Heartland

I'm hoping that there's at least one German national on this site, who can help me get a few details correct.

What's the equivalent of a National Insurance / Social Security number in Germany?

What's the equivalent of the Inland Revenue?

Passport application - in the UK you use your birth certificate (I assume there must be a comparable document in Germany) and photographs
signed by a professional person such as a doctor who vouches for the
likeness. Is this roughly the same?

From a trip to Hamburg a few years back I seem to recall that citizens
have some form of ID card. Any details on this?

Cheers!

vicus?

I've got a German passport: I needed my residence certificate which my dad sorted out when I was about 12, full birth certificate, some photos, ID book and a small fee. Then you just fill out a form and hand it in (in my case at the consulate).