Country Summary: Germany (Federal Republic of Germany)
Country Name: Germany (Federal Republic of Germany)
Capital: Berlin
Government Type: federal parliamentary republic
Background: As Europe's largest economy and second most-populous nation (after Russia), Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany 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 (now 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 reunification in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring eastern productivity and wages up to western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.
Continent: Europe
Population: 84,220,184 (2023 est.)
Ethnic Groups: German 85.4%, Turkish 1.8%, Ukrainian 1.4%, Syrian 1.1%, Romanian 1%, Poland 1%, other/stateless/unspecified 8.3% (2022 est.)
Languages: German (official); note - Danish, Frisian, Sorbian, and Romani are official minority languages; Low German, Danish, North Frisian, Sater Frisian, Lower Sorbian, Upper Sorbian, and Romani are recognized as regional languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
Religions: Roman Catholic 24.8%, Protestant 22.6%, Muslim 3.7%, other 5.1%, none 43.8% (2022 est.)
Economic Overview: leading EU service-based export-driven economy; highly skilled and educated labor force; fairly fiscally conservative; energy-related economic disruptions due to Russian gas cessations; increased defense spending and rising debts
Currency: European Euro (EUR)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange & Gold: $293.914 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $4.523 trillion (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars
Real GDP Growth Rate: 1.81% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP per Capita: $54,000 (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars
Exports:
$2.06 trillion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Comparison Ranking: 3
Export Commodities: cars and vehicle parts, packaged medicines, medical cultures and vaccines, aircraft, industrial machinery, medical instruments (2021)
Export Partners: US 9%, China 8%, France 8%, Netherlands 6%, UK 6% (2021)
Imports:
$1.973 trillion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Comparison Ranking: 3
Import Commodities: cars and vehicle parts, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment, medical cultures/vaccines, computers (2021)
Import Partners: China 10%, Netherlands 10%, Poland 7%, France 6%, Italy 6% (2021)
Natural Resources: coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land
Agricultural Products: milk, pork, wheat, beef, potatoes, barley, rapeseeds, chicken, eggs, sugar beets
Industries: iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, automobiles, food and beverages, shipbuilding, textiles
Industrial Production Growth Rate:
-0.92% (2022 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Comparison Ranking: 180
Labor Force: 44.198 million (2022 est.)
Unemployment Rate: 3.14% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment
Natural Hazards: flooding
Geography:
Total: 357,022 sq km
Land: 348,672 sq km
Water: 8,350 sq km
(Country Summary, The World Factbook, CIA.gov)
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