Germany

Geography

Location: Central Europe, bordering the North Sea between France and Poland

Map references: Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:
total area 356,910 sq km
land area 349,520 sq km
comparative area slightly smaller than Montana
note includes the formerly separate Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, and Berlin following formal unification on 3 October 1990

Land boundaries: total 3,621 km, 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:
continental shelf 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone 200 nm
territorial sea 3 nm in North Sea and Schleswig-Holstein coast of Baltic Sea (extends, at one point, to 16 nm in the Helgolander Bucht); 12 nm in remainder of Baltic Sea

International disputes: none

Climate: temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm, tropical foehn wind; high relative humidity

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

Natural resources: iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel

Land use:
arable land 34%
permanent crops 1%
meadows and pastures 16%
forest and woodland 30%
other 19%

Irrigated land: 4,800 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries in the southeast and lead emissions from vehicle exhausts (the result of continued use of leaded fuels) contribute to air pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests; heavy pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany
natural hazards NA
international agreements party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Hazardous Wastes

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

People

Population: 81,087,506 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.36% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 11.04 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 10.89 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population 76.34 years
male 73.22 years
female 79.64 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.47 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Nationality:
noun German(s)
adjective German

Ethnic divisions: German 95.1%, Turkish 2.3%, Italians 0.7%, Greeks 0.4%, Poles 0.4%, other 1.1% (made up largely of people fleeing the war in the former Yugoslavia)

Religions: Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 37%, unaffiliated or other 18%

Languages: German

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1977 est.)
total population 99%
male NA%
female NA%

Labor force: 36.75 million
by occupation industry 41%, agriculture 6%, other 53% (1987)

Government

Names:
conventional long form Federal Republic of Germany
conventional short form Germany
local long form Bundesrepublik Deutschland
local short form Deutschland

Digraph: GM

Type: federal republic

Capital: Berlin
note the shift from Bonn to Berlin will take place over a period of years with Bonn retaining many administrative functions and several ministries

Administrative divisions: 16 states (laender, singular - land); Baden-Wurttemberg, Bayern, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringen

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 power rights formally relinquished 15 March 1991

National holiday: German Unity Day (Day of Unity), 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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state President Dr. Richard von WEIZSACKER (since 1 July 1984); note - presidential elections were held on 23 May 1994; Roman HERZOG was the winner and will be inaugurated 1 July 1994
head of government Chancellor Dr. Helmut KOHL (since 4 October 1982)
cabinet Cabinet; appointed by the president upon the proposal of the chancellor

Legislative branch: bicameral chamber (no official name for the two chambers as a whole)
Federal Assembly (Bundestag) last held 2 December 1990 (next to be held by 16 October 1994); results - CDU 36.7%, SPD 33.5%, FDP 11.0%, CSU 7.1%, Green Party (West Germany) 3.9%, PDS 2.4%, Republikaner 2.1%, Alliance 90/Green Party (East Germany) 1.2%, other 2.1%; seats - (662 total) CDU 268, CSU 51, SPD 239, FDP 79, PDS 17, Greens/Alliance '90 8; elected by direct popular vote under a system combining direct and proportional representation; a party must win 5% of the national vote or 3 direct mandates to gain representation
Federal Council (Bundesrat) State governments are directly represented by votes; each has 3 to 6 votes depending on size and are required to vote as a block; current composition: votes - (68 total) SPD-led states 37, CDU-led states 31

Judicial branch: Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht)

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Helmut KOHL, chairman; Christian Social Union (CSU), Theo WAIGEL, chairman; Free Democratic Party (FDP), Klaus KINKEL, chairman; Social Democratic Party (SPD), Rudolf SCHARPING, chairman; Alliance '90/Greens, Ludger VOLMER, Marianne BIRTHLER, co-chairmen; Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), Lothar BISKY, chairman; Republikaner, Franz SCHOENHUBER; National Democratic Party (NPD), Guenter DECKERT; Communist Party (DKP), Rolf PRIEMER

Other political or pressure groups: expellee, refugee, and veterans groups

Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australian Group, BDEAC, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNHCR, UNOMIG, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission Ambassador Immo STABREIT
chancery 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone (202) 298-4000
FAX (202) 298-4249
consulate(s) general Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle
consulate(s) Manila (Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands) and Wellington (America Samoa)

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission Ambassador Richard C. HOLBROOKE
embassy Deichmanns Avenue 29, 53170 Bonn
mailing address Unit 21701, Bonn; APO AE 09080
telephone [49] (228) 3391
FAX [49] (228) 339-2663
branch office Berlin
consulate(s) general Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich, and Stuttgart

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and yellow

Economy

Overview: With the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989, prospects seemed bright for a fairly rapid incorporation of East Germany into the highly successful West German economy. The Federal Republic, however, continues to experience difficulties in integrating and modernizing eastern Germany, and the tremendous costs of unification pushed western Germany into its deepest recession since World War II. The western German economy shrank by 1.9% in 1993 as the Bundesbank maintained high interest rates to offset the inflationary effects of large government deficits and high wage settlements. Eastern Germany grew by 7.1% in 1993 but this was from a shrunken base. Despite government transfers to the east amounting to nearly $110 billion annually, a self-sustaining economy in the region is still some years away. The bright spots are eastern Germany's construction, transportation, telecommunications, and service sectors, which have experienced strong growth. Western Germany has an advanced market economy and is a world leader in exports. It has a highly urbanized and skilled population that enjoys excellent living standards, abundant leisure time, and comprehensive social welfare benefits. Western Germany is relatively poor in natural resources, coal being the most important mineral. Western Germany's world-class companies manufacture technologically advanced goods. The region's economy is mature: services and manufacturing account for the dominant share of economic activity, and raw materials and semimanufactured goods constitute a large portion of imports. In recent years, manufacturing has accounted for about 31% of GDP, with other sectors contributing lesser amounts. Gross fixed investment in 1993 accounted for about 20.5% of GDP. GDP in the western region is now $19,400 per capita, or 78% of US per capita GDP. Eastern Germany's economy appears to be changing from one anchored on manufacturing into a more service-oriented economy. The German government, however, is intent on maintaining a manufacturing base in the east and is considering a policy for subsidizing industrial cores in the region. Eastern Germany's share of all-German GDP is only 8% and eastern productivity is just 30% that of the west even though eastern wages are at roughly 70% of western levels. The privatization agency for eastern Germany, Treuhand, has privatized more than 90% of the 13,000 firms under its control and will likely wind down operations in 1994. Private investment in the region continues to be lackluster, resulting primarily from the deepening recession in western Germany and excessively high eastern wages. Eastern Germany has one of the world's largest reserves of low-grade lignite coal but little else in the way of mineral resources. The quality of statistics from eastern Germany is improving, yet many gaps remain; the federal government began producing all-German data for select economic statistics at the start of 1992. The most challenging economic problem is promoting eastern Germany's economic reconstruction - specifically, finding the right mix of fiscal, monetary, regulatory, and tax policies that will spur investment in eastern Germany - without destabilizing western Germany's economy or damaging relations with West European partners. The government hopes a "solidarity pact" among labor unions, business, state governments, and the SPD opposition will provide the right mix of wage restraints, investment incentives, and spending cuts to stimulate eastern recovery. Finally, the homogeneity of the German economic culture has been changed by the admission of large numbers of immigrants.

National product:
Germany GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $1.331 trillion (1993)
western GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $1.218 trillion (1993)
eastern GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $112.7 billion (1993)

National product real growth rate:
Germany -1.2% (1993)
western -1.9% (1993)
eastern 7.1% (1993)

National product per capita:
Germany $16,500 (1993)
western $19,400 (1993)
eastern $6,300 (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
western 4.2% (1993)
eastern 8.9% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate:
western 8.1% (December 1993)
eastern 15.4% (December 1993)

Budget:
revenues $918 billion
expenditures $972 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

Exports: $392 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities manufactures 89.0% (including machines and machine tools, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel products), agricultural products 5.4%, raw materials 2.2%, fuels 1.3% (1922)
partners EC 51.3% (France 11.1%, Netherlands 8.3%, Italy 8.2%, UK 7.9%, Belgium-Luxembourg 7.5%), EFTA 13.3%, US 6.8%, Eastern Europe 5.0%, OPEC 3.3% (1993)

Imports: $374.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities manufactures 74.9%, agricultural products 10.3%, fuels 7.4%, raw materials 5.5% (1992)
partners EC 49.7 (France 11.0%, Netherlands 9.2%, Italy 8.8%, UK 6.6%, Belgium-Luxembourg 6.7%), EFTA 12.7%, US 5.9%, Japan 5.2%, Eastern Europe 4.8%, OPEC 2.6% (1993)

External debt: $NA

Industrial production:
western growth rate -7% (1993)
eastern growth rate $NA

Electricity:
capacity 134,000,000 kW
production 580 billion kWh
consumption per capita 7,160 kWh (1992)

Industries:
western among world's largest producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics; food and beverages
eastern metal fabrication, chemicals, brown coal, shipbuilding, machine building, food and beverages, textiles, petroleum refining

Agriculture:
western accounts for about 2% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); diversified crop and livestock farming; principal crops and livestock include potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbage, cattle, pigs, poultry; net importer of food
eastern accounts for about 10% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); principal crops - wheat, rye, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, fruit; livestock products include pork, beef, chicken, milk, hides and skins; net importer of food

Illicit drugs: source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine for West European markets

Economic aid:
western-donor ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $75.5 billion
eastern-donor bilateral to non-Communist less developed countries (1956-89) $4 billion

Currency: 1 deutsche mark (DM) = 100 pfennige

Exchange rates: deutsche marks (DM) per US$1 - 1.7431 (January 1994), 1.6533 (1993), 1.5617 (1992), 1.6595 (1991), 1.6157 (1990), 1.8800 (1989)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Railroads:
western 31,443 km total; 27,421 km government owned, 1.435-meter standard gauge (12,491 km double track, 11,501 km electrified); 4,022 km nongovernment owned, including 3,598 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (214 km electrified) and 424 km 1.000-meter gauge (186 km electrified)
eastern 14,025 km total; 13,750 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 275 km 1.000-meter or other narrow gauge; 3,830 (est.) km 1.435-meter standard gauge double-track; 3,475 km overhead electrified (1988)

Highways:
total 625,600 km (1991 est.); western - 501,000 km (1990 est.); eastern - 124,600 km (1988 est.)
paved 543,200 km, including 10,814 km of expressways; western - 495,900 km, including 8,959 km of expressways; eastern - 47,300 km, including 1,855 km of expressways
unpaved 82,400 km; western - 5,000 km earth; eastern - 77,400 km gravel and earth

Inland waterways:
western 5,222 km, of which almost 70% are usable by craft of 1,000-metric-ton capacity or larger; major rivers include the Rhine and Elbe; Kiel Canal is an important connection between the Baltic Sea and North Sea
eastern 2,319 km (1988)

Pipelines: crude oil 3,644 km; petroleum products 3,946 km; natural gas 97,564 km (1988)

Ports: coastal - Bremerhaven, Brunsbuttel, Cuxhaven, Emden, Bremen, Hamburg, Kiel, Lubeck, Wilhelmshaven, Rostock, Wismar, Stralsund, Sassnitz; inland - 31 major on Rhine and Elbe rivers

Merchant marine: 485 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,541,441 GRT/5,835,511 DWT, barge carrier 7, bulk 11, cargo 241, chemical tanker 20, combination bulk 6, combination ore/oil 5, container 132, liquefied gas tanker 16, oil tanker 7, passenger 3, railcar carrier 5, refrigerated cargo 7, roll-on/roll-off cargo 20, short-sea passenger 5
note the German register includes ships of the former East and West Germany

Airports:
total 590
usable 583
with permanent-surface runways 308
with runways over 3,659 m 5
with runways 2,440-3,659 m 85
with runways 1,220-2,439 m 97

Telecommunications:
western highly developed, modern telecommunication service to all parts of the country; fully adequate in all respects; 40,300,000 telephones; intensively developed, highly redundant cable and microwave radio relay networks, all completely automatic; broadcast stations - 80 AM, 470 FM, 225 (6,000 repeaters) TV; 6 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 12 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT antennas, 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT antennas, EUTELSAT, and domestic systems; 2 HF radiocommunication centers; tropospheric links
eastern badly needs modernization; 3,970,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 23 AM, 17 FM, 21 TV (15 Soviet TV repeaters); 6,181,860 TVs; 6,700,000 radios; 1 satellite earth station operating in INTELSAT and Intersputnik systems

Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 20,253,482; fit for military service 17,506,468; reach military age (18) annually 418,124 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $37.3 billion, 2% of GDP (1993)