Statistical information Germany 1996

Germany in the World
top of pageBackground: Germany_first united in 1871_suffered defeats in successive world wars and was occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the beginning of the Cold War and increasing tension between the US and Soviet Union, two German states were formed in 1949:the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The newly democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the EU and NATO, while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the Soviet Union and end of the Cold War cleared the path for the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and German re-unification in 1990. Germany has expended considerable funds; roughly $100 billion a year; in subsequent years working to bring eastern productivity and wages up to western standards, with mixed results. Unemployment which in the east is nearly double that in the west; has grown over the last several years, primarily as a result of structural problems like an inflexible labor market.
top of pageLocation: Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark
Geographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: 356,910 km²
Land: 349,520 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Montana
Comparative note: Includes the formerly separate Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, and Berlin following formal unification on 3 October 1990
Land boundaries: Total 3,621 km, 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
Coastline: 2,389 km
Maritime claimsContinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: Temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm, tropical foehn wind; high relative humidity
Terrain: Lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Freepsum Lake -2 m
Extremes highest point: Zugspitze 2,962 m
Natural resources:
Iron ore
Coal
Potash
Timber
Lignite
Uranium
Copper
Natural gas
Salt
Nickel
Land useArable land: 34%
Permanent crops: 1%
Permanent pastures: 16%
Forests and woodland: 30%
Other: 19%
Irrigated land: 4,800 km² (1989 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation:
83,536,115 (July 1996 est.)
81,337,541 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate:0.67% (1996 est.)
0.26% (1995 est.)
NationalityNoun: German(s)
Adjective: German
Ethnic groups:
German 95.1%
Turkish 2.3%
Italians 0.7%
Greeks 0.4%
Poles 0.4%
Other 1.1% (made up largely of people fleeing the war in the former Yugoslavia)
Languages: German
Religions:
Protestant 45%
Roman Catholic 37%
Unaffiliated or other 18%
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 years:16.15% (male 6,928,750; female 6,563,026) (July 1996 est.)
16% (male 6,857,577; female 6,518,108) (July 1995 est.)
15-64 years:68.52% (male 29,339,780; female 27,902,549) (July 1996 est.)
68% (male 28,130,083; female 27,167,824) (July 1995 est.)
65 years and over:15.33% (male 4,658,014; female 8,143,996) (July 1996 est.)
16% (male 4,536,011; female 8,127,938) (July 1995 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate:
0.67% (1996 est.)
0.26% (1995 est.)
Birth rate:
9.66 births/1000 population (1996 est.)
10.98 births/1000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate:
12.21 deaths/1000 population (1996 est.)
10.83 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate:
8.25 migrant(s)/1000 population (1996 est.)
2.46 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries and lead emissions from vehicle exhausts (the result of continued use of leaded fuels) contribute to air pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests; heavy pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany
Current issues Natural hazards: NA
International agreements: party to_Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified_Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Tropical Timber 94
International agreements note: Strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/female
All ages:0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.) Infant Mortality Rate:6 deaths/1000 live births (1996 est.)
6.3 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rateLife expectancy at birthTotal population: 75.95 years (1996 est.), 76.62 years (1995 est.)
Male: 72.8 years (1996 est.), 73.5 years (1995 est.)
Female: 79.27 years (1996 est.), 79.92 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.3 children born/woman (1996 est.)
1.5 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracyDefinition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1991 est.)
Total population: 99%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany
Conventional short form: Germany
Local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Local short form: Deutschland
Government type: Federal republic
Capital: Berlin
Note: The shift from Bonn to Berlin will take place over a period of years with Bonn retaining many administrative functions and several ministries
Administrative divisions: 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
Dependent areasIndependence: 18 January 1871 (German Empire unification; divided into four zones of occupation (U.K., U.S., 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 U.K., U.S., 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 power rights formally relinquished 15 March 1991
National holiday: German Unity Day (Day of Unity), 3 October (1990)
Constitution: 23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the united German people 3 October 1990
Legal system: Civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branchChief of state: President Roman HERZOG (since 1 July 1994); elected by the Federal Convention including members of the Bundestag and an equal number of members elected by the Land Parliaments
Head of government: Chancellor Dr. Helmut KOHL (since 4 October 1982)
Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president upon the proposal of the chancellor
Legislative branch: Bicameral chamber (no official name for the two chambers as a whole) Federal Assembly (Bundestag):Last held 16 October 1994 (next to be held by NA 1998; results_CDU 34.2%, SPD 36.4%, Alliance 90/Greens 7.3%, CSU 7.3%, FDP 6.9%, PDS 4.4%, Republicans 1.9% ; seats_(662 total, but number can vary) CDU 244, SPD 252, Alliance 90/Greens 49, CSU 50, FDP 47, PDS 30; elected by direct popular vote under a system combining direct and proportional representation; a party must win 5% of the national vote or 3 direct mandates to gain representation Federal Council (Bundesrat):State governments are directly represented by votes; each has 3 to 6 votes depending on size and are required to vote as a block; current composition:votes_(68 total) SPD-led states 41, CDU-led states 27
Judicial branch: Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht), half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMIR, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNOMIG, UNPROFOR, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representationFlag description
: Three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and yellow
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Germany, the world's third-most powerful economy, faces its own unique problem of bringing its eastern area up to scratch after 45 years of communist rule. Despite substantial progress toward economic integration, the eastern states will continue to rely on subsidies from the federal government into the next century. Assistance to the east of about $100 billion annually has helped the region average nearly 8% annual economic growth since 1991, even though the overall German economy has averaged less than 2% growth. The economic recovery in the east has been led by the construction industries, with growth increasingly supported by the service sectors and light manufacturing industries. Western Germany, which accounts for 90% of overall German GDP and has three times the per capita income of eastern Germany, is perennially the first- or second-largest exporter, after the US, in the world. Nonetheless, business and political leaders have in recent years become increasingly concerned about Germany's apparent decline in attractiveness as a business location. They cite the increasing preference of German companies to locate manufacturing facilities_long the strength of the postwar economy_to foreign countries, including the US, rather than in Germany, so they can be closer to their markets and avoid Germany's high production costs. The conditions under which European economic integration_especially movement toward a single European currency_will proceed will be another key issue facing Germany in the next few years. Germany:
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateGermany:2.9% (1999 est.)
2.7% (1998 est.)
2.2% (1997)
1.4% (1996)
1.4% (1985-1995)
Real gdp per capitaPurchasing power parity Germany:$17,900 (1995 est.)
$16,580 (1994 est.)
Western: $21,100 (1995 est.), $19,660 (1994 est.)
Eastern: $6,600 (1995 est.), $5,950 (1994 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture productsWestern: accounts for about 1% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); diversified crop and livestock farming; principal crops and livestock include potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbage, cattle, pigs, poultry; net importer of food
Eastern: accounts for about 10% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); principal crops_wheat, rye, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, fruit; livestock products include pork, beef, chicken, milk, hides and skins; net importer of food
IndustriesWestern: among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics; food and beverages
Eastern: metal fabrication, chemicals, brown coal, shipbuilding, machine building, food and beverages, textiles, petroleum refining
Industrial production growth rateWestern: growth rate 2.8% (1994)
Eastern: growth rate NA
Labor force: 36.75 million
By occupation Industry: 41%
By occupation Agriculture: 6%
By occupation Other: 53% (1987)
Unemployment rate:
9.7% (1997)
8.9% (1996)
8.2% (1995)
8.4% (1994)
7.9% (1993)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $690 billion
Expenditures: $780 billion, including capital expenditures of $96.5 billion (1994)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: Calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: total value. $437 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
Commodities:Manufactures 89.3% (including machines and machine tools
Chemicals
Motor vehicles
Iron and steel products)
Agricultural products 5.5%
Raw materials 2.7%
Fuels 1.3% (1993)
Partners:EU 47.9% (France 11.7%
Netherlands 7.4%
Italy 7.5%
U.K. 7.7%
Belgium-Luxembourg 6.6%)
EFTA 15.5%
U.S. 7.7%
Eastern Europe 5.2%
OPEC 3.0% (1993)
Imports: total value:$362 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
Commodities:Manufactures 75.1%
Agricultural products 10.0%
Fuels 8.3%
Raw materials 5.0% (1993)
Partners:EU 46.4% (France 11.3%
Netherlands 8.4%
Italy 8.1%
U.K. 6.0%
Belgium-Luxembourg 5.7%)
EFTA 14.3%
U.S. 7.3%
Japan 6.3%
Eastern Europe 5.1%
OPEC 2.6% (1993)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: NA
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Deutsche marks (DM) per US$1: 1.4617 (January 1996), 1.4331 (1995), 1.6228 (1994), 1.6533 (1993), 1.5617 (1992), 1.6595 (1991), 1.6157 (1990)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 115,430,000 kW
Production: 493 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 5,683 kWh (1993)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone system: 44 million telephones; 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 is being rapidly modernized and integrated with that of the western part
Domestic: the region which was formerly West 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 and includes roaming service to many foreign countries; since the reunification of Germany, the telephone system of the eastern region has been upgraded and enjoys many of the advantages of the national system
International: satellite earth stations_14 Intelsat (12 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), 2 Intersputnik (1 Atlantic Ocean region and 1 Indian Ocean region); 6 submarine cable connections; 2 HF radiotelephone communication centers; tropospheric scatter links
Western: NA
Broadcast stations: AM 23, FM 17, shortwave 0
Eastern: NA
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $42.8 billion, 1.5% of GDP (1995), $40 billion, 1.8% of GNP (1995)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirportsWith paved runways over 3047 m: 13
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 65
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 67
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 51
With paved runways under 914 m: 351
With paved runways With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 6
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 7
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 55 (1995 est.)
Heliports: 55 (1995 est.)
Pipelines: Crude oil 3,644 km; petroleum products 3,946 km; natural gas 97,564 km (1988)
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysWestern: 5,222 km, of which almost 70% are usable by craft of 1,000-metric-ton capacity or larger; major rivers include the Rhine and Elbe; Kiel Canal is an important connection between the Baltic Sea and North Sea
Eastern: 2,319 km (1988)
Merchant marineTotal: 617
Ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 193, chemical tanker 15, combination bulk 4, combination ore/oil 5, container 166, liquefied gas tanker 12, multifunction large-load carrier 6, oil tanker 11, passenger 3, railcar carrier 3, refrigerated cargo 7, roll-on/roll-off cargo 14, short-sea passenger 7 (1995 est.) Airports:
Ports and terminalsGermany - Transnational issues 1996
top of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: Source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine for West European markets