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Background:
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As Europe's largest
economy and most populous nation, Germany remains a key member of the
continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European
power struggles immersed the country in two devastating World Wars in
the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by
the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet
Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were
formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the
eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded
itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the EC,
which became the EU, and NATO, while the communist GDR was on the
front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and
the end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in 1990. Since
then Germany has expended considerable funds to bring eastern
productivity and wages up to western standards. In January 2002,
Germany and 11 other EU countries introduced a common European
currency, the euro. |
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Location:
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Central Europe,
bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands
and Poland, south of Denmark |
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Geographic coordinates:
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51 00 N, 9 00 E |
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Map references:
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Europe |
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Area:
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total: 357,021
sq km
water: 7,798 sq km
land: 349,223 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than
Montana |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 3,621 km
border countries: Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech
Republic 646 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km,
Netherlands 577 km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km |
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Coastline:
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2,389 km |
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Maritime claims:
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continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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temperate and marine;
cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm foehn wind |
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Terrain:
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lowlands in north,
uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Freepsum Lake -2 m
highest point: Zugspitze 2,963 m |
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Natural resources:
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iron ore, coal, potash,
timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel, arable
land |
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Land use:
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arable land: 34%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 65% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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4,850 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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flooding |
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Environment - current issues:
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emissions from
coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution;
acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging
forests; pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial
effluents from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste disposal;
government established a mechanism for ending the use of nuclear power
over the next 15 years; government working to meet EU commitment to
identify nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna,
and Habitat directive |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air
Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
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Geography - note:
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strategic location on
North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea |
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Population:
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83,251,851 (July 2002
est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
15.4% (male 6,568,699; female 6,227,148)
15-64 years: 67.6% (male 28,606,964; female 27,695,539)
65 years and over: 17% (male 5,546,140; female 8,607,361) (2002
est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.26% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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8.99 births/1,000
population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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10.36 deaths/1,000
population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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3.99 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.06
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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4.65 deaths/1,000 live
births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
77.78 years
female: 81.09 years (2002 est.)
male: 74.64 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.39 children
born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.1% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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37,000 (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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600 (1999 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: German(s)
adjective: German |
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Ethnic groups:
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German 91.5%, Turkish
2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Serbo-Croatian, Italian, Russian,
Greek, Polish, Spanish) |
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Religions:
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Protestant 34%, Roman
Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3% |
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Languages:
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German |
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Literacy:
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definition: age
15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1977 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA% |
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Country name:
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conventional long
form: Federal Republic of Germany
conventional short form: Germany
local short form: Deutschland
former: German Empire, German Republic, German Reich
local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland |
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Government type:
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federal republic |
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Capital:
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Berlin |
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Administrative divisions:
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16 states (Laender,
singular - Land); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern, Berlin, Brandenburg,
Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen,
Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen,
Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen |
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Independence:
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18 January 1871 (German
Empire unification); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US,
USSR, and later, France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal
Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and
included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic
Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included
the former USSR zone; unification of West Germany and East Germany
took place 3 October 1990; all four powers formally relinquished
rights 15 March 1991 |
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National holiday:
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Unity Day, 3 October
(1990) |
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Constitution:
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23 May 1949, known as
Basic Law; became constitution of the united German people 3 October
1990 |
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Legal system:
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civil law system with
indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in the
Federal Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age;
universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state:
President Johannes RAU (since 1 July 1999)
elections: president elected for a five-year term by a Federal
Convention including all members of the Federal Assembly and an equal
number of delegates elected by the state parliaments; election last
held 23 May 1999 (next to be held 23 May 2004); chancellor elected by
an absolute majority of the Federal Assembly for a four-year term;
election last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held 22 September
2002)
head of government: Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (since 27
October 1998)
cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers)
appointed by the president on the recommendation of the chancellor
election results: Johannes RAU elected president; percent of
Federal Convention vote - 57.6%; Gerhard SCHROEDER elected chancellor;
percent of Federal Assembly - 52.7% |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral Parliament or
Parlament consists of the Federal Assembly or Bundestag (656 seats
usually, but 666 for the 1998 term; note - the number of seats will be
reduced to 598 for 2002 elections; elected by popular vote under a
system combining direct and proportional representation; a party must
win 5% of the national vote or three direct mandates to gain
representation; members serve four-year terms) and the Federal Council
or Bundesrat (69 votes; state governments are directly represented by
votes; each has 3 to 6 votes depending on population and are required
to vote as a block)
elections: Federal Assembly - last held 27 September 1998 (next
to be held 22 September 2002); note - there are no elections for the
Bundesrat; composition is determined by the composition of the
state-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has the
potential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an election
election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party -
SPD 40.9%, Alliance '90/Greens 6.7%, CDU/CSU 35.1%, FDP 6.2%, PDS
5.1%; seats by party - SPD 294, Alliance '90/Greens 47, CDU/CSU 245,
FDP 43, PDS 37; Federal Council - current composition - NA |
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Judicial branch:
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Federal Constitutional
Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (half the judges are elected by the
Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Alliance '90/Greens
[Claudia ROTH and Fritz KUHN]; Christian Democratic Union or CDU
[Angela MERKEL]; Christian Social Union or CSU [Edmund STOIBER,
chairman]; Free Democratic Party or FDP [Guido WESTERWELLE, chairman];
Party of Democratic Socialism or PDS [Gregor GYSI]; Social Democratic
Party or SPD [Gerhard SCHROEDER, chairman] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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employers'
organizations; expellee, refugee, trade unions, and veterans groups
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International organization participation:
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AfDB, AsDB, Australia
Group, BDEAC, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB,
EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WEU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission:
Ambassador Wolfgang Friedrich ISHINGER
consulate(s): Wellington (America Samoa)
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit,
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 298-4249
telephone: [1] (202) 298-8140
chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission:
Ambassador Daniel R. COATS
embassy: Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5, 10117 Berlin; note -
a new embassy will be built near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin
mailing address: PSC 120, Box 1000, APO AE 09265
telephone: [49] (030) 8305-0
FAX: [49] (030) 238-6290
consulate(s) general: Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg,
Leipzig, Munich |
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Flag description:
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three equal horizontal
bands of black (top), red, and gold |
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Economy - overview:
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Germany's affluent and
technologically powerful economy turned in a relatively weak
performance throughout much of the 1990s. The modernization and
integration of the eastern German economy continues to be a costly
long-term problem, with annual transfers from west to east amounting
to roughly $70 billion. Germany's ageing population, combined with
high unemployment, has pushed social security outlays to a level
exceeding contributions from workers. Structural rigidities in the
labor market - including strict regulations on laying off workers and
the setting of wages on a national basis - have made unemployment a
chronic problem. Business and income tax cuts introduced in 2001 did
not spare Germany from the impact of the downturn in international
trade, and domestic demand faltered as unemployment began to rise. The
government expects growth to gain pace in the second half of 2002, but
to fall short of 1% for the year again. Corporate restructuring and
growing capital markets are setting the foundations that could allow
Germany to meet the long-term challenges of European economic
integration and globalization, particularly if labor market rigidities
are addressed. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity
- $2.174 trillion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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0.6% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity
- $26,200 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 1%
industry: 28%
services: 71% (2000) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 25.1% (1997) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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30 (1994) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.4% (2001) |
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Labor force:
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41.9 million (2001)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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industry 33.4%,
agriculture 2.8%, services 63.8% (1999) |
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Unemployment rate:
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9.4% (2001) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $802
billion
expenditures: $825 billion, including capital expenditures of
$NA (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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among the world's
largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel,
coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools,
electronics, food and beverages; shipbuilding; textiles |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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0.2% (2001 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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537.328 billion kWh
(2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
63.08%
hydro: 3.65%
other: 3.27% (2000)
nuclear: 30% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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501.716 billion kWh
(2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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42.5 billion kWh (2000)
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Electricity - imports:
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44.5 billion kWh (2000)
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Agriculture - products:
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potatoes, wheat,
barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages; cattle, pigs, poultry |
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Exports:
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$560.7 billion (f.o.b.,
2001 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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machinery, vehicles,
chemicals, metals and manufactures, foodstuffs, textiles |
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Exports - partners:
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EU 56% (France 11%, UK
8%, Italy 8%, Netherlands 6%, Belgium/Luxembourg 5%), US 10%, Japan 2%
(2000) |
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Imports:
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$472.9 billion (f.o.b.,
2001 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery, vehicles,
chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals |
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Imports - partners:
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EU 52% (France 10%,
Netherlands 9%, Italy 7%, UK 7%, Belgium/Luxembourg 5%), US 9%, Japan
5% (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$NA |
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Economic aid - donor:
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ODA, $5.6 billion
(1998) |
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Currency:
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euro (EUR); deutsche
mark (DEM)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced
the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency
for everyday transactions within the member countries |
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Currency code:
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EUR; DEM |
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Exchange rates:
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euros per US dollar -
1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999);
deutsche marks per US dollar - 1.69 (January 1999), 1.7597 (1998),
1.7341 (1997) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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50.9 million (March
2001) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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55.3 million (June
2001) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment:
Germany has one of the world's most technologically advanced
telecommunications systems; as a result of intensive capital
expenditures since reunification, the formerly backward system of the
eastern part of the country, dating back to World War II, has been
modernized and integrated with that of the western part
domestic: Germany is served by an extensive system of automatic
telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic cable,
coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic satellite system;
cellular telephone service is widely available, expanding rapidly, and
includes roaming service to many foreign countries
international: Germany's international service is excellent
worldwide, consisting of extensive land and undersea cable facilities
as well as earth stations in the INMARSAT, INTELSAT, EUTELSAT, and
INTERSPUTNIK satellite systems (2001) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 51, FM 787,
shortwave 4 (1998) |
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Radios:
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77.8 million (1997)
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Television broadcast stations:
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373 (plus 8,042
repeaters) (1995) |
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Televisions:
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51.4 million (1998)
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Internet country code:
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.de |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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200 (2001) |
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Internet users:
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28.64 million (2001)
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Railways:
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total: 44,000 km
(including at least 20,300 km electrified); most routes are double- or
multiple-track
note: since privatization in 1994, Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) no
longer publishes details of the track it owns; in addition to the DBAG
system there are 102 privately owned railway companies which own
approximately 3,000 to 4,000 km of track (2001 est.) |
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Highways:
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total: 656,140
km
paved: 650,891 km (including 11,400 km of expressways)
unpaved: 5,249 km (all-weather) (1998 est.) |
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Waterways:
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7,500 km
note: major rivers include the Rhine and Elbe; Kiel Canal is an
important connection between the Baltic Sea and North Sea (1999) |
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Pipelines:
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crude oil 2,240 km
(2001) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Berlin, Bonn, Brake,
Bremen, Bremerhaven, Cologne, Dresden, Duisburg, Emden, Hamburg,
Karlsruhe, Kiel, Luebeck, Magdeburg, Mannheim, Rostock, Stuttgart |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 388 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,758,942 GRT/7,132,525 DWT
ships by type: cargo 132, chemical tanker 10, container 219,
liquefied gas 3, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 7, railcar carrier 2,
refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea passenger 7
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a
flag of convenience: Chile 1, Finland 5, Iceland 1, Netherlands 3,
Switzerland 1 (2002 est.) |
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Airports:
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625 (2001) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 325
over 3,047 m: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 55
914 to 1,523 m: 67
under 914 m: 127 (2001)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 65 |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 300
under 914 m: 238 (2001)
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 51
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 |
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Heliports:
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59 (2001) |
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Military branches:
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Army, Navy (including
naval air arm), Air Force, Medical Corps, Joint Support Service |
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Military manpower - military age:
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18 years of age (2002
est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age 15-49:
20,854,329 (2002 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age 15-49:
17,734,977 (2002 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males: 482,318
(2002 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$38.8 billion (2002)
|
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.38% (2002) |
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Transnational Issues |
Germany |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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Illicit drugs:
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source of precursor
chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point
for and consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine,
and European-produced synthetic drugs |
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