| Country name (long): | Federal Republic of Germany / Bundesrepublik Deutschland | Country name (short): |
Germany / Deutschland |
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| Population | 82,422,299 | Population growth rate: |
-0.02% |
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| Data code: | DK | Birth rate: |
8.25 births / 1,000 population |
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| Nationality: | German (s) | Death rate: | 10.62 deaths / 1,000 population | |||
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| Location: | Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark | Life expectancy at birth: | 78.8 years | |||
| National capital: | Berlin | Net migration rate: | 2.18 migrant (s) / 1,000 population | |||
| Coordinates: | 51 00 N, 9 00 E | Sex ratio: | 0.96 male (s) / female | |||
| Area: | 357,021 sq km | Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal | |||
| Land boundaries: | 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 | Ethnic groups: |
German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% made up largely of Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish |
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| Climate: | temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind | Religions: |
Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3% |
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| Terrain: | lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south | Languages: | German | |||
| Elevation extremes: | Age structure: | |||||
| Lowest point: | Neuendorf bei Wilster | 3.54 m | 0-14 years: | 14.1% male 5,973,437 / female 5,665,971 | ||
| Highest point: | Zugspitze | 2,963 m | 15-64 years: | 66.4% male 27,889,936 / female 26,874,858 | ||
| 65 years and over: | 19.4% male 6,602,478 / female 9,415,619 | |||||
| Government type: | federal republic | Infant mortality rate: | 4.12 deaths / 1,000 live births | |||
| GDP - real growth rate: | 0.90% | Literacy: | 99% | |||
| National holiday: | Unity Day, 3 October (1990) | Unemployment rate: | 11.60% | |||
| Constitution: | 23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the united German people 3 October 1990 | Inflation rate: | 2% | |||
| Legal system: | civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | 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 |
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| GDP - per capita (PPP): | US $29,800 | Currency (code): | euro (EUR) | |||
| 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 | Trans-national Issues: |
source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; trans-shipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and European-produced synthetic drugs; major financial center |
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Country Guide - Germany
DemographicSnapshot
With every country and with every population it is inevitable that generalisations and stereotypes are formed, however as pertains to Germany and the German people it would seem that such observations are excessively disproportionate. Discussions of the German people and psyche can result in passionate and diverse points of views expressed amongst Germans and non-Germans alike.
Indeed, such clichés are so profuse that the official German tourism website makes considerable effort to set the record straight. However embedded into the world culture this may be, in reality Germany today is a dynamic multicultural environment, vibrant, sophisticated and refined.
As a country, Germany exhibits significant culture and charm, reflected in cities that are inspiringly progressive, historically embracing and future directed, interspersed with picturesque postcard towns and truly epic natural scenery. The variation in landscape lends itself well to culinary diversity amongst the differing regions, but all is underlined by a general attitude and mannerism of polite hospitality amongst its people.
Historically, Germany has imparted a decisive impact on Continental history, from Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire to Otto von Bismarck's German Reich, Nazism and the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall.
Much is often lamented over Germany’s responsibility and involvement in the two World Wars at the first half of the 20th century, and the resultant catastrophic devastation. Undeniably a horrific period in history, atrocities and acts of inhumanity committed by and amongst all participants and countries involved. Not surprisingly, it is a topic of discussion that even today is delicately broached.
The consequences for the German people were however significant, German civilians suffering greatly during this period from the efforts of the Allied forces. Estimates are of 3.6 million German non-military civilian deaths throughout World War II, 58 times greater than the 62 thousand estimated for Great Britain.
Today’s Germany represents a unification of the former East and West, resultant from a series of misunderstandings that led to the opening of the Berlin Wall on the 9th of November 1989. Planned originally as a law that was supposed to quicken the issue of papers for emigration to West Germany from some future date, it erroneously reached the border forces as command to allow emigration without any further procedures, taking effect the same day. The subsequent exodus and world focus led to the acceleration of the process of reforms in East Germany, ending with German reunification on the 3rd of October 1990.
As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation, Germany remains a key member of the continents economic, political, and defense organizations.
It has been suggested that Germany’s economic success in recent years was in part attributable to the artificial buoyancy generated from unification. Today’s economic situation is somewhat different, use of the word ‘crisis’ commonly touted to encapsulate high levels of unemployment and the poor state of health, education and social services.
As consequence, the economic uncertainty in eastern Germany is often cited as a major contributing factor to extremist violence, primarily from the political right
From a population of 82.4 million, most German inhabitants are deemed ethnic German. Foreign residents, asylees, guest workers, and their dependents now amount to in excess of 7 million people and contribute significantly to today’s modern German society.
As a society, it’s fair to say the culture and German approach is mostly formal. The preceding reputation of the German people is one of efficiency, punctuality and dependability. It is also a nation whose population is genetically predisposed towards physical beauty and elegance.
A German is some one who cannot tell a lie without believing it himself 'Theodor Adorno'
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