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Germany
Physical. Germany is located in Central
Europe, with Denmark and the Baltic and North Seas to the north. It is between
Poland to the east and the Netherlands to the west. It covers an area slightly
smaller than Montana. The climate is temperate and marine with cool, cloudy, wet
winters and summers. The terrain is lowlands in the north, uplands in the
center, and the Bavarian Alps in the south. Some natural resources include iron
ore, coal, timber, uranium, natural gas and copper.
People. Over 83 million people live in
Germany and German is the official language. The ethnic make-up of the country
is: German (92%) Turkish (2%) as well as minorities such as
Italian, Serbo-Croatian, Greek, Polish and others. The population
practices the following religions: Protestant (38%) Roman
Catholic (34%) and Muslim (4%).
Government. Following World War II, Germany
was divided in two with East Germany under the control of the Soviet Union.
Non-violent reunification took place in 1990. Gerhard
Schroder was elected chancellor in 1998 with his party, the Social
Democrats, forming a coalition with the Free Democratic
party. This became known as the Red-Green Coalition. The Red-Green
Coalition has been at the forefront of environmentally friendly policy. The
government has backed US initiatives in Afghanistan and deployed troops to
Bosnia, Kosovo, and Macedonia as well, balking, however at backing the
initiative in Iraq.
Economy. Germany’s economy is the leading
industrial economy in Western Europe. It is the biggest net contributor to the
European Union budget and the European National Bank is based in Frankfurt. It
ranks second in the world in international trade and fourth in economic output.
Its strong base in some traditional industries such as heavy goods, autos, and
chemical products is now being supplemented by high tech development. In 2000,
Germany became the first major industrial country to decide to phase out nuclear
power because of its risks. In 2001, Germany became the world’s leading producer
of wind power.
Areas of Concern. Environmental concerns
include air and water pollution, acid rain, and the disposal of nuclear and
hazardous wastes. The cuts to services that may be needed to address the
tax-revenue shortfall are of concern, particularly as they are anticipated to be
a portion of the cause for an almost doubling of the population living in
poverty. Politically, smoothing relations with the US is a priority as Germany’s
refusal to support the invasion of Iraq was frowned upon by the current US
administration.
Germany statistics
Geography
Area: 137,821 square miles
Capital: Berlin (pop 3,459,000)
Environmental concerns: air and water pollution; acid rain; nuclear and
hazardous-waste disposal
Geographical features: low plains in the north with uplands in the center and
the Bavarian Alps in the south
Climate: temperate and marine
People
83,252,000 people; German (92%); Turkish (2%); other minorities (6%)
Annual growth rate: 0.27%
Major language is German
Religions: Protestant (38%); Roman Catholic (34%); Muslim (4%)
Health and social issues
Life expectancy: Men, 75 years; women, 81 years
Infant mortality: 4.7 deaths per 1000 live births
3% of the population lives in poverty (according to an association of German
charities*)
1 physician per 286 people
HIV/AIDS rate in adults: 0.1%
99% of adults are literate
Compulsory education (ages): 6-15
Communication and transportation
50,900,000 main telephone lines
32,100,000 Internet users (2002)
393,684 miles of highway
26,400 miles of railroad
613 airfields
44,500,000 motor vehicles
Government
Germany is a federal republic that was unified as an empire on January 18, 1871
President Horst Koehler is the head of state
6 major political parties
Universal suffrage at 18
Military
Military expenditures are 1.3% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
There are currently no disputes
Economy
Currency: euro
Per capita GDP: $26,600
GDP: $ 2.18 trillion
GDP growth rate: 0.4%
Inflation rate: 1.7%
Labor force: 3% agriculture; 33% industry; 64% services
Resources and industry
Natural resources: iron ore; coal; potash; timber; lignite; uranium; natural
gas; salt; nickel; copper; arable land
Agriculture: grains; potatoes; sugar beets; fruit; livestock
Industry: iron; steel; coal; cement; chemicals; machinery; shipbuilding; motor
vehicles; electronics; food and beverages; machine tools
Exports: $628 billion
Imports: $594 billion
Suggested web sites
www.germany-info.org
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