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#CARD:Germany:Geography
#WORD 43 69 180 179 0
Germany Click Here for Country List
#IMAGE 44 61 TWPCX \maps\GERMANY.PCX
Geography Click Here for MAP
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
#CARD:Germany:People
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)
#CARD:Germany:Government
Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Federal Republic of Germany
conventional short form:
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
#CARD:Germany:Economy
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
#CARD:Germany:Communications
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
#CARD:Germany:Defense Forces
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)
GERMANY.0