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The American social networking Web site Facebook has launched a German version of its site. It is designed to compete with local sites such as the highly successful StudiVZ.
Facebook hopes to compete with local imitators with technical refinements and sheer size. It will offer German users the chance to strike up and maintain international friendships through its global network.
"We have the better product and a community that is growing worldwide," says Facebook's vice president for strategy and operations, Matt Cohler.
Facebook was founded by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg in 2004.
With more than 5 million -- mostly student -- users, Facebook clone StudiVZ is currently the industry leader in Germany. German publishing company Holtzbrinck paid about 85 million ($132 million) for the young Internet company last year.
