German society has been defined by its openness to the world and by the harmonious cooperation and coexistence between its various cultures. The Federal Republic of Germany became part of the Council of Europe after it was formed in 1949, taking on full member status at a later date. Federal chancellor Angela Merkel was president of the Council of the European Union for the first half of 2007.

The country's joy at welcoming so many guests from around the world was never so strong as during the summer of 2006. The FIFA World Cup 2006™ saw around two million visitors enjoy 64 matches in a month of fun and friendly celebrations throughout Germany's main cities. "This World Cup really was a great advertisement for integration and against xenophobia," said Germany's Interior Minister Dr Wolfgang Schauble. "All of a sudden you could see just what a friendly country Germany can be. It's not often that our country has been so colourful."

This international side to the tournament was complemented by a sense of patriotism that was laid-back yet self-assured. "We Germans are the world champions at complaining. It's an undisputed title of ours," said Gunter Grass, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, before going on to say how surprised he was by the FIFA World Cup. "Then it all changed. Everyone was relaxed and cheerful. The Germans were even prepared to wave their flags in a cheery way."

The country opened itself up to the outside while blossoming within its borders. Turkish people living in Germany celebrated the the Host Country's various victories, waving black, red and gold flags on the famous Kurfurstendamm street in Berlin in a fairy-tale demonstration of integration.

The multinational flavour and growing openness to other nations shown by Germany's younger population made the country the ideal hosts for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2011. Geographics and demographics also play
a major role: Germany covers 357,000 square kilometres, lies at the heart of Europe and is bordered by nine other countries. Among its 82 million inhabitants are some 7.3 million who hold foreign passports.

Among those who have other nationalities, the Turkish population - of around 1.76 million - make up the largest group, followed by other primarily EU nations such as Italy (540,000), Poland (326,000) and Greece (309,000). Not that the ethnic make-up of Germany is simply a question of foreign passports. Experts estimate that around a fifth of the population have origins from other countries somewhere in their backgrounds.

The German Football Association (DFB) make a real point of campaigning for integration. Their work with fan groups saw them award the 2006 Julius Hirsch Prize to two anti-racist fan projects, sending out a clear message against xenophobia. In December 2006, Istanbul native Gul Keskinler was appointed as an advisor to the DFB board on matters of integration.