms sales” (EU) and the level of promotion and protection on the human rights as well as the 1998 crisis in Indonesia. The military cooperation regained its momentum with the progress of the reform programme in Indonesia, in particular of the internal reform of the Indonesian military. Concrete cooperation is yet to be undertaken in this field.

With regard to bilateral financial and technical cooperation, in December 12, 2002, the governments of Germany and Indonesia signed an agreement on deepening their long standing development cooperation in the areas of economic reform, health, transport, and decentralisation. The total of 28.5 million Euro (almost equal to 28.5 million US$) has been made available by the German Government for a number of financial and technical co-operation projects in Indonesia. This amount was topped by another 1.5 million Euro special funds from the German Government´s "Programme of Action 2015” on poverty reduction. The financial and technical cooperation is indeed instrumental in revitalizing the Indonesian economy, particularly in helping its economic restructuring.

On October 2, 2002, the representatives of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and of the Federal Republic of Germany signed the Basic Agreement for the second German Debt Swap Program amounting to Euro 23 million for which projects still have to be identified. In December 3, 2002, for the first time, the “Debt Swap for Education” was signed by the representatives of the two governments. The German Government will cancel Euro 25.6 million of Indonesian debts if 50% of that amount will be invested by the Indonesian Government in a project for education. The first German Debt Swap for Education shall start by early 2003, thus becoming the first and the most concrete debt swap program granted to Indonesia by one of the members of the Paris Club.

Bilateral investment cooperation between the two countries grew steadily over the years since the signing of the Investment Guarantee Agreement in 1953 until it suffered a substantial setback due to the economic and monetary crisis which hit Indonesia in 1997. The total value of German investments in Indonesia from 1967 until 2001 reached US$ 9,204,355,000.00 for 216 projects. After topping a total of US$ 959.5 millions for 28 projects German investments in Indonesia declined rapidly to US$ 42.6 millions in 2001 for 32 projects which included among others chemical and pharmaceutical industries, metal and other heavy industries, trade, communications, services, hotels and restaurants. While German investments in Indonesia ranked fourth among ASEAN member countries in 2000, it fell to sixth in 2001. This downward trend continues until today due to the slowdown of Germany’s economy and to the non-conducive investment climate in Indonesia and the Bali bombing, prompting German entrepreneurs to adopt a wait-and-see attitude. However, they are still waiting to take up the challenge to invest in Indonesia, appreciating the growth political stability and economy potential of the country.

Statistical figures on bilateral cooperation in tourism showed steady development until the Bali tragedy. The number of German tourists visiting Indonesia in 2001 reached 159,881, thus comprising the second largest group among tourists from European countries after Great Britain. German tourists are highly valued in Indonesia in view of their volume of average spending amounting to US$ 80-100 per day and their average overnight-stays of 15 days. In the year 2002, the number of German visitors declined substantially into 79.919 persons due to the Bali bombing on 12 October 2002 and the travel advisory subsequently issued by the German Federal Foreign Office. However, it is heartening to note that the tourist situation has picked up its momentum lately due to rescue, rehabilitation and normalization measures by the Indonesian Government as well as the lifting of the travel warning by the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Bilateral trade between the two countries has grown steadily over the years. Two-way trade grew to more than US$ 3.73 billion in the year 2002. German exports to Indonesia reached US$ 1.43 billion, an increase of 7.5% from previous year. On the other hand, German imports from Indonesia totalled US$ 2.3 billion, a decline of 5%. Major German exports to Indonesia include machinery, machine tools, vehicles, telecommunication equipments, electrical equipments, chemicals, generators, dyestuff, steel, and pharmaceuticals. Indonesia’s commodities importing into Germany include textile and garment, furniture and wood products, palm oil, coffee, tea, tobacco, cocoa, footwear, rubber products, pulp and paper, marine products, electronics and electrical components. Indonesia maintains a continuation of changes in its trade policies towards more open domestic market and offers export potentials to its trading partners. In the meantime, Indonesia is making serious efforts to boost export of non-oil and gas products, particularly manufactured products, by creating a national-level task force on promoting Indonesian export.

With regard to bilateral cooperation in education, there was an increase in 2002 with the benchmark programme through networking with several institutional German organizations, including (i) in the higher education fields of sport science and agricultural technology and German cooperation efforts with several universities in Indonesia supported by DAAD; (ii) vocational education with increasing cooperation in standardization of certification of exchange programme of specialists to Indonesia (in cooperation with the Directorate General of Basic and Middle Educations, Indonesian Ministry of National Education) and exchange programme for Indonesian instruction specialists to Germany (BIBB/INWENT). In 2002, cooperation in the cultural field experienced an upturn with cooperation programmes with several German cultural institutions, as demonstrated by the sister-school cooperation programme between the 10th State Specialized High School in Bandung and the Lilibraun Gymnasium in Berlin, Gautz Gymnasium in Braunschweig and the Ruperti Gymnasium in Mühldorf near Munich. Some Indonesian students in 2002 have conducted programmes that have been proposed by some formal institutions in Jakarta, including (i) the Indonesian Specialists and Scientists Union in Hamburg conducted a one-day seminar titled “Marine Exploration Resources”, (ii) the Indonesian Discussion Forum in Berlin in cooperation with the Institute for Science and Technology Studies and the Berlin International Business Council conducted an ISSM-seminar titled “Empowerment of Indonesian Small and Medium Enterprises through Environment-oriented Technologies”. Educational and cultural cooperation is further supported by federal executive agencies (DAAD, DSE, INWENT, etc.) as well as by private organizations/institutions closely associated with Indonesia.

2009-04-07T15:31:00.000+07:00

Are these typical Germans?

Typically German

More than Beer and Bratwurst

Germans drink beer at the Oktoberfest, in lederhosen and a silly hat. Proper Germans are blond and have blue eyes. They live on sausages with sauerkraut. And their music does not go beyond Beethoven and Bach. Clichees abound. Always good for a laugh when you try to find an answer for what is typically German. But what is typical, when you are talking about a country with a population of more than 80 million?

Is it typical, that Germans have a hard time being positive about themselves? You can’t think of anything either? How about hospitality, generosity and a readiness to help. Punctuality perhaps and zeal. Whatever, in the past ten years, German society has changed. Influenced by many people of different nationalities who have come and now call Germany home. And as a result, many of the old clichees just don’t work anymore.

Yet the tale of the "nasty German", who has such a problem with his image in the world, was one Boris Becker and Claudia Schiffer could not get around either. But if you come to Germany with an open mind, you’re in for a surprise. You will find Germans with dreadlocks. And Germans who eat kebabs. Germans who like to laugh and live it up. In many places the mentality of ordinary Germans is closer to those in neighbouring countries, than it is to Germans in other (Bundes)Länder. Modern Germany is far too diverse and complex to fit into a simple clichee. There is something new to discover that is "typical" everyday. And that is probably "typically German" as well.

2009-04-06T15:28:00.000+07:00

What is the Bundesliga?

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: German fans love to get there early, be it professional or amateur level

The Bundesliga is the name most people associate with the top league in German soccer but it is in fact the title given to a far-reaching net of organizations which support and promote the game all over Germany.

The German Federal Soccer League or Bundesliga is the generic term for an intricate framework of associations, clubs and members which is spread all over the country and which incorporates many levels of the game, both playing and organizational.

The top professional league is the 1. Bundesliga. It is made up of 18 teams which compete season by season for the title of German champion. Each team plays each other twice in the league, home and away. Since the 1995/96 season, the three-point rule has replaced the previous two-point reward for a victory. The winner of each match now gets three points, the loser of the match gets none and in the case of a tie, each team gets one point.

Of course, only one club, that with the most points at the end of the season, will be crowned Deutscher Meister, but it is the bottom three which are relegated directly and are replaced by the three best teams from the 2. Bundesliga.

European rewards

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Bayern Munich was the last German team to win the Champions League in 2001.However, other top teams in the 1. Bundesliga also get rewards. The German champion, the runner-up and third placed team qualify for the Champions League, the premier European club competition. The fourth and fifth place teams, plus the winner of the DFB Cup, go into the pot for the UEFA Cup. If the DFB Cup winner also holds a Champions League place then the cup runners-up will go into the UEFA Cup.

Those teams which are relegated from the top flight German league at the end of the season drop into the second division for the next. The 2. Bundesliga is also made up of 18 teams which battle for the three promotion places up for grabs at the end of a campaign. Those who finish at the bottom face the next season back in their regional leagues, playing for the chance to get back into 2. Bundesliga action.

Intricate infrastructure

The infrastructure that supports the first two leagues is a complex web of regional and state associations which support thousands of clubs and literally millions of players. The organization that regulates this intricate system is the German Football Association (DFB).

The DFB divides the country into sectors all with their own governing body. There are five regional federations: the North, the North East, the South, the South West and the West. As a whole, these regional areas contain 21 state federations, approximately 26,239 registered clubs and over 6.2 million members.

Not just a man's game

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: The German women are world beaters.Since 1997, the DFB has also run a professional Women's Bundesliga. The league features 12 teams and operates in much the same way as the men's professional league. Matches are played home and away and the bottom two teams at the end of the campaign are relegated.

Before the Women's Bundesliga season begins, a competition between the best eight clubs in the regional leagues is fought to see who will take the places vacated by the relegated teams from the season before. Two groups of four teams compete over two legs and the winners of both groups win promotion to the Bundesliga.

2009-04-05T15:15:00.000+07:00

Philharmonic Hall Set to Become Hamburg's Newest Landmark

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Planners hope the hall will be completed by 2011

Hamburg's new concert hall will be more than a location for fantastic musical moments. The imposing structure that includes a grand hall and a hotel is set to become the newest landmark on the port city's skyline.

At the western tip of Hamburg's harbor, the dramatic design of the new Elbe Philharmonic Hall emerges slowly from the mists.

Expected to be completed in two years, it will bring to the northern German port not only a new concert hall, but also an 110-meter landmark visible to approaching ships from way down river.

The designers are Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, whose portfolio includes the Tate Modern in London, the Allianz Arena in Munich and the de Young Museum in San Francisco.

A ship-friendly landmark

Located at the tip of the Sandtorhafen, the first industrial harbor basin in Hamburg and at a site once occupied by the city's Kaiserspeicher warehouse complex, the Elbe Philharmonic Hall is destined to become a navigational point for ships entering the harbor.

A huge brick 1960s warehouse built to replace the Kaiserspeicher, which was destroyed in World War II, has had its interior gutted to make room for 500 parking spaces, an education section, back-stage facilities, rehearsal rooms, catering facilities and a spa area.

Soon, construction of the main concert hall will begin -- a spectacular, shimmering series of glass facades soaring to a height of 110 meters (360 feet) on top of the warehouse.

The Eiffel Tower of Hamburg?

The centerpiece is an auditorium seating 2,150. Is it possible to plan a landmark? Hamburg Mayor Ole von Beust says time will tell.

"But that's only half the truth. If we think of the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, Cologne Cathedral or the Sydney Opera House three things came together to create a landmark -- good visibility due to the size or location of the building, direct symbolism and a stimulating architectural idea," Beust said.

Besides the Grand Hall there will also be two additional auditoriums, one of them with a 550-seat capacity, the other for experimental music and rehearsals.

On the eastern side there will be a five-star hotel with some 250 rooms, complete with spa and conference areas. On the west, there will be 45 owner-occupied apartments with splendid views eastward down the Elbe

A plaza at a height of 37 meters, where visitors will be able to sip coffee while enjoying a view of the harbor, is also planned. Hamburg already has the Laeiszhalle, an internationally renowned "old-style" concert hall.

Time crunch

Christoph Lieben-Seutter, 44, is the Elbe Philharmonic's general director.

"It should be two or three years from now. But you never know," he says, noting that its foundation stone was only laid in April 2007. "Past experience has shown that there can be considerable delays."

"One has only to think of the Sydney Opera House, which took 30 years longer than intended, and the Danish Radio Concert project in Copenhagen now several years overdue," Lieben-Seutter says.

Completion date has been set back to 2011 from the planned 2010. "Planning-wise, it will be tight although l think it can be done," he says with regard to the 2010-11 concert program.

Difficulties in design

A challenge for the architects is ensuring audiences are located closer to the stage.

"The most important hall designed in this way is architect Hans Sharoun's Berlin Philharmonie, built in the early 1960s, which was a landmark design at that time and a very successful one," says Lieben-Seutter.

"Many concert halls these days get designed in the so-called vineyard style on several levels. In Hamburg the aim is to develop that concept further, with ideas coming from several sources, including La Scala in Milan," he says.

The acoustics are in the hands of Yasuhisa Toyota, chief acoustician of a whole range of concert hall projects in Japan and the US.

The Elbe Philharmonic Hall will not be the tallest building in Hamburg. The city bans new structures taller than its main churches, of which the highest is St Michael's, rising to 132 meters.

Nevertheless, given its position in the HafenCity development, it will be the most visible