Germany, Frankfurt

Frankfurt is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2007 population of 667,598.The urban area had an estimated population of 2,26 million in 2001. The city is at the center of the larger Frankfurt Rhine Main Area which has a population of 5,3 million and is Germany's second largest metropolitan area.

History

In the area of the Römer, Roman settlements were established, probably in the first century; some artifacts from that era are found even to this day. The city district Bonames has a name probably dating back to Roman times — it is thought to be derived from bona me(n)sa.

During the 1970s the city created one of Europe's most efficient underground transportation systems. That system includes a light rail system (S-Bahn) capable of reaching outlying communities as well as the city centre, and a deep underground rail system with smaller coaches (U-Bahn) also capable of travelling above ground on street rails.Since the postwar period Frankfurt has emerged once again as the financial and trasportation centre of Germany.

Population

Frankfurt is a multicultural city. Most immigrants are from Turkey, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Spain, North-African countries, Iran, Lebanon, and the United States. The Frankfurt Area is also home to the (now 2nd) largest Korean community in Europe. 180 different nationalities reside in Frankfurt.Frankfurt has the second largest Jewish community (after Berlin) in Germany.

Geography

The city is located on both sides of the River Main in the south-west part of Germany. The southern part of the city contains the Frankfurt City Forest (Frankfurter Stadtwald), Germany's largest forest within a city. The centre of Frankfurt is located on the north side of the river.

Economy and business

Frankfurt is one of the leading financial centres in Europe. According to an annual study (2007) by Cushman & Wakefield it is one of the top three cities for international companies in Europe, along with London and Paris. According to a ranking list (2001) produced by the University of Liverpool, Frankfurt is the richest city in Europe by GDP per capita.

Culture

Major festival in the city is the Museumsuferfest (Museums Riverbank Festival). It is one of the biggest cultural festivals in Germany which attracts more than 3 million visitors over a period of 3 days. It takes place yearly at the end of August on both sides of the Main Riverbank in the city centre. More than 20 museums are located there and they are open far into the night.
Dance Music
The roots of the modern Techno music style, of electronica can be traced back to Germany, and in particular, Frankfurt. One of the main venues of the early Trance music sound was the Omen nightclub, in the city.

Transport

Airports
The city is accessed from around the world via the Frankfurt International Airport (Flughafen Frankfurt am Main) which is located 12 km (7 mi) from the city centre. The airport has three runways and serves 265 non-stop destinations.
Railway stations
Frankfurt Central Station (Frankfurt am Main Hauptbahnhof or short Ffm Hbf) is the largest train station in Germany by number of platforms. Regarding daily passenger volume it ranks second together with Munich Central Central (350,000 each) after Hamburg Central Station (450,000).
Public transport
The city has two underground railway systems: the U-Bahn and the S-Bahn, as well as an above-ground tram system known as Straßenbahn.