Country Profile
Overview | |
National Holiday | 3rd October |
Location | Central Europe |
Area | 357,031 km² |
Inhabitants | 82,5 million |
Capital city | Berlin |
State system | Democratic-parliamentary federal state |
Administration | 16 states |
Time zone | Central European Time (CET) |
Currency | 1 euro = 100 cents |
Gross national income | EUR 2,168.82 billion |
Telephone country code | 49 |
Power voltage | 230 V, 50 Hz. |
Geography | |
| Location | Central Europe |
| Area | 357,031 km² |
| Neighboring countries | Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland |
| Time zone | Central European Time (CET) with European daylight savings time |
| Climate | Temperate climate zone |
| Average annual temperature | 9 °C |
| Highest mountain | Zugspitze 2962 m |
| Longest rivers (navigable) | Rhine 865 km, Elbe 700 km, Danube 647 km, Main 524 km, Weser 440 km, Saale 427 km, Ems 371 km, Neckar 367 km, Havel 343 km, Werra 292 km, Mosel 242 km, Fulda 218 km, Elde 208 km, Oder 162 km, Spree 150 km |
| Largest lakes | Lake Constance 572 km², Müritz 110 km², Chiemsee 80 km², Lake Schwerin 61 km², Lake Starnberg 56 km² |
| Raw materials | Rock salt, potassium, brown coal, hard coal |
Population | |
| Inhabitants | 82,5 million |
| Population density | 231 inhabitants per km² |
| Religions | Christians 66 % (Catholics 33 %, Protestants 33 %); Muslims 3 %; Jews 0.1 % |
Political System | |
| State system | Democratic-parliamentary federal state since 1949 |
| Capital city | Berlin |
| Administration | Basic Law from 1949 (with amendments) |
| Head of state | State president Prof. Dr. Horst Köhler |
| Parliament | Bundestag - Lower House (603 members) and Bundesrat - Upper House (69 members) |
| Head of government | Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel |
| Administration | 16 states |
Economy | |
| Currency | 1 euro = 100 cents |
| Gross national income 2004 | EUR 2,168.82 billion |
| Gross domestic product (GDP) 2004 | EUR 2,178.20 billion |
| GDP growth 2004 | +1,7 % |
| GDP per inhabitant 2004 | EUR 26,400 |
| Shares in the GDP | Services 69.8 %, industry and construction 29 %, agriculture 1.2 % |
| Exports 2004 | EUR 731.0 billion |
| Imports 2004 | EUR 575.4 billion |
| Major export goods | Cars and car parts, machines, chemical products |
Traffic and transport | |
| Road network | 230,800 km; autobahn 11,800 km, federal highways 41,200 km, ordinary roads 86,800 km, district roads 91,000 km |
| Railway network | 44,400 km |
| Inland navigation | 7,500 km; major inland ports: Duisburg and Magdeburg |
| Major seaports | Hamburg, Wilhelmshaven, Bremen, Rostock and Lübeck |
| Air traffic | 18 international airports; largest airport: Frankfurt a.M. |
| Bicycle paths | 40,000 km |
