5^th World Congress on HUMAN GENETICS September 14-15, 2018 Berlin, Germany

Berlin is the capital and the largest city of Germany as well as one of its 16 constituent states.Built on sand on around the banks of the river Spree, Berlin has been one of Europe's most influential economic, cultural and political centres - for better or worse - since it's origins as a trading post in the 13th century. It was capital of both the Prussian and the German Empire until World War I uprooted the Hohenzollern dynasty, which had ruled since the 15th Century.

Berlin is an international city of culture, politics, media and science. Its economy is based on high-tech firms and the service sector, encompassing a diverse range of creative industries, research facilities, media corporations and convention venues. Berlin serves as a continental hub for air and rail traffic and has a highly complex public transportation network. The metropolis is a popular tourist destination Significant industries also include IT, pharmaceuticals, biomedical engineering, clean tech, biotechnology, construction and electronics.

Berlin became the centre of one of the most infamous regimes in history, and remained so until 1945 when it was liberated by the Red Army. Unfortunately liberation was a painful process. After the fall of the Wall, Berlin became the capital of unified Germany and a building boom began in the 1990s that included more than 30 major construction works in the east of the city. It has also become to be considered by many as the cultural capital of Central and Eastern Europe, excelling in every field but in particular those of dance/electronic music, contemporary art and dance, and classical and orchestral music. Berlin has three opera houses, over 150 theatres and playhouses, over 170 museums and collections and over 200 private galleries. Berlin also occupies a special place in Europe as an extremely liberal, socially progressive and tolerant city, placed in the heart of the continent, where East meets West.

Berlin's population is 3.4 million down from 4.5 million before WW2. It is a vast city, extending over 889 square kilometers. Its twelve bezirke (boroughs) are Mitte, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Pankow, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Spandau, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Tempelhof-Schoneberg, Neukolln, Treptow-Kopenick, Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Lichtenberg, Reinickendorf, although many Berliners still use old names and districts for purposes of orientation.

Positioned almost directly in the centre of Europe, Germany is the most affluent country in the continent and also the most populous, after Russia. It covers an area of 349,520 sq km (134,910 sq miles). The north of the country is largely flat, covered by the North German Plain and dotted with numerous lakes in the northeast corner, the largest of which is Lake Muritz. In the centre and towards the west it is more hilly, and here lie the areas of Bohemia and the Black Forest. The far southwest is very mountainous and is home to the beautiful Bavarian Alps. The highest point, Zugspitze, rises to 9,720 ft. (2,963 m). Major rivers include the Danube, rising in the Black Forest, and the Elbe, Ems, Main, Rhine and Weser.