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110-563: The Swiss Book consists of four series with different publication frequencies: The bibliographic information published in the Swiss Book is compiled according to the international RDA cataloguing rules. The graphic presentation of bibliographic metadata is based on the international ISBD standard. The authorities included in the bibliographic records are compiled according to the GND standard. Bibliographic entries are sorted by subject according to

220-471: A West Central German variety of German known as Pennsylvania German or Pennsylvania Dutch), Kansas (Mennonites and Volga Germans ), North Dakota (Hutterite Germans, Mennonites, Russian Germans , Volga Germans, and Baltic Germans ), South Dakota , Montana , Texas ( Texas German ), Wisconsin , Indiana , Oregon , Oklahoma , and Ohio (72,570). A significant group of German Pietists in Iowa formed

330-463: A subpolar oceanic climate , Cfc. The alpine valleys between 900 and 1,400 metres (3,000 and 4,600 ft), with a typically humid continental climate  — Dfb, covering the largest part of the province. The winters are usually very cold (24-hour averages in January between −8 and −3 °C (18 and 27 °F)), and the summers, mild with averages between 14 and 19 °C (57 and 66 °F). It

440-695: A 2012 survey, ca. 47 million people within the EU (i.e., up to two thirds of the 75–100 million worldwide) claimed to have sufficient German skills to have a conversation. Within the EU, and not counting countries where it is a (co-)official language, German as a foreign language is most widely taught in Central and Northern Europe , namely Croatia , the Czech Republic , Denmark , the Netherlands , Poland , Slovakia , Slovenia , and Sweden . German as

550-508: A far greater proportion of city dwellers (86% and 84% respectively); in contrast, Brazil and Paraguay are 82% and 47% urbanized , respectively. Most of the German immigrants that arrived in Brazil and Mexico went on to live in small inland communities. The original 58 German communities of the early 19th century Brazil, grew today to over 250 towns where Germans are a majority, and German-speaking

660-505: A fluency in the German language in their respective neighborhoods and sections. In the first half of the 20th century, over a million German-Canadians made the language Canada's third most spoken after French and English . In the United States, the states of North Dakota and South Dakota are the only states where German is the most common language spoken at home after English. German geographical names can be found throughout

770-742: A foreign language is promoted by the Goethe Institute , which works to promote German language and culture worldwide. In association with the Goethe Institute, the German foreign broadcasting service, Deutsche Welle , offers a range of online German courses and worldwide television as well as radio broadcasts produced with non-native German speakers in mind. Namibia was a colony of the German Empire from 1884 to 1915. Mostly originating from Germans who settled there during this time, 25,000 to 30,000 people still speak German as

880-491: A home language is in heavy decline (The German language is far from disappearing in Chile because there are more than 100 German-language schools throughout the country) German is taught from preschool to middle school; where if German-Chileans can still speak German, most of them speak German only as a second or third language. Colombia has a population of about 51 million people. Of them, only 5,000 people of German descent speak

990-463: A model for settling interethnic disputes and for the successful protection of linguistic minorities. This is among the reasons why the Ladin municipalities of Cortina d'Ampezzo /Anpezo, Livinallongo del Col di Lana /Fodom and Colle Santa Lucia /Col have asked in a referendum to be detached from Veneto and reannexed to the province, from which they were separated under the fascist government. In 1996,

1100-720: A monarchical form of government after the war, which would include Austria, Bavaria and South Tyrol. In 1943, when the Italian government signed an armistice with the Allies , the region was occupied by Nazi Germany, which reorganised it as the Operation Zone of the Alpine Foothills and put it under the administration of Gauleiter Franz Hofer . The region was de facto annexed to the German Reich (with

1210-484: A native of Trentino, wanted to extend the autonomy to his fellow citizens. This led to the creation of the region called Trentino-Alto Adige/Tiroler Etschland . The Gruber–De Gasperi Agreement of September 1946 was signed by the Italian and Austrian Foreign Ministers, creating the autonomous region of Trentino-South Tyrol , consisting of the autonomous provinces of Trentino and South Tyrol. German and Italian were both made official languages, and German-language education

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1320-701: A native tongue today. German, along with English and Afrikaans used to be a co-official language of Namibia from 1984 until its independence from South Africa in 1990. At this point, the Namibian government perceived Afrikaans and German as symbols for Apartheid and colonialism, and decided for English to be the sole official language, claiming that it was a "neutral" language as virtually no English native speakers existed in Namibia at that time. German, Afrikaans and several indigenous languages became "national languages" by law, identifying them as cultural heritages of

1430-458: A new dialect of German concentrated in the German colonies in the southern province of Rio Grande do Sul . Although Riograndenser Hunsrückisch has long been the most widely spoken German dialect in southern Brazil, like all other minority languages in the region, it is experiencing very strong decline – especially in the last three or four decades. The vast majority of German-descended Brazilians speak Portuguese as their mother tongue today. German

1540-574: A population of over 120 million) has an estimated 200,000 speakers of standard German either as a first or second language, not counting foreign learned German speakers or the Low-German dialects. Documented immigration of Germans to Mexico began in 1856, though historical research suggest as many as 1.2 million German speaking immigrants arrived in Mexico during the colonial period likely as agricultural laborers. Due to pro-nationalistic propagation by

1650-599: A rounded total of 95 million) worldwide: The German language is spoken in a number of countries and territories in Europe , where it is used both as an official language and as a minority language in various countries. To cover this language area, they are often referred to as the German-speaking countries, the German-speaking area ( Deutscher Sprachraum ), or equivalently German-speaking Europe (non-European German-speaking communities are not commonly included in

1760-649: A total of 443 German-speaking immigrant families, most of them were farmers and artisans who emigrated with their families: the majority came from Prussia and many among them were Protestants. The second wave was during Porfirio Díaz's open settlement policy in the Yucatán Peninsula that favored and attracted many Europeans. Most German-speaking or self identifying German-Mexicans today are descended from these two events as well as around 20,000 ethnic Germans from Russia and around 100,000 Mennonites from Canada. Specific reasons for language change from German to

1870-485: A total population of about 534,000 inhabitants as of 2021. Its capital and largest city is Bolzano . The province is granted a considerable level of self-government, consisting of a large range of exclusive legislative and executive powers and a fiscal regime that allows it to retain 90% of revenue, while remaining a net contributor to the national budget. As of 2023, South Tyrol is the wealthiest province in Italy and among

1980-689: Is Provincia autonoma Bolzano — Alto Adige , in Ladin Provinzia autonoma Bulsan — Südtirol . South Tyrol as an administrative entity originated during the First World War . The Allies promised the area to Italy in the Treaty of London of 1915 as an incentive to enter the war on their side. Until 1918, it was part of the Austro-Hungarian princely County of Tyrol , but this almost completely German-speaking territory

2090-660: Is a dialect spoken in the areas of Texas settled by the Adelsverein , such as New Braunfels and Fredericksburg. In the Amana Colonies in the state of Iowa, Amana German is spoken. Plautdietsch is a large minority language spoken in Northern Mexico by the Mennonite communities, and is spoken by more than 200,000 people in Mexico. Pennsylvania German is a West Central German dialect spoken by most of

2200-631: Is a recognised minority language in Czechia , Hungary , Italy ( Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol ), Poland , Romania , Russia , and Slovakia . Today German, together with French , is a common second foreign language in the western world, with English well established as a first foreign language. German ranks second (after English) among the best known foreign languages in the EU (on a par with French) as well as in Russia . In terms of student numbers across all levels of education, German ranks third in

2310-602: Is a very snowy climate; snow may occur from early October to April or even May. Main municipalities in this area are Urtijëi , Badia , Sexten , Toblach , Stilfs , Vöran , and Mühlwald . The alpine valleys between 1,400 and 1,700 metres (4,600 and 5,600 ft), with a subarctic climate  — Dfc, with harsh winters (24-hour averages in January between −9 and −5 °C (16 and 23 °F)) and cool, short, rainy and foggy summers (24-hour averages in July of about 12 °C (54 °F)). These areas usually have five months below

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2420-610: Is also one of the three biggest newspapers in Namibia and the only German-language daily in Africa. Mostly originating from different waves of immigration during the 19th and 20th centuries, an estimated 12,000 people speak German or a German variety as a first language in South Africa . Germans settled quite extensively in South Africa, with many Calvinists immigrating from Northern Europe. Later on, more Germans settled in

2530-526: Is an acronym used to represent the dominant states of the German language Sprachraum . It is based on the international vehicle registration codes for: "Dach" is also the German word for "roof", and is used in linguistics in the term Dachsprache , which standard German arguably is in relation to some outlying dialects of German, especially in Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, and Austria. The term

2640-702: Is becoming increasingly common. Alto Adige (literally translated in English: "Upper Adige"), one of the Italian names for the province, is also used in English. The term had been the name of political subdivisions along the Adige River in the time of Napoleon Bonaparte , who created the Department of Alto Adige , part of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy . It was reused as the Italian name of

2750-579: Is called Vinschgau; the southernmost section, from Bolzano to Salurner Klause (207 metres or 679 feet), is divided into Überetsch and Unterland. From there, the Adige Valley continues in a southerly direction until it merges with the Po plain at Verona . At Bolzano, the Eisack Valley merges into the Adige Valley. The Eisack Valley runs from Bolzano northeastward to Franzensfeste, where it merges with

2860-418: Is divided into eight districts (German: Bezirksgemeinschaften , Italian: comunità comprensoriali ), one of them being the chief city of Bolzano. Each district is headed by a president and two bodies called the district committee and the district council. The districts are responsible for resolving intermunicipal disputes and providing roads, schools, and social services such as retirement homes. The province

2970-549: Is encouraged. There are about 500,000 German speakers and around 320,000 Volga-Germans alone, of which 200,000 hold German citizenship. This makes Argentina one of the countries with the largest number of German speakers and is second only in Latin America to Brazil. In the 1930s there were about 700,000 people of German descent. Regional concentrations can be found in the provinces of Entre Ríos and Buenos Aires (with around 500,000 to 600,000) as well as Misiones and in

3080-418: Is further divided into 116 Gemeinden or comuni . Climatically, South Tyrol may be divided into five distinct groups: The Adige valley area, with cold winters (24-hour averages in January of about 0 °C (32 °F)) and warm summers (24-hour averages in July of about 23 °C (73 °F)), usually classified as humid subtropical climate  — Cfa. It has the driest and sunniest climate of

3190-463: Is home to over 3,000 German language schools, second only to Brazil. The Colegio Humboldt campuses in Mexico are the biggest German language K-12 schools in the Americas, with each of the 3 branches graduating over 2,000 students per year. In Canada , there are 622,650 speakers of German according to the most recent census in 2006, with people of German ancestry ( German Canadians ) found throughout

3300-411: Is known only as a second or third language, if at all, to the point of initiatives to preserve the language being started recently in areas with strong German-descended presence, with government-sponsored Gemeindeschulen. This is especially true for younger German-Brazilians. Another place where the German language continues alive is in some of the more of 4,000 Brazilian Lutheran churches, in which some of

3410-683: Is mostly cultivated with different types of shrubs and forests and is highly mountainous. Entirely located in the Alps , the province's landscape is dominated by mountains. The highest peak is the Ortler (3,905 metres, 12,812 ft) in the far west, which is also the highest peak in the Eastern Alps outside the Bernina Range . Even more famous are the craggy peaks of the Dolomites in

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3520-590: Is sometimes extended to D-A-CH-Li, DACHL, or DACH+ to include Liechtenstein . Another version is DACHS (with Dachs meaning " Badger " in German) with the inclusion of the German-speaking region of South Tyrol in Italy . DACH is also the name of an Interreg IIIA project, which focuses on crossborder cooperation in planning. In the early modern period , German varieties were a lingua franca of Central, Eastern, and Northern Europe ( Hanseatic League ). German

3630-600: Is the term most commonly used in English for the province, and its usage reflects that it was created from a portion of the southern part of the historic County of Tyrol , a former state of the Holy Roman Empire and crown land of the Austrian Empire of the Habsburgs . German and Ladin speakers usually refer to the area as Südtirol ; the Italian equivalent Sudtirolo (sometimes parsed Sud Tirolo )

3740-475: The Amana Colonies and continue to practice speaking their heritage language. Early twentieth century immigration was often to St. Louis , Chicago , New York City , Milwaukee , Pittsburgh , and Cincinnati . The dialects of German which are or were primarily spoken in colonies or communities founded by German-speaking people resemble the dialects of the regions the founders came from. For example, Hutterite German resembles dialects of Carinthia . Texas German

3850-451: The Amish population of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana, and resembles Palatinate German dialects. South Tyrol South Tyrol ( German : Südtirol [ˈzyːttiˌʁoːl] , locally [ˈsyːtiˌroːl] ; Italian : Alto Adige [ˈalto ˈaːdidʒe] ; Ladin : Südtirol ) is an autonomous province in northern Italy . An English translation of

3960-631: The Dolomites are the highest in the Alps. Among the large number of peaks, three stand out for their alpine or cultural importance: the Ortler (3,905 metres, 12,812 ft) as the highest mountain in South Tyrol, the Schlern (2,563 metres, 8,409 ft) as the country's "landmark" and the Drei Zinnen (2,999 metres, 9,839 ft) as the center of alpine climbing. Other well-known mountains are

4070-697: The Dominican Republic , Ecuador , Guatemala , Mexico , Nicaragua , Paraguay , Peru , Uruguay , and Venezuela . Initially, in the eighteenth century, only isolated or small groups of German emigrants left for Latin America; however, at the start of the nineteenth, this pattern was reversed as a tidal wave of German emigration totaling some 200,000 people began. These included groups such as land-hungry peasants, political refugees known as Forty-Eighters , and religious minorities such as Russian Mennonites fleeing religious persecution at home. During

4180-648: The European Union in Brussels. South Tyrol is located at the northernmost point in Italy. The province is bordered by Austria to the east and north, specifically by the Austrian federal states Tyrol and Salzburg , and by the Swiss canton of Graubünden to the west. The Italian provinces of Belluno , Trentino , and Sondrio border to the southeast, south, and southwest, respectively. The landscape itself

4290-507: The Euroregion Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino was formed between the Austrian state of Tyrol and the Italian provinces of South Tyrol and Trentino. The boundaries of the association correspond to the old County of Tyrol. The aim is to promote regional peace, understanding and cooperation in many areas. The region's assemblies meet together as one on various occasions, and have set up a common liaison office with

4400-587: The KwaZulu-Natal region and elsewhere. Here, one of the largest communities are the speakers of "Nataler Deutsch", a variety of Low German , who are concentrated in and around Wartburg and to a lesser extent around Winterton . German is slowly disappearing elsewhere, but a number of communities still have a large number of speakers and some even have German language schools, such as the Hermannsburg German School . Furthermore, German

4510-967: The Königspitze (3,851 metres, 12,635 ft), the Weißkugel (3,739 metres, 12,267 ft), the Similaun (3,599 metres, 11,808 ft), the Hochwilde (3,480 metres, 11,417 ft), the Sarner Weißhorn (2,705 metres, 8,875 ft), the Hochfeiler (3,509 metres, 11,512 ft), the Dreiherrnspitze (3,499 metres, 11,480 ft), the Hochgall (3,436 metres, 11,273 ft), the Peitlerkofel (2,875 metres, 9,432 ft),

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4620-587: The Nazi period which lasted from 1933 to 1945, some 100,000 Jews from Central Europe, the vast majority of which were German-speaking, moved to South America, with 90% of these moving to the Cono Sur or Southern Cone. This ended when the ban on emigration came into effect in 1941, which was roughly also the beginning of the holocaust . From the start of the 20th century until 1946, 80% of Jews lived in Europe ; but by

4730-531: The Southern Cone countries is relatively low (Brazil has 17 inhabitants/km , Chile has 15/km , Argentina and Paraguay both have 10/km , data from 1993), but there are major differences in the areas settled by Germans: Buenos Aires Province , which was settled by Germans , has a far higher population density than that of the Chaco in northern Paraguay (with 1 inhabitant/km ). While Argentina and Chile have

4840-794: The rivers . The remaining areas have given way to settlements and agricultural land . On the valley slopes, sub-Mediterranean mixed deciduous forests are found up to 800 or 900 metres (2,600 or 3,000 ft) altitude, characterized mainly by manna ash, hop hornbeam, hackberry, sweet chestnut and downy oak . From about 600 metres (2,000 ft) of altitude, red beech or pine forests can appear instead, colonizing difficult and arid sites (more rarely). At altitudes between 800 and 1,500 metres (2,600 and 4,900 ft), spruce forests are found; between 900 and 2,000 metres (3,000 and 6,600 ft), montane and subalpine spruce forests predominate. The latter are often mixed with tree species such as larch, rowan, white pine and stone pine . The larch and stone pine forests at

4950-760: The "D-A-CH" countries, an acronym for Deutschland (Germany), Austria, and Confoederatio Helvetica (the Swiss Confederation ). Since 2004, there has been an annual informal meeting of the heads of state of German-speaking countries including the Presidents of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and the Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein. Since 2014, the King of Belgium and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg have taken part. D-A-CH or DACH

5060-805: The "Mittelgebirge" (including, for example, the Schlern area) are of particular importance in terms of settlement history . The three main valleys of South Tyrol are the Adige Valley , the Eisack Valley and the Puster Valley , formed by the Ice Age Adige glacier and its tributaries. The highest part of the Adige valley in western South Tyrol, from Reschen (1,507 metres or 4,944 feet) to Töll (approx. 500 metres or 1,600 feet) near Merano,

5170-410: The 1880s, during the wave of mass emigration, this figure was reached annually. The Handbuch des Deutschtums im Ausland ( The Germans Abroad Handbook ) from 1906 puts a figure of 11 million people in North and South America with a knowledge of the German language, of which 9 million were in the US. Although the US was the focal point for emigration in the 19th century, emigration to Latin America

5280-430: The 2011 census, 62.3% of the population used German as their first language ( standard German in the written form and the South Tyrolean dialect of Austro-Bavarian in the spoken form); 23.4% of the population spoke Italian, mainly in and around the two largest cities (Bolzano, with an Italian-speaking majority, and Meran , with a slight German-speaking majority); 4.1% spoke Ladin , a Rhaeto-Romance language ; 10.2% of

5390-430: The Alpine Association, South Tyrol is home to 13 mountain groups of the Eastern Alps, of which only the Sarntal Alps are entirely within national borders. The remaining twelve are (clockwise, starting from the west): Sesvenna Group, Ötztal Alps, Stubai Alps, Zillertal Alps, Venediger Group, Rieserferner Group, Villgratner Mountains, Carnic Alps, Dolomites, Fleimstal Alps, Nonsberg Group and Ortler Alps. Of particular note are

5500-402: The Arzkarsee (2,250 metres, 7,382 ft). The natural monuments designated by the province of South Tyrol include numerous hydrological objects, such as streams, waterfalls, moors, glaciers and mountain lakes like the Pragser Wildsee (1,494 metres, 4,902 ft), the Karersee (1,519 metres, 4,984 ft) or the Spronser Seen (2,117–2,589 metres, 6,946–8,494 ft). Approximately 50% of

5610-549: The Bavaria, Pilsen, and Club Soda Klausen factories in Cali, Barranquilla, Pereira, Medellin, and other cities. Nowadays, Germans born in Colombia celebrate Oktoberfest in Cali, along with other traditions. There are currently German schools in various major cities around the country. Costa Rica has a population of 4.9 million, and a German-speaking population of 8,000 people. Many of these people are immigrants or native German speakers from Germany or Switzerland and descendants of 18th, 19th and 20th-century mass immigration. But also in

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5720-428: The Brenner Pass, the Tauern window, in which the Peninsular and, according to some authors, the Helvetic are visible. In South Tyrol, the following structure can be roughly recognized: The lowest floor forms the crystalline basement. About 280 million years ago, in the Lower Permian, multiple magmatic events occurred. At that time the Brixen granite was formed at the northern boundary of the Southern Alps, and at about

5830-575: The Dewey Decimal Classification System (DDC) and the DDC-subject categories of the DACH region. Geographical distribution of German speakers#German-speaking Europe This article details the geographical distribution of speakers of the German language , regardless of the legislative status within the countries where it is spoken. In addition to the Germanosphere ( German : Deutscher Sprachraum ) in Europe , German-speaking minorities are present in many other countries and on all six inhabited continents . Mostly depending on

5940-421: The Dolomites, parts of which were recognized by UNESCO in 2009 as a "Dolomite World Heritage Site". Although some isolated massifs approach 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) and show strong glaciation (especially in the Ortler Alps and on the main ridge of the Alps), South Tyrol is by far dominated by mountains with altitudes of between 2,000 and 3,000 metres (6,600 and 9,800 ft). Among the multitude of peaks,

6050-489: The EU (after English and French) as well as in the United States (after Spanish and French). In 2015, approximately 15.4 million people were in the process of learning German across all levels of education worldwide. This number has remained relatively stable since 2005 (± 1 million) and roughly 75–100 million people able to communicate in German as a foreign language can be inferred, assuming an average course duration of three years and other estimated parameters. According to

6160-427: The French region of Alsace which was part of France since the end of WWI, as well as that from Bavaria and High German regions of Germany. . As of 2012, about 20,000 Germans nationals resided in Mexico. The number has risen to almost 40,000 in 2020. Despite groggy heritage claims to the language, German is slightly ahead of French as the second most studied foreign language in Mexico, behind only English. Mexico

6270-424: The Kalterer See (215 metres, 705 ft), the Großer (492 metres, 1,614 ft) and the Kleiner Montiggler See (514 metres, 1,686 ft). Fourteen South Tyrolean reservoirs used for energy production include the Reschensee (1,498 metres, 4,915 ft), which with an area of 523 hectares (2.02 sq mi) forms the largest standing body of water in South Tyrol, the Zufrittsee (1,850 metres, 6,070 ft) and

6380-584: The Langkofel (3,181 metres, 10,436 ft) and the Rosengartenspitze (2,981 metres, 9,780 ft). The extensive mountain landscapes , about 34% of the total area of South Tyrol, are alpine pastures (including the 57 square kilometres (22 sq mi) of the great Alpe di Siusi). Along the main valleys, the mountain ranges descend in many places to valley bottoms over gently terraced landscapes, which are geological remains of former valley systems; situated between inhospitable high mountains and formerly boggy or deeply incised valley bottoms, these areas known as

6490-479: The Middle Triassic by a brief but violent phase of volcanic activity. In South Tyrol, the Eastern Alps consist mainly of metamorphic rocks, such as gneisses or mica schists, with occasional intercalations of marble and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks with metamorphic overprint (e.g., in the Ortler or southwest of the Brenner). Various metamorphic rocks are found in the Tauern Window, such as Hochstegen marble (as in Wolfendorn), Grünschiefer (as in Hochfeiler), or rocks of

6600-503: The Midwest region of the country, such as New Ulm and many other towns in Minnesota ; Bismarck (North Dakota's state capital), Munich , Karlsruhe , and Strasburg (named after a town near Odesa in Ukraine) in North Dakota; New Braunfels , Fredericksburg , Weimar, and Muenster in Texas; Corn (formerly Korn), Kiefer and Berlin in Oklahoma; and Kiel , Schleswig , Berlin , and Germantown in Wisconsin. Between 1843 and 1910, more than 5 million Germans emigrated overseas, mostly to

6710-431: The Sarntal, Pfitsch, Gröden, the Gadertal, the Tauferer Ahrntal and Antholz. In mountainous South Tyrol, about 64.5% of the total land area is above 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) above sea level and only 14% below 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). Therefore, a large part of the population is concentrated in relatively small areas in the valleys at an altitude of between 100 and 1,200 metres (330 and 3,940 ft), mainly in

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6820-581: The United States. German remained an important language in churches, schools, newspapers, and even the administration of the United States Brewers' Association through the early 20th century, but was severely repressed during World War I . Over the course of the 20th century, many of the descendants of 18th century and 19th century immigrants ceased speaking German at home, but small populations of speakers are still found in Pennsylvania (approximately 115,000 speakers; Amish , Hutterites , Dunkards and some Mennonites historically spoke Hutterite German and

6930-470: The Wipp Valley, which runs first northwestward and then northward over the Brenner Pass to Innsbruck. In the town of Brixen, the Eisack Valley meets the Puster Valley, which passes through Bruneck and reaches Lienz via the Toblacher Sattel (1,210 metres or 3,970 feet). In addition to the three main valleys, South Tyrol has a large number of side valleys. The most important and populated side valleys are (from west to east) Sulden, Schnals, Ulten, Passeier, Ridnaun,

7040-414: The Zentralgneiss (predominantly in the area of the Zillertal Main Ridge). The province of South Tyrol has placed numerous geological natural monuments under protection. Among the best known are the Bletterbach Gorge, a 12 km (7½ mile) long canyon in the municipality of Aldein, and the Ritten Earth Pyramids , which are the largest in Europe with a height of up to 30 metres (98 ft). According to

7150-462: The addition of the province of Belluno ) until the end of the war. Italian rule was restored in 1945 as the Nazi regime ended. After the war, the Allies decided that the province would remain a part of Italy, under the condition that the German-speaking population be granted a significant level of self-government. Italy and Austria negotiated an agreement in 1946, recognizing the rights of the German minority. Alcide De Gasperi , Italy's prime minister,

7260-424: The area of South Tyrol is covered by forests , another 40% is above 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) and thus largely beyond the forest demarcation line, which varies between 1,900 and 2,200 metres (6,200 and 7,200 ft). In each case, more than half of the total forest area is located on land with a slope steeper than 20° and at altitudes between 1,200 and 1,800 metres (3,900 and 5,900 ft). Approximately 24% of

7370-406: The area of the extensive alluvial cones and broad basins. The most densely populated areas are in the Adige valley, where three of the four largest cities, Bolzano, Merano and Laives, are located. The flat valley bottoms are mainly used for agriculture. The most important river in South Tyrol is the Adige , which rises at the Reschen Pass, flows for a distance of about 140 kilometres (87 mi) to

7480-463: The border at the Salurner Klause, and then flows into the Po Valley and the Adriatic Sea. The Adige, whose total length of 415 kilometres (258 mi) in Italy is exceeded only by the Po , drains 97% of the territory's surface area. Its river system also includes the Eisack, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) long, and the Rienz, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) long, the next two largest rivers in South Tyrol. They are fed by numerous rivers and streams in

7590-535: The breaking point in the development of their language. In some South American countries the war period and immediately afterwards was a time of massive assimilation to the local culture (for example during the Getúlio Vargas period in Brazil ). Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Paraguay show some clear demographic differences that affect the minority situation of the German language: Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina are massive countries and offer large amounts of land for immigrants to settle. The population density of

7700-437: The campaign of terrorism . The issue was resolved in 1971, when a new Austro-Italian treaty was signed and ratified. It stipulated that disputes in South Tyrol would be submitted for settlement to the International Court of Justice in The Hague , that the province would receive greater autonomy within Italy, and that Austria would not interfere in South Tyrol's internal affairs. The new agreement proved broadly satisfactory to

7810-418: The coldest month, January. The periadriatic seam, which separates the Southern Alps from the Central Alps , runs through South Tyrol in a southwest–northeast direction. In South Tyrol at least three of the four main structural elements of the Alps come to light: the Southern Alpine comes to light south of the periadriatic suture, the Eastern Alpine north of it, and in the northern part of the country, east of

7920-489: The concept). German is the main language of approximately 95 to 100 million people in Europe, or 13.3% of all Europeans. This makes it the second most spoken native language in Europe, behind only Russian (with 144 million speakers), and ahead of French (with 66.5 million) and English (with 64.2 million). The European countries with German-speaking majorities are Germany (95%, 78.3 million), Austria (89%, 8.9 million), and Switzerland (65%, 4.6 million), also known as

8030-559: The country between 1860 and 1960. The first wave of Germans immigrated from northern Prussia under the reign of Princess Carlota during the 2nd French Mexican empire. Of special interest is the settlement Villa Carlota : that was the name under which two German farming settlements, in the villages of Santa Elena and Pustunich in Yucatán, were founded during the Second Mexican Empire (1864–1867). Villa Carlota attracted

8140-475: The country. German-speaking communities are particularly found in British Columbia (118,035) and Ontario (230,330). There is a large and vibrant community in the city of Kitchener, Ontario , which was at one point named Berlin. German immigrants were instrumental in the country's three largest urban areas: Montreal , Toronto , and Vancouver . Post- Second World War immigrants managed to preserve

8250-578: The current province after its post-World War I creation, and was a symbol of the subsequent forced Italianization of South Tyrol. The official name of the province today in German is Autonome Provinz Bozen — Südtirol . German speakers usually refer to it not as a Provinz , but as a Land (like the Länder of Germany and Austria). Provincial institutions are referred to using the prefix Landes- , such as Landesregierung (state government) and Landeshauptmann (governor). The official name in Italian

8360-562: The destiny of Austria, which had been annexed by Nazi Germany . Instead the dictators agreed that the German-speaking population be transferred to German-ruled territory or dispersed around Italy, but the outbreak of the Second World War prevented them from fully carrying out their plans. Every citizen was given the choice to give up their German cultural identity and stay in fascist Italy, or to leave their homeland for Nazi Germany to retain their cultural identity. This resulted in

8470-494: The division of South Tyrolese families. In this tense relationship for the population, Walter Caldonazzi from Mals was part of the resistance group around the priest Heinrich Maier , which passed plans and information about production facilities for V-1 rockets , V-2 rockets , Tiger tanks , Messerschmitt Bf 109 , and Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet and other aircraft to the Allies. The group planned for an independent Austria with

8580-489: The eastern part of the region. The following mountain groups are (partially) in South Tyrol. All but the Sarntal Alps are on the border with Austria, Switzerland, or other Italian provinces. The ranges are clockwise from the west and for each the highest peak is given that is within the province or on its border. Located between the mountains are many valleys , where the majority of the population lives. The province

8690-589: The end of World War II this was reduced to 25%. However, after the war over 50% of Jews lived in the Americas . This change was aided by Jewish emigration groups such as the Hilfsverein deutschsprechender Juden (later to become Asociación Filantrópica Israelita ) which was based in Buenos Aires , Argentina . The majority of German minorities in Latin America – as well as elsewhere around

8800-438: The federal government which encouraged mixed-race identification, many Mexicans do not know their ancestral origins and demographic numbers of German Mexicans are sourced on recent and limited data. Regardless, Mexico stands as the 3rd country with the largest German community in Latin America, behind Brazil and Argentina . Included in the ethnic German immigration to Mexico is the immigration from Austria , Switzerland , and

8910-441: The first German and Swiss immigrants to Brazil, German immigration continued a constant flow with an average of 25 to 30 thousand immigrants per decade entering the country since 1818. It peaked in the years following World War I, to around 90 thousand, and again in the 1940s to around 50,000. In the 1880s and 1890s, German emigration to Latin America grew and in some years was the destination of up to 30% of German emigrants. During

9020-494: The first flux of German immigration (between 1846 and 1875) German colonies were primarily set up in the "Frontera" region. The second wave of immigration occurred between 1882 and 1914 and consisted mainly of industrial and agricultural workers, mainly from eastern Germany; the third wave (after 1918) settled mainly in the cities. As in Argentina and Brazil, these populations are today overwhelmingly Spanish speaking, and German as

9130-476: The forest area can be classified as protective forest preserving settlements, traffic routes and other human infrastructure . A 1997 study classified about 35% of South Tyrol's forests as near-natural or natural, about 41% as moderately modified and about 24% as heavily modified or artificial. The forests are found in the valley bottoms. The flat valley bottoms were originally completely covered with riparian forests, of which only very small remnants remain along

9240-705: The freezing point, and snow sometimes occurs even during the summer, in September. This climate is the wettest of the province, with large rainfalls during the summer, heavy snowfalls during spring and fall. The winter is usually a little drier, marked by freezing and dry weeks, although not sufficiently dry to be classified as a Dwc climate. Main municipalities in this area are Corvara , Sëlva , Santa Cristina Gherdëina . The highlands above 1,700 metres (5,600 ft), with an alpine tundra climate , ET, which becomes an ice cap climate , EF, above 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). The winters are cold, but sometimes not as cold as

9350-619: The general area of the Chaco and the Pampas . However, most German-descended Argentinians do not speak German with native fluency (that role has been taken by Spanish). The 300,000 German speakers are estimated to be immigrants and not actually born in Argentina, and because of this they still speak their home language while their descendants who were born in Argentina speak primarily Spanish. According to Deutsche Welle , there are some twelve million people of German ancestry in Brazil. Nevertheless,

9460-422: The higher valleys' winters. In January, most of the areas at 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) have an average temperature of about −5 °C (23 °F), while in the valleys at about 1,600 metres (5,200 ft), the mean temperature may be as low as −8 or −9 °C (18 or 16 °F). The higher lands, above 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) are usually extremely cold, with averages of about −14 °C (7 °F) during

9570-512: The inclusion or exclusion of certain varieties with a disputed status as separate languages or which were later acknowledged as separate languages (e.g., Low German/Plautdietsch ), it is estimated that approximately 90–95 million people speak German as a first language , 10–25 million as a second language , and 75–100 million as a foreign language . This would imply approximately 175–220 million German speakers worldwide. Approximate distribution of native German speakers (assuming

9680-399: The invariable pull of societal assimilation which confronts all immigrant groups. German migration to colonial Mexico is less accounted for due to the geopolitical isolation following independence from Spain, as well as the deterrents of Mexico's ensuing civil wars. Despite these obstacles and lack of documentation, however, over 200,000 Prussian/German nationals have been registered entering

9790-656: The language. Many of these people settled in Antioquia and el Eje Cafetero. Most of the immigration occurred during World War I until the end of the Cold War. Many of these ethnic Germans now speak primarily Spanish at home. Germans came to South America in World War I and II, settling first in Colombia because of its wealth in natural resources as well as weather conditions conducive to agriculture. German immigrants built

9900-847: The nation and ensuring the state to acknowledge and support their presence in the country. Today, German is used in myriad spheres, especially business and tourism, as well as churches (most notably the German-speaking Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (GELK) ), schools (e.g., the Deutsche Höhere Privatschule Windhoek ), literature (German-Namibian authors include Giselher W. Hoffmann  [ de ] ), radio (the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation produces radio programs in German), and music (e.g., artist EES ). The Allgemeine Zeitung

10010-729: The national language usually derive from the desire of many Germans to belong to their new communities after the end of World War II. This is a common feature among the German minorities in Latin America and those in Central and Eastern Europe : the majority of countries where German minorities lived had fought against the Germans during the war. With this change in situation, the members of the German minorities, previously communities of status and prestige, were turned into undesirable minorities (though there were widespread elements of sympathy for Germany in many South American countries as well). For many German minorities, World War II thus represented

10120-510: The new regime made efforts to bring forward the Italianization of South Tyrol . The German language was banished from public service, German teaching was officially forbidden, and German newspapers were censored (with the exception of the fascistic Alpenzeitung ). The regime also favoured immigration from other Italian regions. The subsequent alliance between Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini declared that South Tyrol would not follow

10230-607: The northern area of the country, there are 2,200 German Mennonites in communities in Sarapiquí and San Carlos that spoke Plautdietsch and other Low German dialects. This German-Costa Rican community is one of the most important and biggest collectivities of German speakers in Central America and the Caribbean, and has a lot of cultural and social institutions, churches, farms, business companies and schools. Mexico (with

10340-458: The number of people speaking any sort of German (Standard German, Hunsrückisch or East Pomeranian ) is on the decrease, with 3 million speaking German as a first language today. The main variety of German in Brazil is Riograndenser Hunsrückisch which is found in the southern states. This version of German there has changed over 180 years of contact with Portuguese as well as the languages of other immigrant communities . Such contact has led to

10450-484: The official German and Italian names could be the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol , reflecting the multilingualism and different naming conventions in the area. Together with Trentino , South Tyrol forms the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol . The province is the northernmost of Italy, the second largest with an area of 7,400 square kilometres (2,857 sq mi), and has

10560-455: The parties involved, and the separatist tensions soon eased. The autonomous status granted in 1972 has resulted in a considerable level of self-government, and also allows the entity to retain almost 90% of all levied taxes. In 1992, Italy and Austria officially ended their dispute over the autonomy issue on the basis of the agreement of 1972. The extensive self-government provided by the current institutional framework has been advanced as

10670-429: The population (mainly recent immigrants) spoke another native language in addition to Italian and German. Of 116 South Tyrolean municipalities , 103 have a German-speaking, eight a Ladin-speaking, and five an Italian-speaking majority. The Italianization of South Tyrol and the settlement of Italians from the rest of Italy after 1918 significantly modified local demographics. South Tyrol (occasionally South Tirol )

10780-435: The province. The main city in this area is Bolzano . The midlands, between 300 and 900 metres (980 and 2,950 ft), with cold winters (24-hour averages in January between −3 and 1 °C (27 and 34 °F)) and mild summers (24-hour averages in July between 15 and 21 °C (59 and 70 °F)). This is a typical oceanic climate , classified as Cfb. It is usually wetter than the subtropical climate, and very snowy during

10890-636: The same time, further south in the Bolzano area, there was strong volcanic activity that formed the Adige Valley volcanic complex. In the Upper Permian a period began in which sedimentary rocks were formed. At first, these were partly clastic sediments, among which the Gröden sandstone is found. In the Triassic , massive carbonate platforms of dolomitic rocks then formed; this process was interrupted in

11000-592: The services continue to be in German. The German language is co-official in the municipality of Pomerode , besides being cultural patrimony of the State of Espírito Santo . In Rio Grande do Sul, the Riograndenser Hunsrückisch German is an integral part of the State's historical and cultural heritage. Chile (with a population of 19 million) has an estimated 40,000 German-speakers. About 30,000 ethnic Germans arrived in Chile. During

11110-1134: The tributary valleys. The most important tributaries are the Plima, the Passer, the Falschauer, the Talfer, the Ahr and the Gader. The remaining 3% of the area is drained by the Drava and Inn river systems to the Black Sea and by the Piave river system to the Adriatic Sea , respectively. In South Tyrol there are 176 natural lakes with an area of more than half a hectare (1¼ acre), most of which are located above 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) altitude . Only 13 natural lakes are larger than 5 ha, and only three of them are situated below 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) altitude:

11220-736: The upper edge of the forest belt occupy relatively small areas. Beyond the forest edge, subalpine dwarf shrub communities, alpine grasslands and, lately, alpine tundra dominate the landscape as vegetation types. The local government system is based upon the provisions of the Italian Constitution and the Autonomy Statute of the Region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol . The 1972 second Statute of Autonomy for Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol devolved most legislative and executive competences from

11330-545: The wealthiest in the European Union . In the wider context of the European Union, the province is one of the three members of the Tyrol–South Tyrol–Trentino Euroregion , which corresponds almost exactly to the historical region of Tyrol . The other members are the Austrian federal state Tyrol to the north and east, and the Italian autonomous province of Trento to the south. According to

11440-410: The winters. During the spring and autumn, there is an extended foggy season, but fog may occur even on summer mornings. Main towns in this area are Meran , Bruneck , Sterzing , and Brixen . Near the lakes in higher lands (between 1,000 and 1,400 metres (3,300 and 4,600 ft)) the humidity may make the climate in these regions milder during winter, but also cooler in summer, making it more similar to

11550-462: The world – experienced a decline in the use of the German language, with the exception of Brazil, where the dialect Riograndenser Hunsrückisch is being taught in schools and in some media, totaling over 200 thousand speakers spread over the Brazilian southern states. The main cause of this decrease is the integration of communities, often originally sheltered, into the dominant society, and as well as

11660-407: Was also significant for differing economic and political reasons. The majority of German emigrants to Latin America went especially to Brazil, but also to Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. The three countries with the biggest ethnic German populations in Latin America to this day are Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico. Starting in 1818, when King D. João VI brought

11770-546: Was bloodier, costing 21 lives (15 members of Italian security forces, two civilians, and four terrorists). The South Tyrolean Question ( Südtirolfrage ) became an international issue. As the implementation of the post-war agreement was deemed unsatisfactory by the Austrian government, it became a cause of significant friction with Italy and was taken up by the United Nations in 1960. A fresh round of negotiations took place in 1961 but proved unsuccessful, partly because of

11880-566: Was occupied by Italy at the end of the war in November 1918 and was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy in 1919. The province as it exists today was created in 1926 after an administrative reorganization of the Kingdom of Italy , and was incorporated together with the province of Trento into the newly created region of Venezia Tridentina ("Trentine Venetia "). With the rise of Italian Fascism ,

11990-876: Was often a language taught as a foreign language in White South African schools during the Apartheid years (1948–1994). Today, the South African constitution identifies German as a "commonly used" language and the Pan South African Language Board is obligated to promote and ensure respect for it. Nowadays, at least one million German speakers live in Latin America . There are German-speaking minorities in almost every Latin American country, including Argentina , Belize , Bolivia , Brazil , Chile , Colombia , Costa Rica ,

12100-516: Was permitted once more. Still Italians were the majority in the combined region. This, together with the arrival of new Italian-speaking immigrants, led to strong dissatisfaction among South Tyrolese, which culminated in terrorist acts perpetrated by the Befreiungsausschuss Südtirol (BAS – Liberation Committee of South Tyrol). In the first phase, only public edifices and fascist monuments were targeted. The second phase

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