Background: As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation (after Russia) Germany is 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.

Geographic coordinates: 51 00 N 9 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 357,022 km²
Land: 348,672 km²
Water: 8,350 km²
Rank: 63
Comparative: three times the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries
Total: 3,714 km
Border countries: (9) Austria 801 km; Belgium 133 km; Czech Republic 704 km; Denmark 140 km; France 418 km; Luxembourg 128 km; Netherlands 575 km; Poland 467 km; Switzerland 348 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
Agricultural land: 48%
Forest: 31.8%
Other: 20.2%

Irrigated land: 5,157 km² (2006)

Total renewable water resources: 154 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: flooding

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

Population: 80,854,408 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 18
Growth rate: -0.17% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 214
Below poverty line: 15.5% (2010 est.)

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 (official)
Note: Danish Frisian Sorbian and Romany are official minority languages; Low German Danish North Frisian Sater Frisian Lower Sorbian Upper Sorbian and Romany are recognized as regional languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 12.88%
15-24 years: 10.38%
25-54 years: 41.38%
55-64 years: 13.91%
65 years and over: 21.45% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 51.8%
Youth dependency ratio: 19.6%
Elderly dependency ratio: 32.2%
Potential support ratio: 3.1%

Median age
Total: 46.5 years
Male: 45.4 years
Female: 47.5 years

Population growth rate: -0.17% (2015 est.)
Rank: 214

Birth rate: 8.47 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 217

Death rate: 11.42 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 30

Net migration rate: 1.24 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 60

Urbanization
Urban population: 75.3% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.16% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: BERLIN (capital) 3.563 million; Hamburg 1.831 million; Munich 1.438 million; Cologne 1.037 million (2015)

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 by 2022; 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-Persistent Organic Pollutants 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: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male/female
25-54 years: 1.03 male/female
55-64 years: 0.98 male/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male/female
Total population: 0.97 male/female

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.43 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 3.72 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.12 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 208

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.57 years
Male: 78.26 years
Female: 83 years
Rank: 32

Total fertility rate: 1.44 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 206

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 66.2%
Note: percent of women aged 18-49

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 3.89 physicians/1000 population (2012)

Hospital bed density: 8.2 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.15% (2013 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 103
People living with hivaids: 77,500 (2013 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 48
Deaths: 400 (2013 est.)
Deaths rank: 93

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 22.7% (2014)
Rank: 59

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 1.1% (2006)
Rank: 132

Education expenditures: 5% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 74

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 16 years
Male: 17 years
Female: 16 years

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
Name: Berlin
Geographic coordinates: 52 31 N 13 24 E
Time difference: UTC+1
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions: 16 states (Laender singular - Land); Baden-Wuerttemberg Bayern (Bavaria) Berlin Brandenburg Bremen Hamburg Hessen (Hesse) Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia) Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate) Saarland Sachsen (Saxony) Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt) Schleswig-Holstein Thueringen (Thuringia); note - Bayern Sachsen and Thueringen refer to themselves as free states (Freistaaten singular - Freistaat) while Hamburg prides itself on being a Free and Hanseatic City (Freie und Hansestadt)

Independence: 18 January 1871 (establishment of the German Empire); divided into four zones of occupation (UK US USSR and France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed on 23 May 1949 and included the former UK US and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed on 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; West Germany and East Germany unified on 3 October 1990; all four powers formally relinquished rights on 15 March 1991; notable earlier dates: 10 August 843 (Eastern Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 2 February 962 (crowning of OTTO I recognized as the first Holy Roman Emperor)

National holiday: Unity Day 3 October (1990)

Constitution: previous 1919 (Weimar Constitution); latest drafted 10 to 23 August 1948 approved 12 May 1949 promulgated 23 May 1949 entered into force 24 May 1949; amended many times last in 2012 (2012)

Legal system: civil law system

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Joachim GAUCK
Head of government: Chancellor Angela MERKEL
Cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister recommended by the chancellor appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president indirectly elected for a 5-year term by a Federal Convention consisting of the 630-member Federal Parliament (Bundestag) and 630 delegates indirectly elected by the state parliaments; election last held on 19 February 2012 (next to be held by June 2017); chancellor indirectly elected by absolute majority by the Federal Parliament for a 4-year term; Federal Parliament vote for chancellor last held on 17 December 2013 (next to be held following the September 2017 general election)
Election results: Joachim GAUCK elected president; Federal Convention vote count - Joachim GAUCK 991 Beate KLARSFELD (independent) 126 Olaf ROSE (National People's Union) 3; Angela MERKEL (CDU) reelected chancellor; Federal Parliament vote - 462 for 150 against 4 abstentions

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Federal Council or Bundesrat and the Federal Diet or Bundestag (631 seats - total seats can vary each electoral term; approximately one-half of members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and approximately one-half directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: Bundestag - last held on 22 September 2013 ; most all postwar German governments have been coalitions; 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: Bundestag - percent of vote by party - CDU/CSU 41.5% SPD 25.7% Left 8.6% Greens 8.4% FDP 4.8% other 10.9%; seats by party - CDU/CSU 311 SPD 193 Left 64 Greens 63

Judicial branch
Highest court: Federal Court of Justice
Judge selection and term of office: Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated States and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament; judges appointed by the president of Germany; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half elected by the House of Representatives and one-half by the Senate; judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
Subordinate courts: Federal Administrative Court; Federal Finance Court; Federal Labor Court; Federal Social Court; each of the 16 German states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary and specialized (administrative finance labor social) courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member) AfDB (nonregional member) Arctic Council (observer) Australia Group BIS BSEC (observer) CBSS CD CDB CE CERN EAPC EBRD ECB EIB EITI (implementing country) EMU ESA EU FAO FATF G-5 G-7 G-8 G-10 G-20 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICCt ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IGAD (partners) IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MINURSO MINUSMA NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE Pacific Alliance (observer) Paris Club PCA Schengen Convention SELEC (observer) SICA (observer) UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNMISS UNRWA UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Hans Peter WITTIG
In the us chancery: 4,645 Reservoir Road NW Washington DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] 298-4,000
In the us FAX: [1] 298-4,249
In the us consulate general: Atlanta Boston Chicago Houston Los Angeles Miami New York San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John B. EMERSON
From the us embassy: Pariser Platz 2
From the us mailing address: Clayallee 170 14,191 Berlin
From the us telephone: [49] 8,305-0
From the us FAX: [49] 8,305-1215
From the us consulate general: Duesseldorf Frankfurt am Main Hamburg Leipzig Munich

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top) red and gold; these colors have played an important role in German history and can be traced back to the medieval banner of the Holy Roman Emperor - a black eagle with red claws and beak on a gold field

National symbols: golden eagle; national colors: black red yellow

National anthem
Name: 'Das Lied der Deutschen'
Lyrics and music: August Heinrich HOFFMANN VON FALLERSLEBEN/Franz Joseph HAYDN
Note: adopted 1922; the anthem also known as 'Deutschlandlied' was originally adopted for its connection to the March 1848 liberal revolution; following appropriation by the Nazis of the first verse specifically the phrase 'Deutschland Deutschland ueber alles' (Germany Germany above all) to promote nationalism it was banned after 1945; in 1952 its third verse was adopted by West Germany as its national anthem; in 1990 it became the national anthem for the reunited Germany

Economy overview: The German economy - the fifth largest economy in the world in PPP terms and Europe's largest - is a leading exporter of machinery vehicles chemicals and household equipment and benefits from a highly skilled labor force. Like its Western European neighbors Germany faces significant demographic challenges to sustained long-term growth. Low fertility rates and declining net immigration are increasing pressure on the country's social welfare system and necessitate structural reforms. Reforms launched by the government of Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (1998-2005) deemed necessary to address chronically high unemployment and low average growth contributed to strong growth and falling unemployment. These advances as well as a government subsidized reduced working hour scheme help explain the relatively modest increase in unemployment during the 2008-09 recession - the deepest since World War II - and its decrease to 5.2% in 2014. The new German government introduced a minimum wage of about $11.60 (8.50 euros) per hour to take effect in 2015. Stimulus and stabilization efforts initiated in 2008 and 2009 and tax cuts introduced in Chancellor Angela MERKEL's second term increased Germany's total budget deficit - including federal state and municipal - to 4.1% in 2010 but slower spending and higher tax revenues reduced the deficit to 0.8% in 2011 and in 2012 Germany reached a budget surplus of 0.1%. The budget was essentially in balance in 2014. A constitutional amendment approved in 2009 limits the federal government to structural deficits of no more than 0.35% of GDP per annum as of 2016 though the target was already reached in 2012. The German economy suffers from low levels of investment and a government plan to invest 15 billion euros 2016-18 largely in infrastructure is intended to spur needed private investment. Following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster Chancellor Angela MERKEL announced in May 2011 that eight of the country's 17 nuclear reactors would be shut down immediately and the remaining plants would close by 2022. Germany plans to replace nuclear power with renewable energy which accounted for 27.8% of gross electricity consumption in 2014 up from 9% in 2000. Before the shutdown of the eight reactors Germany relied on nuclear power for 23% of its electricity generating capacity and 46% of its base-load electricity production. Extremely low inflation caused largely by low global energy prices and a weak euro are expected to boost German GDP growth in 2015.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 6

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 165

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 27

Gross national saving:
Rank: 48

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 56.1%
Government consumption: 19.2%
Investment in fixed capital: 20.2%
Investment in inventories: 0.1%
Exports of goods and services: 45.7%
Imports of goods and services: -41.3%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.9%
Industry: 30.8%
Services: 68.4%: (2014 est.)

Agriculture products: potatoes wheat barley sugar beets fruit cabbages; milk products; 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 automobiles food and beverages shipbuilding textiles

Industrial production growth rate: 1.3% (2014 est.)
Rank: 145

Labor force: 42.65 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 15
By occupation agriculture: 1.6%
By occupation industry: 24.6%
By occupation services: 73.8%
Note: (2011)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 49

Population below poverty line: 15.5% (2010 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.6%
Highest 10: 24%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 129

Budget
Revenues: $1.68 trillion
Expenditures: $1.664 trillion
Surplus or deficit: 0.4% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 33

Taxes and other revenues: 44% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 27

Public debt:
Note: general government gross debt is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities : currency and deposits (AF.2) securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3 excluding AF.34) and loans (AF.4); the general government sector comprises the sub-sectors of central government state government local government and social security funds; the series are presented as a percentage of GDP and in millions of euro; GDP used as a denominator is the gross domestic product at current market prices; data expressed in national currency are converted into euro using end-of-year exchange rates provided by the European Central Bank
Rank: 35

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 53

Central bank discount rate:
Note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
Rank: 128

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 178

Stock of narrow money:
Note: see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders
Rank: 5

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 5

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 5

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 9

Current account balance:
Rank: 1

Exports:
Rank: 4
Commodities: motor vehicles machinery chemicals computer and electronic products electrical equipment pharmaceuticals metals transport equipment foodstuffs textiles rubber and plastic products
Partners: France 9.6% UK 7.9% US 6.9% Netherlands 6.9% China 5.8% Austria 5.3% Italy 5.1% Poland 4.5% Switzerland 4.3% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 4
Commodities: machinery data processing equipment vehicles chemicals oil and gas metals electric equipment pharmaceuticals foodstuffs agricultural products
Partners: Netherlands 13.8% France 8% China 6.6% Belgium 6.3% Italy 5.4% UK 4.8% Poland 4.6% Czech Republic 4.4% Austria 4.3% Switzerland 4.1% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $198.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
Rank: 14

Debt external:
Rank: 4

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 4

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 2

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 575.9 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 8
Consumption: 582.5 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 7
Exports: 71.43 billion kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 2
Imports: 39.16 billion kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 5
Installed generating capacity: 178.4 million kW (2012 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 6
Generation sources fossil fuels: 51% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 151
Generation sources nuclear: 7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 22
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 125
Generation sources other renewable sources: 36% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 3

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 97,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 49
Crude oil exports: 3,907 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 64
Crude oil imports: 1.881 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 6
Crude oil proven reserves: 232.6 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 57

Refined petroleum
Products production: 2.206 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products production rank: 8
Products consumption: 2.403 million bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 9
Products exports: 376,600 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products exports rank: 19
Products imports: 666,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 10

Natural gas
Production: 11.78 billion m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 41
Consumption: 88.44 billion m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 9
Exports: 18.82 billion m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 15
Imports: 94.91 billion m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 3
Proven reserves: 116 billion m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 50

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 788.3 million Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 7

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 47.02 million
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 58
Fixed lines rank: 5
Mobile cellular total: 99.5 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 123
Mobile cellular rank: 15

Telephone system
General assessment: 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: 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

Broadcast media: a mixture of publicly operated and privately owned TV and radio stations; national and regional public broadcasters compete with nearly 400 privately owned national and regional TV stations; more than 90% of households have cable or satellite TV; hundreds of radio stations including multiple national radio networks regional radio networks and a large number of local radio stations (2008)

Internet
Country code: .de
Users total: 70.3 million
Users percent of population: 86.8%
Users rank: 8

Military expenditures:
Rank: 74

Military service age and obligation: 17-23 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription ended 1 July 2011; service obligation 8-23 months or 12 years; women have been eligible for voluntary service in all military branches and positions since 2001 (2013)

Airports: 539 (2013)
Rank: 13
With paved runways total: 318
With paved runways over 3047 m: 14
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 49
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 60
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 70
With paved runways under 914 m: 125
With unpaved runways total: 221
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 35
With unpaved runways: 185 (2013)

Heliports: 23 (2013)

Pipelines: condensate 37 km; gas 26,985 km; oil 2,826 km; refined products 4,479 km; water 8 km (2013)

Railways
Total: 43,468 km
Standard gauge: 43,209 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 220 km 1.000-m gauge ; 15 km 0.900-m gauge; 24 km 0.750-m gauge (2014)
Rank: 6

Roadways
Total: 645,000 km
Paved: 645,000 km
Note: includes local roads
Rank: 12

Waterways: 7,467 km (Rhine River carries most goods; Main-Danube Canal links North Sea and Black Sea) (2012)
Rank: 18

Merchant marine
Total: 427
By type: barge carrier 2 bulk carrier 6 cargo 51 carrier 1 chemical tanker 15 container 298 liquefied gas 6 passenger 4 passenger/cargo 24 petroleum tanker 10 refrigerated cargo 3 roll on/roll off 6 vehicle carrier 1
Foreign owned: 6
Registered in other countries: 3,420 (2010)
Rank: 24

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Baltic Sea - Rostock; North Sea - Wilhelmshaven
River port: Bremen ; Bremerhaven (Geeste); Duisburg Karlsruhe Neuss-Dusseldorf (Rhine); Brunsbuttel Hamburg (Elbe); Lubeck (Wakenitz)
Oil terminal: Brunsbuttel Canal terminals
Container port: Bremen/Bremerhaven Hamburg (9,014,165) (2011)
LNG terminal: Hamburg

Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 41,167 (Iraq); 40,994 (Syria); 27,814 (Afghanistan); 22,242 (Turkey); 18,814 (Iran); 9,294 (Serbia and Kosovo) (2014)
Stateless persons: 11,917

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