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Background Note: Germany
PROFILE
OFFICIAL NAME:
Federal
Republic of Germany
Geography
Area: 357,000 sq. km. (137,821 sq. mi.); about the size of
Montana.
Cities: Capital--Berlin (population about 3.4 million).
Other cities--Hamburg (1.7 million), Munich (1.2
million), Cologne (964,000), Frankfurt (644,000), Essen
(603,000), Dortmund (592,000), Stuttgart (582,000), Dusseldorf
(568,000), Bremen (543,000), Hanover (516,000).
Terrain: Low plain in the north; high plains, hills, and basins
in the center and east; mountainous alpine region in the south.
Climate: Temperate; cooler and rainier than much of the United
States.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--German(s).
Population (2005 est.): 82 million.
Ethnic groups: Primarily German; Danish minority in the north,
Sorbian (Slavic) minority in the east; 7.3 million foreign
residents.
Religions: Protestants (26 million); Roman Catholics (26
million); approximately 3.2 million Muslims.
Language: German.
Education: Years compulsory--10; attendance--100%;
literacy--99%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (1998 est.)--5.0/1,000;
life expectancy (1999 est.)--women 80 years, men 74 years.
Persons employed (2001 avg.): 38.8 million; unemployed (2001
avg.): 3.9 million--9.1% of labor force.
Government
Type: Federal republic.
Founded: 1949 (Basic Law, i.e., Constitution, promulgated on May
23, 1949). On October 3, 1990, the Federal Republic of Germany
and the German Democratic Republic unified in accordance with
Article 23 of the F.R.G. Basic Law.
Branches: Executive--president (titular chief of state),
chancellor (executive head of government); legislative--bicameral
parliament; judicial--independent, Federal Constitutional
Court.
Administrative divisions: 16 Laender (states).
Major political parties: Social Democratic Party (SPD);
Christian Democratic Union (CDU); Christian Social Union (CSU);
Alliance 90/Greens; Free Democratic Party (FDP); Left Party
(LP)/Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS).
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
Economy
GDP (2001): $1.8 trillion.
Annual growth rate (2001): 0.6%; (2003 est.): 0.5%.
Per capita income: $22,900.
Inflation rate (consumer prices, 2001): 2.5%.
Natural resources: Iron, hard coal, lignite, potash, natural
gas.
Agriculture (accounts for 1% of GDP): Products--corn,
wheat, potatoes, sugar, beets, barley, hops, viticulture,
forestry, fisheries.
Industry (34% of GDP): Types--iron and steel, coal,
chemicals, electrical products, ships, vehicles, construction.
Trade (2001): Exports--$628 billion: chemicals, motor
vehicles, iron and steel products, manufactured goods,
electrical products. Major markets--France, U.S., and
U.K. Imports--$594 billion: food, petroleum products,
manufactured goods, electrical products, motor vehicles,
apparel. Major suppliers--France, U.S., Netherlands.
PEOPLE
Most inhabitants of Germany are ethnic German. There are,
however, more than 7 million foreign residents, including
asylees, guest workers, and their dependents. Germany is a prime
destination for political and economic refugees from many
developing countries. An ethnic Danish minority lives in the
north, and a small Slavic minority known as the Sorbs lives in
eastern Germany.
Germany has one of the world's highest levels
of education, technological development, and economic
productivity. Since the end of World War II, the number of
youths entering universities has more than tripled, and the
trade and technical schools of the Federal Republic of Germany (F.R.G.)
are among the world's best. With a per capita income level of
more than $22,900, Germany is a broadly middle class society. A
generous social welfare system provides for universal medical
care, unemployment compensation, and other social needs.
Millions of Germans travel abroad each year.
With unification on October 3, 1990, Germany
began the major task of bringing the standard of living of
Germans in the former German Democratic Republic (G.D.R.) up to
that of western Germany. This has been a lengthy and difficult
process due to the relative inefficiency of industrial
enterprises in the former G.D.R., difficulties in resolving
property ownership in eastern Germany, and the inadequate
infrastructure and environmental damage that resulted from years
of mismanagement under communist rule. |
