Berlin is the capital of Germany and with 3.4 million people its largest city. Berlin is both a city and a federal state.

Berlin is a multicultural city, with more than 430.000 people from 184 different nations living here. 119.000 inhabitants are Turkish, which makes Berlin the largest Turkish community in Europe outside of Turkey.

Berlin covers an area of 343 square miles and is 9 times as large as Paris.

From 1949 until 1990 Berlin was divided into East and West Berlin. The East German government built the Berlin Wall in 1961 to try and stop its citizens escaping into West Berlin. In the time the Wall was up (1961-1989) over 5000 people tried to climb over it; 3200 were captured and 191 were killed.

The American president John F. Kennedy made his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” (I’m a Berliner) speech in 1963. He was underlining the support of the US for democratic West Germany shortly after communist East Germany had erected the Wall.

The Brandenburg Gate symbolizes the reunification of East and West Berlin after the fall of the wall.

Local soccer team Hertha BSC Berlin plays its home games in the "Olympiastadion" (Olympic Stadium). This is where during the 1936 Olympics, the American runner Jesse Owens won 4 gold medals.

There is an annual tax of 150 Euro (200 dollars) to own a dog in Berlin.

Berlin’s Kaufhaus des Westens (Department store of the West, called KaDeWe) is Europe’s largest department store. It offers the incredible variety of 380.000 articles on eight floors.

Berlin’s sister city in the United States is Los Angeles.