Last updated March 2018

Name: Federal Republic of Germany

Climate: Germany lies in the moderately cool west wind zone between the Atlantic Ocean and the continental climate in the East.

Location: The country’s maximum extension from north to south is 876 kilometres as the crow flies, and from west to east 640 kilometres.

Area: 357,050 sq km

Capital: Berlin (approx. 3.7 million inhabitants)

Population: 82.6 million inhabitants, of whom approx. 9.2 million are foreigners (destatis, 31.03.2017)

Languages: German

Minority languages: Frisian, Sorbian, Danish and Romany

Religions: Protestants (27% of the population); Catholics (29% of the population); Muslims (5,4% of the population); 100,000 members of Jewish communities, and others (2016)

National Day: 3 October, Day of German Unity (reunification in 1990).

System of Government: Democratic and social federal system

Head of State: Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, since March 2017

Head of Government: Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, since November 2005

Foreign Minister: Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, since March 2018

Parliament: German Bundestag (Lower House), 709 members elected for a four-year term. Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU/CSU)
German Bundesrat (Upper House), representation of the 16 federal states, comprising members of the federal state governments. The office of Bundesrat President is held by one of the federal states’ Minister-Presidents, elected for a one-year term.

CDU and CSU 246 seats, SPD 153 seats, AfD 92 seats, FDP 80 seats, Left Party 64 seats, Alliance 90/The Greens 67 seats, without party 2 seats (www.bundestag.de, Oct. 2017)

Parties: Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) 246 seats, Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) 153 seats, AfD 92 seats, FDP 80 seats, Left Party 64 seats, Alliance 90/The Greens 67 seats

Administrative structure: Federation comprising 16 federal states (Länder)

Membership in international organisations: United Nations (1973), NATO (1955), Council of Europe (1950), OECD (1961), EC (1957), OSCE (1975) and all important United Nations specialized agencies.

Principal Media: Public-service radio and television stations (ARD, ZDF, Deutsche Welle, etc.) as well as a large number of commercial radio and television stations (including RTL, SAT 1, Pro 7, Kabel 1).
Over 300 daily newspapers, including Bild, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Welt, and the weekly Die Zeit. Several nationwide news magazines (Spiegel, Focus, etc.).

Gross National Product: 3,263.4 billion euros (destatis.de, 2017)

Per-Capita GNP: 42.177 euros (destatis.de, 2016)

Disclaimer:

This text is intended as a source of basic information. It is regularly updated. No liability can be accepted for the accuracy or completeness of its contents.