German is one of the most popular languages in Europe - it is spoken by about 100 million people living in various countries, and is considered the official language of the European Union. This is why it is so important to know where they speak German and in which states and regions it will be useful for business and everyday communication.
What language is spoken in Germany?
It is generally accepted that everyone in Germany speaks German, however, as practice shows, this is not always the case. The fact is that until the 19th century, Germany consisted of fragmented lands, principalities, duchies, each of which had its own special dialect.
Today, the literary version called “Hoch Deutsch” is considered the official version. Newspapers are printed in it, television programs are produced, teaching is conducted in schools and universities, while in life Germans actively use Berlin, Bavarian, Cologne and other dialects that differ significantly from the literary model.
Residents of all regions of Germany consider themselves bearers of true linguistic traditions, therefore dialects are not considered as common folk - rather, they are historically established language varieties.
Dialect variants are used in the preparation of local television programs, in some theaters, in communication within the federal states, and also as regional models: for example, the EU officially recognizes the Low Saxon dialect as a special variety of the German language.
In which countries of the world is German spoken?
Since Germany has always played a special role in the cultural, business and socio-political life of Europe, it is not surprising that its language is widely spoken in neighboring countries. Currently, in addition to residents of Germany, German is spoken in Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein, as well as in the part of Belgium bordering Switzerland, whose residents consider themselves German-speaking.
According to experts, the Austrian version of German is most similar to “Hoch Deutsch”, but at the same time, the average German and Austrian cannot always understand each other, since Austria still uses a special language variety.
There are even more differences between the Swiss and Luxembourgish versions, therefore, when broadcasting news or TV programs in the local dialect, simultaneous translation into “Hoch Deutsch” starts below - without this, the population of Germany and other German-speaking countries is practically unable to understand what is being said.
Where do German diasporas exist?
The spread of the German language around the world is not limited to those countries where German is spoken primarily. For many historical reasons, large German diasporas exist in the USA, states South America and Africa. There are German settlements on the territory of Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic and other countries.
Significant communities of Germans live in Denmark, France (Alsace and Lorraine - northeast of the Moselle department), Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania (Romanian Germans).
For example, about a million Alsatians in France speak the Alaman dialect of German, which is recognized as a regional dialect in Alsace.
Approximately 300 thousand Tyroleans in Italy consider themselves Germans. And German in the province of Bolzano is considered official along with Italian.
In Upper Silesia in Poland, German is also considered a regional language, with up to 200 thousand German-speaking people living there.
If we consider from a broader perspective, in which countries the German language is spoken, it is especially worth noting the states of South America. Thus, in the south of Brazil, about 600 thousand residents speak German, and up to 40% of the population consider themselves descendants of Germans. In the northern part of Mexico, 300 thousand inhabitants named German as their native language. And the list of these countries goes on.
Finally
Many people use German in their work. international organizations, he has long been recognized in the world as international language. Thus, in the Council of Europe it is considered working along with English and French.
Huge number of inhabitants European countries German speakers and the recognition of Germany as the leader of modern Europe contribute to the growing importance of this language, which is currently being actively studied in schools and universities in Russia and other countries.
Top 10 countries where German is spoken: Video
If no one has any doubts about learning English, then other languages are rarely chosen as a study language. For example, when choosing German, a student immediately has a question: where will he need it in everyday life?
Meanwhile, German is the mother tongue of 100 million people. It is used not only in Germany, but also in other European countries at the official level. But in Germany itself, not all residents speak German.
Historically, the country, which once consisted of small principalities, has developed different dialects. We will tell you where else this language is widespread, as well as how the German dialects differ, in this article!
Where and why is German spoken?
At the state level, German is widespread not only in Germany. It is also official in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Belgium and Luxembourg. Moreover, in other countries the literary version is used, but in Germany itself there are a lot of dialects.
Mostly German-speaking countries are located on the border with Germany. Historically, their territories were dominated by this representative of the Western subgroup of Germanic languages. Of course, over centuries of history, each locality has modified the language into its own dialect. But the literary version is still officially recognized.
German dialects in Germany
In Germany, many dialects have formed under the influence of historical, cultural and geographical factors. Their varieties belong to the dialect continuum along with the Dutch language. However, officially in all German-speaking countries the standard language, or Hochdeutsch, is used.
In general, all German dialects can be classified into three groups: Low German and High German, plus South German dialects. Each group includes several other dialects that were formed due to historical and geographical factors. There are also national forms of the language, for example, the Austrian version of German or Swiss.
Literary German. Is it generally accepted everywhere?
If the literary version called HochDeutsch is officially recognized as the state version in all these countries, then in reality this is not the case. Directly in Germany, of course, all life passes with Hochdeutsch - it is used by all means mass media, it is studied at school.
But Austria, Luxembourg and Switzerland have their own dialect of German, which is not particularly similar to the traditional one. Moreover, some countries, for example Switzerland, where Germans make up more than 60% of the population, have taken care of subtitles on HochDeutsch. But they only come on when the news is shown and information programs, when broadcasting entertainment programs, the national version of the language is used.
Why is German recognized as the official language in Austria?
The history of this country has developed in such a way that its people have always been closely connected with the Germans. Due to its geographical proximity to Germany, it has always been part of the German-speaking states. Before the name Austria was first used, this territory belonged to Bavaria. Not surprisingly, the local dialect is based on Bavarian and differs from the literary version.
Can a German and an Austrian speak freely to each other?
Although German seems to be officially recognized in Austria, there is a huge gap in speech between Austrians and Germans. Each of them considers their own version of the language to be correct, so residents of Austria even communicate in their own dialect. In order to understand Austrian speech fluently, it is not enough to know German. Tourists have to get acquainted with the dialect of this country in order to understand the local residents.
What languages are actually spoken in Belgium?
In Belgium, this language is also recognized at the state level along with Dutch and French. But here it rather refers to communication between linguistic minorities, since the German diaspora is small, just over 70 thousand inhabitants (out of 11 million). The German-speaking population lives in nine municipalities. After the war, an active policy of de-Germanization was carried out here, so local residents consider themselves more Belgians than Germans.
Where else can you study German?
German is popular wherever German diasporas live. They are scattered all over the world and are found in almost every developed country. For example, in France there are slightly more than 1.2 million German-speaking residents, in the USA - 1.1 million, in Brazil 900 thousand people consider it their native language, and in Russia there are more than 800 thousand people who speak German from birth. It is not surprising that German is often studied in European countries as a second foreign language. Even in Russia, in some schools you can choose to study it if you wish.
German is quite common in the world, and if you want to learn it, then don't hesitate. It will be useful not only in Germany, but also in other countries!
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Are you learning German and don’t know where to speak it except in Germany? We will tell you about the most German-speaking countries.
As you know, German belongs to the West Germanic subgroup of Germanic languages and is the official state language of the Federal Republic of Germany, with a population of 77 million people, as well as Austria, which is home to about 7.5 million more people who speak the language you are learning. The official language of the Principality of Liechtenstein ( Furstentum Liechtenstein), which covers an area of just 160 square kilometers in the Alpine mountains, is also considered German.
Moreover, German is one of the official languages of Switzerland; according to statistical estimates, there are about 4.6 million German-speaking citizens in Switzerland, which is 72.4% of the country's population. Luxembourg and Belgium will also welcome you with the sounds of German speech, as these areas speak their own dialects of the Germanic language. Significant groups of German-speaking populations also live in France, Italy, the USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and other countries, but the latter do not belong to the group of German-speaking countries.
Of course, in most areas of Germany and the countries listed above, residents speak dialect variants of the standard German language, and in order to choose which accent you want to hear first of all, we will tell you a little about the countries and their characteristics.
Literary German (Hochdeutsch) is generally accepted in education, office work, and in official institutions; it can be heard while watching German TV channels or listening to German radio stations. But in some German states you will hear the German language, which differs in some features of phonetics, morphology and vocabulary.
So, the country with the largest number of German-speaking residents is Germany, or Federal Republic of Germany- a European democratic state consisting of 16 states. Of course, in a country in which 92% of the inhabitants are Germans, the most pleasant thing for you and me is the language, but if you go to Germany, get ready to see also a unique country that does not have large natural reserves of any natural resources, but occupies a significant place in the world economy. And this is thanks to the efficiency of the population, a reasonable and practical approach to each problem, as well as to the native language.
Along with literary German, the population uses Low, Middle and High German dialects, which are often very different from the standard language. There are also mixed dialects. It makes sense to visit not only the largest German cities (Berlin, Hamburg, Munich or Cologne), but also relatively small ones, especially since anywhere in Germany you will find cultural attractions, since modern Germany is characterized by diversity and widespread culture. In the country, for example, there are more than 4,570 museums, and their number is constantly growing. And, of course, you will be able to try special German cuisine, visit beautiful ancient castles, and all this will be flavored with pure German. 
Why is it interesting? Austria? The Republic of Austria is a European state with its capital in Vienna, whose longest border lies in the north with Germany. Mountain landscape and the mild climate also affected the language; even the Austrians themselves admit that “their” German is much more melodic and softer. This is facilitated by the fact that the suffix –l is very common in the Austrian accent.
Despite the fact that the largest ethnic group, German-speaking Austrians, make up 88.6% of the country's population, the spoken and official language of Austrians differs significantly from the official German language of Germany: Austrian dialects are close to the Bavarian dialect of Germany and the German language of Switzerland.
Austrian German is distinguished partly by its vocabulary, some grammatical features and pronunciation style. The Austrian version of German is also different because it was not standardized by Duden's rules*, as a result it retained its local flavor.
For example: in Austria you can hear “Guten Morgen, gnädige Frau”, “Guten Abend, Herr Ingenieur”, “Grüß Gott, Herr Doktor”, in Germany the greeting is limited to the greeting itself and a short address mentioning the surname - “Guten Morgen”, “Guten Abend” , Herr Müller.
Since many Austrianisms go back to the clerical language of the Habsburg Monarchy, the language uses many of its own words to denote political or legal concepts. The Austrians also gave their names to the months, e.g.
Jänner is used everywhere instead of Januar and Feber instead of Februar or Hornung.
Also, the Austrian version has many of its own culinary names and products, for example, in German the word for tomatoes is “Tomaten”, and in Austrian it is “Paradeiser”.
Since recently there has been a tradition of visiting Austria in winter to go skiing on the mountain slopes, then if you want to get to know the country from the point of view of its culture, visit numerous theaters, operas or the well-known family circus "Pikard", you would be better off going to cities with beautiful architecture in the summer. At this time it is easier to have a casual conversation with an Austrian over a glass of beer and national dish from beef or pork.
Of course, the dwarf principality - the state - is very attractive for life or a tourist trip. Liechtenstein. Bordered by Austria to the east and Switzerland to the west, Liechtenstein is a prosperous industrial country with a developed financial services sector and a high standard of living. The country has a small number of inhabitants, only 35,360 people (as of 2008), whose official language is German, but in everyday life you are more likely to hear the Alemannic dialect of German**, which is also common in southern Germany. And while in Germany the Alemannic dialect is being replaced by the Berlin variant of German, in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, on the contrary, the position of the Alemannic dialect is strengthening: in forums and SMS messages, young people write mainly in the dialect; on television and radio, more and more programs are broadcast in Alemannic
Whatever country you choose for your trip, remember that literary German is understood in any of them, and by learning the peculiarities of local pronunciation, you will give your speech a special charm and expressiveness.
website
June 2012
*Konrad Alexander Friedrich Duden (January 3, 1829 - August 1, 1911) - German philologist, compiler of the famous spelling dictionary of the German language, named after him.
** The Alemannic dialect (West South German dialect) of the German language belongs to the South German dialects of the High German cluster.
German is the mother tongue of 100 million people worldwide. In total, about 120 million people speak German. The first German dictionary was created by Johan Christoph Adelung in 1781. And in 1852, the Jacob brothers began to compile a new dictionary. Work on it was completed only by 1961. Now it is constantly updated with new words. German grammar was standardized during the 19th century.
Where is German spoken and why?
Those who are interested in which countries speak German probably know about its prevalence throughout Europe. German is second only to English. The spread of German is associated not only with cultural characteristics, but also with business necessity.
Some people believe that knowledge is all it takes to have a successful career. in English. But this is far from true. Firstly, German is the official language of the European Union. In which countries is German spoken and where is it official? After Germany these are Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium. Secondly, to work in many concerns and enterprises in Germany and even Europe, knowledge of the German language is required.
Why is German the official language in Austria?
Anyone who is looking for an answer to the question “Which countries speak German?” has probably heard of Austria. German is spoken here, first of all, due to the historical past of this country. At various times, Austria was part of empires and kingdoms in which German was spoken.
Residents of this country use a special dialect - Bavarian. The name “Austria” itself was first mentioned only in the 18th century. Before this, Austria was part of Bavaria. Interestingly, throughout its history, Austria was also part of entities such as the Holy Roman Empire, Austria-Hungary and the Third Reich.
Will a German and a resident of Austria be able to understand each other?
The dialect of the German language in Austria is so different from the generally accepted literary language that even a German and an Austrian will not always be able to understand each other. That is why the question “In which countries do they speak German besides Germany” is not entirely correct. Some researchers are convinced that if Austria were geographically more distant from Germany, then the Austrian dialect of German would eventually develop into a separate language. And this one new language it would no longer be possible to distinguish it from the original version.
In which countries do they speak German besides Austria? Another state where German is accepted as an official language is Switzerland. However, not everything is so simple here either. The Swiss use formal German only in writing. They conduct everyday conversation in the local dialect. Even instead of the word Danke, which means “Thank you,” they pronounce it from the French Merci. Interestingly, in fact, English is now the most popular language in Switzerland. Even the graffiti on the walls here is written in English. And the residents of Zurich call their city Little big city - “little big city”.
What languages are actually spoken in Belgium?
German, along with Flemish and French, is the official language of Belgium. Education can be obtained there at any of them. However, de facto residents of this country speak only Flemish and French. Most of them are Flemings - immigrants from Flanders. In the southern part of the country live the Walloons - representatives of the French-speaking ethnic group. Close to the eastern border of Switzerland there is a small population that primarily uses German for communication.
Interestingly, for successful employment, any resident of Belgium needs to be fluent in both Flemish and French. The French-speaking population has long been known for its dislike for Why learn a language, say French-speaking Belgians, which is spoken by only 6 million people? Although if you add to this figure, you get a slightly larger figure - 22 million people.
German dialects in Germany
In fact, the question “In which countries is German spoken officially?” in a certain sense it will not sound entirely correct. The fact is that not many residents of German-speaking countries use the generally accepted literary version of the German language. Even in Germany they speak a huge variety of German dialects. These are Berlin, Kölsch ("Kölsch", a dialect of the city of Cologne), Bavarian and Berlin dialects, and many others. The literary version in which news is broadcast on television and newspapers are printed is called Hoch Deutsch.
Literary German. Is it generally accepted everywhere?
Now almost every well-rounded university graduate can list in which countries German is spoken. However, this does not mean that German in the traditional sense is actually used in these regions. Literary German does not apply to countries such as Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg. It is believed that Austrian German is most similar to the German spoken in Germany.
Interestingly, in Switzerland and Luxembourg, when showing news, you can see subtitles on literary language Hoch Deutsch. Most entertainment programs and radio broadcasts are in the local German language. When traveling to Germany, you should also remember the following rule: you should never tell a German that he speaks a dialect, since the representative of each region considers his version of German to be the only correct one.
German dialect and features of the Swiss mentality
From the Swiss-German language, however, some new concepts emerged that have become generally recognized. For example, this is for everyone famous word"muesli". And also “resti”, or “resti” - the name of traditional Swiss potato pancakes. It is said that the Swiss folk character is a strange mixture of the spirit of the peasant and the thrifty banker.
For example, the Swiss often say: “It’s dark as a cow.” Most likely, this phrase originated somewhere in the peasant outback, in the alpine pastures. Another proverb that came to Sweden from German is also known: Die Morgenstunde hat Gold im Munde. Literally it is translated as “The morning hour brings gold in its mouth” - its analogue can be the Russian “Whoever gets up early, God gives it to him.”
However, in addition to confusion with German dialects, the Swiss have something else to puzzle over. After all, there are four official languages in this country - in addition to German, they are Romansh, Italian and French. Therefore, on the packaging of Swiss milk there is hardly any space left for the image of a cow - the entire package is covered with ingredients and storage rules in all four languages.
Where else can you study German?
In addition to interest in which countries speak German, the list can be supplemented by those countries where German is studied as part of the school curriculum. Hoch Deutsch is studied as foreign language in the Scandinavian countries, Holland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and even Japan. German is also often taught in secondary schools in Belarus.
In the note “Countries in German” you will find a list of countries, find out in what gender the names of countries are used in German, and you can also read about two countries with translation into Russian.
Countries in German mostly neuter - but article das however, it is not used directly with the name of the country.
Oslo ist die Hauptstadt von Norwegen. — Oslo is the capital of Norway.
But it is used if any definition is given to the country:
Er zieht in das teuere Norwegen. — He is moving to expensive Norway.
Some nouns (there are not many of them) denoting the names of countries belong to the feminine or masculine gender, in which case they are always preceded by an article.
Ich wohne in der Schweiz.— I live in Switzerland.
Ich fahre in die Schweiz.— I'm going to Switzerland.
Feminine countries include names of countries ending in ei, for example: die Türkei. And also those countries that are used with the word Republik: die Dominikanische Republik. Here is a list of countries in German that have a feminine gender: die Mongolei, die Schweiz, die Slowakei, die Türkei, die Ukraine, die Dominikanische Republik, die Zentralafrikanische Republik.
Masculine countries: der Irak, der Iran, der Jemen, der Kongo, der Libanon, der Sudan, der Tschad, der Vatikan, der Niger, der Oman, der Senegal.
But before Iraq and Iran, the article is often omitted in newspaper publications.
There are also names of countries in the German language that are used in the plural, mainly island states:
die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika = die USA— United States of America = USA, die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate- United Arab Emirates, die Bahamas— Bahamas, die Färöer Inseln- Faroe islands, die Kapverdischen Inseln- Cape Verde Islands ,die Komoren- Comoros Islands, die Malediven— Maldives , die Niederlande— Netherlands, die Philippines— Philippines , die Seychellen - Seychelles Islands,
Countries in German: list
IN this list Most countries in the world are present in German. The translation is given only for countries whose names are not immediately clear to the Russian-speaking reader. All the rest are without translation, since their names are very similar in both German and Russian.
Europe:
Island, Großbritannien (Great Britain), Ireland, Finnland, Schweden (Sweden), Norwegen, Dänemark, Deutschland, Benelux, Niederlande, Luxemburg, Schweiz, Liechtenstein, Österreich, Slowenien, Frankreich, Monaco, Spanien, Andorra, Portugal, Italien, San Marino , Ungarn (Hungary), Mazedonien, Bosnien-Herzegowina, Kroatien (Croatia), Albanien, Serbien, Kosovo, Montenegro, Rumänien, Moldawien, Bulgarien, Griechenland, Malta, Zypern, Tschechien, Slowakei, Polen, Ukraine, Litauen, Weißrussland (Belarus ), Russia
Asian:
Türkei, Jordanien, Syrien, Libanon, Israel, Irak, Kuwait, Saudi-Arabien, Jemen, Oman, Vereinigte Arabische Emirate (United Arab Emirates), Bahrain, Qatar, Iran, Georgien (Georgia), Armenien, Aserbaidschan, Kasachstan, Kirgisistan, Usbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tadschikischen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indien, Bangladesh, Malediven, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolei, China, Taiwan, Südkorea (South Korea), Nordkorea ( North Korea), Japan, die Philippinen, Vietnam, Laos, Kambodscha, Myanmar (Myanmar), Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesien.
Nordamerica:
Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika(United States of America), Canada, Bahamas, Bermuda
Mittel- und Südamerika:
Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Cuba, Antillen ( Antilles), Jamaika, Dominikanische Republik, Haiti, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Kolumbien, Ecuador, Peru, Brasilien, Bolivien, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentinien, Chile.
Africa:
Marokko, Algerien (Algeria), Tunesien, Libyen, Ägypten, Mauretanien (Mauritania), Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Kap Verde (Cape Verde), Liberia, Guinea, Elfenbeinküste (Republic of Cote d'Ivoire), Ghana, Nigeria, Kamerun, Tschad, Sudan, Äthiopien (Ethiopia), Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, Tansania, Uganda, Demokratische Republik Kongo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Republik Kongo, Zentralafrikanische Republik (Central African Republic), Äquatorialguinea (Equatorial Guinea), Angola, Namibia, Sambia, Simbabwe, Malawi, Mosambik, Seychellen, Mauritius (Mauritius), Komoren (Comoros), Madagaskar, Botswana, Swasiland, Lesotho, Südafrika (South Africa)
Australien und Ozeanien:
Australien, Neuseeland (New Zealand), Melanesien, Papua-Neuguinea ( Papua New Guinea), Salomonen (Solomon Islands), Samoa, Polynesien, Tonga
And as an addition to the article - Today I am sharing a story about the countries - Japan and Italy.
There is already a story about Germany and you can read it
Countries in German: Japan
Japan besteht aus mehreren Hundert Inseln.— Japan consists of several hundred islands.
Vier darunter sind größer und heißen Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku und Kyuschu.— Four of them are larger and are called Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kushu.
Japan erstreckt sich über eine Lange von mehr als 2500 km.— Japan stretches for more than 2500 km.
Japan wird auch das "Land der aufgehenden Sonne" genannt und ist der viertgrößte Inselstaat der Welt. — Japan is called the land of the rising sun and, moreover, it is the fourth largest island state in the world.
Tokio ist die Hauptstadt von Japan. — Tokyo is the capital of Japan.
Japan ist viel dichter besiedelt als Deutschland, und in vielen Städten leben die Menschen unvorstellbar eng aufeinander.— Japan is much more densely populated than Germany, and in many cities people live incredibly close to each other.
Es ist ein sehr modernes Land und zählt zu den großen Industriestaaten.— Japan — modern country and is considered one of the strongest industrial states.
Die Japaner sind meist sehr gut ausgebildet und fleißig. — Japanese people are generally well educated and hardworking.
Sie schätzen die Geborgenheit der Familie und streben nach Harmonie. “They value home comfort and strive for harmony.
Die Japaner haben das Falten von Papier zu einer Kunst gemacht. Sie heißt Origami. Es wird nur gefaltet, nie geschnitten oder geklebt. So entstehen Vögel, Blumen oder Hunde.— The Japanese have turned paper folding into an art. It's called origami. The paper is only folded, not cut or glued. The result is birds, flowers or dogs.
Im Frühling blühen in Japan die rosafarbenden Zierkirschen. Diese Blüte ist eines der wichtigsten Ereignisse des Landes: Die Japaner nennen sie die fünfte Jahreszeit.— Pink dwarf cherry blossoms in Japan in spring. This flowering is one of the most important phenomena of the country: the Japanese call it the fifth season of the year.
Countries in German: Italien
Italien sieht aus der Luft wie ein Stiefel aus.— From the air, Italy looks like a boot.
An drei Seiten ist das Land vom Meer umgeben. — The country is washed by the sea on three sides.
Italien ist berühmt für Pasta, Pizza und viele andere Gerichte.— Italy is famous for pasta, pizza and many other dishes.
Rom ist die Hauptstadt von Italien und hat rund 2.5 Millionen Einwohnern. — Rome is the capital of Italy and has 2.5 million inhabitants.
Rom liegt auf sieben Hügeln und soll der Legende nach von den Brüdern Romulus und Remus gegründet worden sein. Man nennt sie auch die "Ewige Stadt". — Rome is located on seven hills and was founded, according to legend, by the brothers Romulus and Remus. It is also called the “Eternal City”.
In Italien bebt oft die Erde. Im Süden Italiens gibt es mehrere Vulkane. Am 24 August des Jahres 79 brach der Vesuv bei Neapel aus und begrub zwei römische Kleinstädte unter sich: Pompeji und Herculaneum.— In Italy the ground shakes very often. There are several volcanoes in the south of the country. On August 24, 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted near the city of Naples, which buried two Roman towns: Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Eine der schönsten Städte Norditaliens ist Venedig. Sie ist fast vollständig auf Holzstämmen gebaut und beeindruckt durch das Kanalsystem, in dem Gondeln wie Taxis unter Brücken herfahren. — One of the most beautiful cities in northern Italy is Venice. It is built entirely of logs and impresses with its system of canals, along which you can ride under the bridges in gondolas like a taxi.
