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Revision as of 11:13, 5 July 2010

Federal Republic of Germany Bundesrepublik Deutschland Germany
Flag	Coat of Arms
Anthem Third stanza of Das Lied der Deutschen (also called "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit")
Capital Largest city	Berlin Berlin
Official languages	German
Government  - President  - Chancellor	Federal Parliamentary republic Horst Köhler Christof Wurmheller
Establishment  - Holy Roman Empire  - Unification  - Federal Republic  - Reunification	2 February 962 18 January 1871 23 May 1949 3 October 1990
EU Accession	25 March 1957
Area  - Total  - Water (%)	357,021km2 137,847 sq mi 2.416
Population  - July 2007 est.  Density	81,757,600 229/km2 593/sq mi
GDP  - Total  - Per capita	2006 estimate $3.25 trillion $39,862
Gini	27 (low)
HDI	0.947 (high)
Currency	Euro (€) (EUR)
Time zone - Summer (BST)	UTC+1 (UTC+2)
Internet TLD	.de
Calling code	+49

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is a country located in Central Europe. It is bordered in the north by the Baltic Sea, Denmark and the North Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The territory of Germany covers 357,021 square kilometers (137,847 sq mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants in January 2010,[2] it has the largest population among member states of the European Union, and it is also home to the third-largest number of international migrants worldwide.

Germany is a federal parliamentary republic of sixteen states (Bundesländer). The capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, G8, G20, OECD, and the WTO. It is a major power with the world's fourth largest economy by nominal GDP and the fifth largest in purchasing power parity. It is the second largest exporter and third largest importer of goods. In absolute terms, Germany allocates the second biggest annual budget of development aid in the world, while its military expenditure ranked seventh. The country has developed a high standard of living and established a comprehensive system of social security. It holds a key position in European affairs and maintains a multitude of close partnerships on a global level. Germany is recognised as a scientific and technological leader in several fields.

Recent History

During the last five years, Germany has been governed by the Free Democratic Party in coalition with the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union. For its first four years in office, some liberalisation measures were initiated with difficulty. Since the 2009 election, the FDP dominates the coalition government, and reform has proceed far more quickly. Deep tax cuts have been implemented, and the government may move forward with special economic zones, particularly in the East. Plans for a private retirement system (along the lines of Australia's superannuation scheme) are in train. The FDP advocates a stronger Bundeswehr, and a stronger role for Germany in global affairs.

German States

The Federal Republic of Germany is composed of sixteen states, or Lander. Three of these are city states, the remainder are regional states.

Coat of Arms	Name	Joined FRG	Capital	Abbreviation
	Baden-Württemberg	1949	Stuttgart	BW
	Bavaria Bayern	1949	Munich München	BY
	Berlin	1990	Berlin	BE
	Brandenburg	1990	Potsdam	BB

Government

Germany is a federal, parliamentary, representative democratic republic. The German political system operates under a framework laid out in the 1949 constitutional document known as the Grundgesetz (Basic Law). By calling the document Grundgesetz, rather than Verfassung (constitution), the authors expressed the intention that it would be replaced by a proper constitution once Germany was reunited as one state. Amendments to the Grundgesetz generally require a two-thirds majority of both chambers of the parliament; the fundamental principles of the constitution, as expressed in the articles guaranteeing human dignity, the separation of powers, the federal structure, and the rule of law are valid in perpetuity. Despite the initial intention, the Grundgesetz remained in effect after the German reunification in 1990, with only minor amendments.

The Chancellor—currently Christof Wurmheller—is the head of government and exercises executive power, similar to the role of a Prime Minister in other parliamentary democracies. Federal legislative power is vested in the parliament consisting of the Bundestag (Federal Diet) and Bundesrat (Federal Council), which together form a unique type of legislative body. The Bundestag is elected through direct elections, by proportional representation (mixed-member). The members of the Bundesrat represent the governments of the sixteen federal states and are members of the state cabinets. The respective state governments have the right to appoint and remove their envoys at any time.

The President, Horst Köhler, is the head of state and invested primarily with representative responsibilities and powers. He is elected by the Bundesversammlung (federal convention), an institution consisting of the members of the Bundestag and an equal number of state delegates. The second highest official in the German order of precedence is the Bundestagspräsident (President of the Bundestag), who is elected by the Bundestag and responsible for overseeing the daily sessions of the body. The third-highest official and the head of government is the Chancellor, who is appointed by the Bundespräsident after being elected by the Bundestag. The Chancellor can be removed by a constructive motion of no confidence by the Bundestag, where constructive implies that the Bundestag simultaneously has to elect a successor.

Since 1949, the party system has been dominated by the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party of Germany with all previous chancellors being member of either party. However, the smaller liberal Free Democratic Party (which has had members in the Bundestag since 1949) and the Alliance '90/The Greens (which has controlled seats in parliament since 1983) have also played important roles, as they are regularly the smaller partner of a coalition government. The Free Democratic Party has since 2005 been Germany's most important party, and has increased its dominance on the right-side of politics. German party politics is now normally expressed in terms of Free Democrats versus Social Democrats rather than the old matching of Christian Democrats versus Social Democrats.

Cabinet of Germany