GermanyYear of entry: Founding MemberYear of entry: Founding Member

Political system:Federal RepublicPolitical system:Federal Republic

Capital city:BerlinCapital city:Berlin

Total area:356 854 km²Total area:356 854 km²

Population:82 millionPopulation:82 million

Currency: EuroCurrency: Euro

Full name: Federal Republic of Germany Population: 82.5 million (UN, 2005) Capital: Berlin Area: 357,027 sq km (137,849 sq miles) Major language: German Major religion: Christianity Life expectancy: 76 years (men), 81 years (women) (UN) Monetary unit: 1 euro = 100 cents Main exports: Motor vehicles, electrical machinery, metals GNI per capita: US $34,580 (World Bank, 2006) Internet domain: .de International dialling code: +49

Overview

Overview: 1. Geography 2. History 3. Culture – film, music, sport, architecture 4. Socio-economic status 5. Politics 6. Religion – secular and non-secular 7. Relations with the wider world 8. Relations with the European Union 9. Current Issues 10. Doing business in …..

Germany

As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation, Germany remains a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations - NATO(1955), The EU(1957), The Council of Europe (1955?) to name a few

German Politics

President: Horst Koehler Chancellor: Angela Merkel ( CDU) -first

female chancellor in late November 2005, taking over from Gerhard Schroeder who had held the post since 1998.

a party must win 5% of the national vote or three direct mandates to gain representation; members serve four-year terms

Politics – political structure

Germany is a federation consisting of 16 states or Lander; all have their own constitutions, governments and parliaments.

The states are primarily responsible for policing and education, and for the implementation of most federal policies.

Most issues of economic policy fall under the responsibility of the federal-level institutions.

The federal parliament comprises a directly elected lower house (Bundestag) and an upper house (Bundesrat), which consists of representatives of the state governments.

The federal chancellor, the head of the executive, is elected by the Bundestag and can only be brought down by the election of a successor.

A coalition government of the two main parties ( CDU and SPD)was formed after the general election in September 2005.

Geography

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

History

Following the second world war (1939-1945), Germany was divided into two parts, with the east governed by the communists and the west by a liberal parliamentary democracy. With the collapse of the communist east in 1989, Germany was reunified on October 3rd 1990

The pain of Germany's Nazi-era history remains a sensitive element in the country's collective modern-day psyche

Gunter Grass

Culture: Film…

Seven awards to German Stasi film: Das Leben der Anderen - The Lives of Others This film was Florian von Donnersmarck's

directorial debut - A drama about the devastating effect of the secret Stasi police force on ordinary citizens has won seven prizes at Germany's leading film awards, the Lolas, best film, director, actor and supporting actor

Beer brewing in Germany

The country has famous beer brewing traditions. Beer purity laws dating back to 1516 limit the fermentation ingredients to malted grain, hops, yeast and water Oktoberfest - München

Socio-economic status

high fiscal deficit and high unemployment remain the major themes for economic policy discussions.

Fiscal consolidation will make substantial progress, aided by the current moderate economic upswing.

The government is preparing a reform of healthcare financing to reduce the labour market distortions resulting from high healthcare insurance contributions.

Other measures to make the social welfare system more efficient, including an increase in the pension age, are also on the agenda.

The coalition plans a major business taxation reform to be implemented in 2008.

In 2003-05 Germany was the largest exporter in the world. In 2005 exports amounted to US$972.4bn, compared with the US's US$894.6bn

Taxation

The federal corporation tax rate is 25%, with local taxes pushing the total tax burden on companies up to 39%,

a major business tax reform in 2008 is expected to lower these rates.

The top marginal personal income tax rate was reduced from 45% in 2004 to 42% in 2005, but an increase in the rate on very high incomes to 45% was approved in July 2006.

Social security contributions, shared equally between employers and employees, are high.

The main value-added tax (VAT) rate, applied to sales of most goods and services, is 16%, but will be raised to 19% at the beginning of 2007.

Religion -

Northern Germany – Protestant Sourthern Germany - Catholic

Germany: relations with the wider world sent peacekeepers to the Balkans its forces have been involved in operations in

Afghanistan. The former chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder,

was a vociferous critic of the launch of US-led operations in Iraq.

Germany: relations with the EU Founder member of the EU Franco-German axis has been a driving force

of European integration Germany has been pro-enlargement Germany has not allowed the 10 new

member states’ labour force access to its labour market

Current issues

Gunter Grass – memoirs Football

Sources:

The Economist BBC news web-site, country profiles CIA Factbook IT Library -

Thousands of people gathered in the east German city of Dresden to see Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) re-consecrated, 60 years after it was destroyed by Allied forces

The five-storey steel and glass structure has taken more than eight years and millions of euros to complete

located near the River Spree, Berlin’sNew railway station opened May 2006

Cologne ( Köln) cathedral

Neuschwanstein, bavaria)

Munich – das Rahhaus(the town hall)

The Brandenburg Gate, Berlin

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