29,000 Person Poll - Germany is the most popular country in the world

[Political Lurker]

So now lots more know what lurker already knows:-)
March 8, 2011
Germany wins global popularity contest
Published: 8 Mar 11 10:27 CET

Germany is the most popular country in the world, according to a poll that asked people to rate the positive and negative influence of 16 major nations.
Of the nearly 29,000 people surveyed from 27 countries for the BBC World Service poll, 62 percent said that Germany’s influence on the world was positive.

The country has been seen as having the most positive influence among the nations evaluated since tracking began in Germany in 2008.

“In terms of lifestyle and its high-quality products, Germany has a successful image and doesn’t have the baggage that countries like the US and China have, which can be seen as culturally controversial,” a spokesman for GlobeScan, the company which carried out the survey, told Britain’s Telegraph newspaper.

Coming in second was the United Kingdom, which was seen by 58 percent of respondents positively. Canada was the third most popular, followed by Japan, France and Brazil. The United States came in seventh, ahead of China, South Africa and India.

At the bottom on the ranking was Iran, which had a negative ranking of 59 percent. Enjoying just slightly more love, or at least less antipathy, were North Korea, at 55 percent, and Pakistan, whose negative perception jumped five points from last year to 56 percent.

http://www.thelocal.de/society/20110308-33573.html
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Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day.

[Foah]

What lurker doesn´t know is that the aera of Germany is almost over. Right now, damned Gas-industry is going to drill for Gas and wasting this pretty nice country. And immediately after they have done their work the wells will get filled up with Carbon. So enjoy, Jamie´s picture or better come and see it live. I could be your last chance. :-@@@@
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"Ho ho!" said the clown

[Political Lurker]

C'mon Michael... Why not make this a thread were you post some nice positive things about Germany. A bit of self belief goes a long way :-)
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Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day.

[Foah]

Ah, sorry Jamie I forgot, there are some very nice places of interest here.

Old Daddy Rhine for example:

http://www.videoportal.sf.tv/video?id=57bbd38c-d6df-4dba-bf97-00db8d888d02

According to that there is a nice old German song: "Wenn das Waser im Rhein `Goldner Wein´ wär, ja dann möcht ich so gern ein Fischlein sein......................."

the very poor translation into the English: "If the water in the Rhine was `golden wine´ I´d love to be a little fish..........................."

In fact, the content of the hull was sulphuric acid. It was pumped into the Rhine in order to save the ship. Must have been a great tourist attraction.
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"Ho ho!" said the clown

[Political Lurker]

Thought It might be an idea to post this story off another thread :-)

European tourists prefer Germany over France,Italy and Austria
Published: 24 Feb 11 12:26 CET


Brandenburg Gate trumps Eiffel Tower? Germany now attracts more European tourists than France, according to figures released this week.
The German National Tourist Board (DZT) said Germany was now second only to Spain as the top holiday destination for Europeans, edging out France, Italy and Austria.

“In 2010 we broke through the historic mark of 60 million foreign overnight visitors,” said DZT chairwoman Petra Hedorfer in a statement.

Proving that bratwurst can be more appetizing than baguette, the German hospitality industry booked a 10 percent jump in overnight stays by foreign tourists in 2010 compared to the year before.

Larger German cities saw the largest surge in tourism, rebounding from the crisis-hit year 2009.

Visitors from Switzerland accounted for a most overnight stays, jumping 8.6 percent to 4.2 million last year.

Germany's neighbours in the Netherlands replaced tourists from Britain as the second largest group, but visits from Poland also surged 15.7 percent.

The numbers of visitors from further afield also increased, with visitors from the United States flocking to the famous passion play of Oberammergau - performed to celebrate the crucifixion of Jesus once each decade. This helped American visits rise 11.1 percent last year.

Tourism from the Persian Gulf states also rose some 26 percent, with a rise in demand for holidays in Germany noticeable during the hot summer months back home.

Among Asian nations, China overtook Japan as the biggest source of tourism to
Germany, accounting for some 1.1 million overnight visits.

The DZT is looking for another banner year for tourism in 2011, with major events such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 125th anniversary of the automobile set to attract visitors from all over the world.

Hedorfer estimated that if Germany's tourism boom continues, the country will welcome more than 80 million overnight visitors annually by 2020.
http://www.thelocal.de/society/20110224-33327.html
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Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day.

[Political Lurker]

Not as old but this one seems symbolic of the 90's and the wall coming down... :-)


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Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day.

[Foah]