Map of Germany | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: 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 Germany 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 1999 Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency the euro.


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Location: Central Europe bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea between the Netherlands and Poland south of Denmark

Geographic coordinates: 51 00 N 9 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 357,021 km²
Land: 349,223 km²
Water: 7,798 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries
Total: 3,621 km
Border countries: (9) 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 claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate: temperate and marine; cool cloudy wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind

Terrain: lowlands in north uplands in center Bavarian Alps in south

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.54 m
Extremes highest point: Zugspitze 2,963 m

Natural resources: coal lignite natural gas iron ore copper nickel uranium potash salt construction materials timber arable land

Land use
Arable land: 33.85%
Permanent crops: 0.59%
Other: 65.56% (2001)

Irrigated land: 4,850 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: flooding

Geography
Note: strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea


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Population: 82,424,609 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 0.02% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: German
Adjective: German

Ethnic groups: German 91.5% Turkish 2.4% other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek Italian Polish Russian Serbo-Croatian Spanish)

Languages: German

Religions: Protestant 34% Roman Catholic 34% Muslim 3.7% unaffiliated or other 28.3%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 14.7% (male 6,197,490; female 5,879,052)
15-64 years: 67% (male 28,119,536; female 27,132,713)
65 years and over: 18.3% (male 6,096,106; female 8,999,712) (2004 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 41.7 years
Male: 40.4 years
Female: 43.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.02% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 8.45 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 10.44 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.18 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: 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
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male/female
Total population: 0.96 male/female (2004 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.2 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 4.64 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.73 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.54 years
Male: 75.56 years
Female: 81.68 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 41,000 (2001 est.)
Deaths: less than 1000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99% (1997 est.)
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany
Conventional short form: Germany
Local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Local short form: Deutschland
Former: German Empire, German Republic, German Reich

Government type: federal republic

Capital: Berlin

Administrative divisions: 13 states (Laender singular - Land) and 3 free states* (Freistaaten singular - Freistaat); Baden-Wuerttemberg Bayern* Berlin Brandenburg Bremen Hamburg Hessen Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Niedersachsen Nordrhein-Westfalen Rheinland-Pfalz Saarland Sachsen* Sachsen-Anhalt Schleswig-Holstein Thueringen*

Dependent areas

Independence: 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

National holiday: Unity Day 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 participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Horst KOEHLER (since 1 July 2004)
Head of government: Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (since 27 October 1998); Vice Chancellor Joschka FISCHER (since 17 October 1998)
Cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the chancellor
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 2004 (next to be held 23 May 2009); chancellor elected by an absolute majority of the Federal Assembly for a four-year term; election last held 22 September 2002 (next to be held September 2006)
Election results: Horst KOEHLER elected president; received 604 votes of the Federal Convention against 589 for Gesine SCHWAN; Gerhard SCHROEDER elected chancellor; percent of Federal Assembly vote 50.7%

Legislative branch
Elections: Federal Assembly - last held 22 September 2002 (next to be held NA September 2006); 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 38.5%, CDU/CSU 38.5%, Alliance '90/Greens 8.6%, FDP 7.4%, PDS 4%; seats by party - SPD 251, CDU/CSU 248, Alliance '90/Greens 55, FDP 47, PDS 2; Federal Council - current composition - NA

Judicial branch: Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat)

Political parties and leaders: Alliance '90/Greens [Angelika BEER and Reinhard BUETIKOFER]; 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 [Lothar BISKY]; Social Democratic Party or SPD [Franz MUENTEFERING]

International organization participation: AfDB AsDB Australia Group BIS BSEC (observer) CBSS CDB CE CERN EAPC EBRD EIB EMU ESA EU FAO G- 5 G- 7 G- 8 G-10 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU MIGA NAM (guest) NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE Paris Club PCA UN UNAMSIL UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMEE UNMIK UNMOVIC UNOMIG UPU WADB (nonregional) WCO WEU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Wolfgang Friedrich ISCHINGER
In the us chancery: 4,645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 298-8,140
In the us fax: [1] (202) 298-4,249
In the us consulates general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel R. COATS
From the us embassy: Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5, 10,117 Berlin; note - a new embassy will be built near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin; ground was broken in October 2004 and completion is scheduled for 2008
From the us mailing address: PSC 120, Box 1000, APO AE 9,265
From the us telephone: [49] (030) 8,305-0
From the us fax: [49] (030) 8,305-1215
From the us consulates general: Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top) red and gold

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy- the fifth largest national economy in the world - has become one of the slowest growing economies in the entire euro zone and a quick turnaround is not in the offing in the foreseeable future. Growth in 2001-03 fell short of 1%. The modernization and integration of the eastern German economy continues to be a costly long-term process 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. 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 further addressed. The government is also starting long-needed structural reforms designed to revitalize the country's economy. In the short run however the fall in government revenues and the rise in expenditures have raised the deficit above the EU's 3% debt limit.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -0.1% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $27,600 (2003 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1%
Industry: 31%
Services: 68% (2002 est.)

Agriculture products: potatoes wheat barley sugar beets fruit cabbages; cattle pigs poultry

Industries: 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

Industrial production growth rate: 0.2% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 42.63 million (2003)
By occupation agriculture: 2.8%
By occupation industry: 33.4%
By occupation services: 63.8% (1999)

Unemployment rate: 10.5% (2003 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.6%
Highest 10: 25.1% (1997)

Distribution of family income gini index: 30 (1994)

Budget
Revenues: $1.079 trillion
Expenditures: $1.173 trillion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 64.2% of GDP (2003)

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.1% (2003 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: $57.24 billion (2003)

Exports: $696.9 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: machinery vehicles chemicals metals and manufactures foodstuffs textiles
Partners: France 10.6% US 9.3% UK 8.4% Italy 7.4% Netherlands 6.2% Austria 5.3% Belgium 5.1% Spain 4.9% Switzerland 4% (2003)

Imports: $585 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: machinery vehicles chemicals foodstuffs textiles metals
Partners: France 9.2% Netherlands 8.4% US 7.3% Italy 6.3% UK 6% Belgium 4.9% China 4.7% Austria 4% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: NA (2000 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003) 1.0626 (2002) 1.1175 (2001) 1.0854 (2000) 0.9386 (1999)


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Electricity
Production: 544.8 billion kWh (2001)
Consumption: 506.8 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 43.9 billion kWh (2001)
Imports: 44 billion kWh (2001)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 22.16 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 94.34 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 6.674 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 78.73 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 298.3 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 54.35 million (2003)
Mobile cellular: 64.8 million (2003)

Telephone system
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: country code - 49; 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)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .de
Hosts: 2,686,119 (2004)
Users: 39 million (2003)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $35.063 billion (2003)
Percent of gdp: 1.5% (2003)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 550 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 331
With paved runways over 3047 m: 13
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 51
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 62
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 71
With paved runways under 914 m: 134 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 219
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 31
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 185 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 34 (2003 est.)

Pipelines: condensate 325 km; gas 25,293 km; oil 3,540 km; refined products 3,827 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 46,039 km (20,100 km electrified)
Standard gauge: 45,801 km 1.435-m gauge (20,084 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 214 km 1.000-m gauge (16 km electrified); 24 km 0.750-m gauge (2003)

Roadways

Waterways
Note: Rhine River carries most goods; Main-Danube Canal links North Sea and Black Sea (2004)

Merchant marine
Total: 278 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,721,495 GRT/6,810,631 DWT
By type: cargo 71, chemical tanker 14, container 169, liquefied gas 3, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 5, rail car carrier 2, roll on/roll off 3, short-sea/passenger 7
Foreign owned: Finland 4, Iceland 1, Netherlands 3
Registered in other countries: 2,295 (2004 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: 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; major financial center