Germany's capital Berlin is located in the heart of Europe and - following the EU's enlargement in 2004, at the centre of the European Union. With some 3,400,000 inhabitants and covering an area of 889 square kilometres, Berlin is Germany's largest city. Situated at the geographic centre of the Brandenburg region, the city is built on flatlands on the banks of the Havel and Spree rivers and is criss-crossed by numerous canals.

Dating back less than 800 years, Berlin is young compared with other European cities. But its history is unique. Following German reunification in 1990, Berlin became the seat of the Federal Government, which held its first plenary session in the refurbished Reichstag building on 19 April 1999. The Reichstag with its new glass dome has now become an attraction for both local residents and tourists from around the globe. Since reunification, a great deal has changed in Berlin, and Berlin continues to change...

Culture is a key sector in Berlin and a mainstay of the city's economy. Berlin has a great deal to offer in this area: three opera houses, a large number of theatres and orchestras as well as numerous museums. The Museums Island is one of Berlin's best-known World Cultural Heritage Sites. And in the summer months, what better way to spend a relaxing evening than in one of the many beach bars on the banks of the River Spree or in one of the city's numerous open-air theatres and cinemas.

Museums, theatres, classic music, clubs and discos

The structural changes Berlin is undergoing, its modernization and reconstruction rely on the creativity and innovation of science and research. Information and communication technologies, medical technology, biotechnology, optical technologies and transportation technology - all benefits from the city's creative and innovative potential.

Berlin is attracting an ever increasing number of scientists and has a thriving research sector. The Berlin-Brandenburg region is home to a numer of academic and industrial institutions engaged in computer science research.

Berlin has four universities (TU, HU, FU, UDK), eight colleges, four academies of art and music, a number of private colleges and more than 250 research institutions, including the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Science, six Max Planck and seven Fraunhofer Institutes. The National Library (Staatsbibliothek), Germany's largest all-round library, occupies two buildings in the city. With more than 10 million volumes and a wide-ranging international service, the library's prestige extends beyond Germany's borders.

Berlin's universities with their 139,000 students are renowned well beyond the city's borders.