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Communications

Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

200 (2001)

Internet country code [time series]

.de

Internet users [time series]

32.1 million (2002)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 51, FM 787, shortwave 4 (1998)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: Germany has 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: Germany is served by an 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: 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 (2001)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

50.9 million (March 2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

55.3 million (June 2001)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

373 (plus 8,042 repeaters) (1995)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages; cattle, pigs, poultry

Budget [time series]

revenues: $802 billion expenditures: $825 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]

EUR

Debt - external [time series]

$NA

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

30 (1994)

Economic aid (Economic aid - donor) [time series]

ODA, $5.6 billion (1998)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy has turned in a weak performance throughout much of the 1990s and early 2000s. The modernization and integration of the eastern German economy continues to be a costly long-term problem, with annual transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $70 billion. Germany's ageing population, combined with high unemployment, has pushed social security outlays to a level exceeding contributions from workers. Structural rigidities in the labor market - including strict regulations on laying off workers and the setting of wages on a national basis - have made unemployment a chronic problem. Growth in 2002 and 2003 fell short of 1%. Corporate restructuring and growing capital markets are setting the foundations that could allow Germany to meet the long-term challenges of European economic integration and globalization, particularly if labor market rigidities are further addressed. In the short run, however, the fall in government revenues and the rise in expenditures have raised the deficit above the EU's 3% debt limit.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

506.8 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports [time series]

43.9 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports [time series]

44 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production [time series]

544.8 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 61.8% hydro: 4.2% other: 4.1% (2001) nuclear: 29.9%

Exchange rates [time series]

euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999), 1.76 (1998)

Exports [time series]

$608 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures, foodstuffs, textiles

Exports - partners [time series]

France 10.7%, US 10.3%, UK 8.4%, Italy 7.3%, Netherlands 6.1%, Austria 5.1%, Belgium 4.8%, Spain 4.6%, Switzerland 4.2% (2002)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $2.16 trillion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 1% industry: 31% services: 68% (2002 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $26,200 (2002 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

0.2% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 25.1% (1997)

Imports [time series]

$487.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals

Imports - partners [time series]

France 9.5%, Netherlands 8.2%, US 7.7%, UK 6.5%, Italy 6.4%, Belgium 5.2%, Austria 4%, China 4% (2002)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

-2.1% (2002 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

1.3% (2002 est.)

Labor force [time series]

41.9 million (2001)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

industry 33.4%, agriculture 2.8%, services 63.8% (1999)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

94.34 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports [time series]

6.674 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports [time series]

78.73 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

22.16 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

298.3 billion cu m (37257)

Oil - consumption [time series]

2.813 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports [time series]

404,300 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports [time series]

3.081 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production [time series]

85,860 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves [time series]

327.3 million bbl (37257)

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

9.8% (2002 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 357,021 sq km water: 7,798 sq km land: 349,223 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly smaller than Montana

Climate [time series]

temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm foehn wind

Coastline [time series]

2,389 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.54 m highest point: Zugspitze 2,963 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

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 over the next 15 years; government working to meet EU commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geographic coordinates [time series]

51 00 N, 9 00 E

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

4,850 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 3,621 km border countries: 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

Land use [time series]

arable land: 33.88% permanent crops: 0.65% other: 65.47% (1998 est.)

Location [time series]

Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark

Map references [time series]

Europe

Maritime claims [time series]

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Natural hazards [time series]

flooding

Natural resources [time series]

iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel, arable land

Terrain [time series]

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

16 states (Laender, singular - Land); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen

Capital [time series]

Berlin

Constitution [time series]

23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the united German people 3 October 1990

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany conventional short form: Germany local short form: Deutschland former: German Empire, German Republic, German Reich local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel R. COATS embassy: Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5, 10117 Berlin; note - a new embassy will be built near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin mailing address: PSC 120, Box 1000, APO AE 09265 telephone: [49] (30) 238-5174 FAX: [49] (30) 238-6290 consulate(s) general: Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Wolfgang Friedrich ISCHINGER consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 298-4249 telephone: [1] (202) 298-8140 chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Johannes RAU (since 1 July 1999) elections: president elected for a five-year term by a Federal Convention including all members of the Federal Assembly and an equal number of delegates elected by the state parliaments; election last held 23 May 1999 (next to be held 23 May 2004); chancellor elected by an absolute majority of the Federal Assembly for a four-year term; election last held 22 September 2002 (next to be held NA September 2006) head of government: Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (since 27 October 1998) cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the chancellor election results: Johannes RAU elected president; percent of Federal Convention vote - 57.6%; Gerhard SCHROEDER elected chancellor; percent of Federal Assembly vote 50.7%

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold

Government type [time series]

federal republic

Independence [time series]

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

International organization participation [time series]

AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch [time series]

Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat)

Legal system [time series]

civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Parliament or parlament consists of the Federal Assembly or Bundestag (603 seats; elected by popular vote under a system combining direct and proportional representation; a party must win 5% of the national vote or three direct mandates to gain representation; members serve four-year terms) and the Federal Council or Bundesrat (69 votes; state governments are directly represented by votes; each has 3 to 6 votes depending on population and are required to vote as a block) elections: Federal Assembly - last held 22 September 2002 (next to be held NA September 2006); 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: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party - SPD 38.5%, CDU/CSU 38.5%, Alliance '90/Greens 8.6%, FDP 7.4%, PDS 4%; seats by party - SPD 251, CDU/CSU 248, Alliance '90/Greens 55, FDP 47, PDS 2; Federal Council - current composition - NA

National holiday [time series]

Unity Day, 3 October (1990)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Alliance '90/Greens [Angelika BEER and Reinhard BUETIKOFER]; Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Angela MERKEL]; Christian Social Union or CSU [Edmund STOIBER, chairman]; Free Democratic Party or FDP [Guido WESTERWELLE, chairman]; Party of Democratic Socialism or PDS [Lothar BISKY]; Social Democratic Party or SPD [Gerhard SCHROEDER, chairman]

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

employers' organizations; expellee, refugee, trade unions, and veterans groups

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

As Europe's largest economy and most populous nation, Germany remains a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed the country 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 2002, Germany and 11 other EU countries introduced a common European currency, the euro.

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Army, Navy (including naval air arm), Air Force, Medical Corps, Joint Support Service

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$38.8 billion (2002)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

1.38% (2002)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 20,509,838 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males age 15-49: 17,399,936 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age [time series]

18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 472,946 (2003 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 14.9% (male 6,312,614; female 5,988,681) 15-64 years: 67.3% (male 28,213,316; female 27,240,648) 65 years and over: 17.8% (male 5,842,457; female 8,800,610) (2003 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

8.6 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate [time series]

10.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Serbo-Croatian, Italian, Russian, Greek, Polish, Spanish)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

660 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

41,000 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 4.23 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 4.68 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages [time series]

German

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 78.42 years male: 75.46 years female: 81.55 years (2003 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Median age [time series]

total: 41.3 years male: 39.9 years female: 42.8 years (2002)

Nationality [time series]

noun: German(s) adjective: German

Net migration rate [time series]

2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Population [time series]

82,398,326 (July 2003 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.04% (2003 est.)

Religions [time series]

Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.37 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

none

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Transportation

Airports [time series]

551 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 328 over 3,047 m: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 54 914 to 1,523 m: 69 under 914 m: 131 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 63

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 223 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 under 914 m: 189 (2002) 914 to 1,523 m: 31

Heliports [time series]

40 (2002)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 230,735 km paved: 230,735 km (including 11,515 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1999)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 337 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,036,397 GRT/7,334,067 DWT ships by type: cargo 94, chemical tanker 15, container 203, liquefied gas 3, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 5, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea passenger 7 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Chile 1, Finland 5, Iceland 1, Netherlands 3, Switzerland 1 (2002 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

condensate 325 km; gas 25,289 km; oil 3,743 km; refined products 3,827 km (2003)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Berlin, Bonn, Brake, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Cologne, Dresden, Duisburg, Emden, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Kiel, Luebeck, Magdeburg, Mannheim, Rostock, Stuttgart

Railways [time series]

total: 45,514 km (21,000 km electrified) standard gauge: 45,276 km 1.435-m gauge (20,084 km electrified) narrow gauge: 214 km 1.000-m gauge (16 km electrified); 24 km 0.750-m gauge (2002)

Waterways [time series]

7,500 km note: major rivers include the Rhine and Elbe; Kiel Canal is an important connection between the Baltic Sea and North Sea (1999)