Official Name: Federal Republic of Germany
Capital: Berlin
Total area: 357 021 km2
GDP per capita: $39,028
Native Language: German
Government: Federal parliamentary constitutional republic
Population: 80,399,300
Major Religion: Roman Catholicism, Lutheran
Monetary Unit: Euro (EUR)

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a federal parliamentary republic in west-central Europe. The country consists of 16 federal states, the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of ​​357,021 square kilometers (137,847 sq mi) and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 80.3 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is the greatest economic and political power on the European continent and historically a leader in many theoretical and technical areas.

Germany has the largest population of all EU countries. Its territory stretches from the North and Baltic Seas in the north to the Alps in the south and is crossed by some of Europe's most important rivers such as the Rhine, Danube and Elbe.

Germany is a federal republic. The legislatures at the national level are the Bundestag, whose members are elected by popular vote every four years, and the Bundesrat, which consists of 69 representatives from the 16 federal states.

After the Second World War, Germany was divided into the democratic west and the communist east (German Democratic Republic). The Berlin Wall became the symbol of this division. It fell in 1989 and Germany was reunited a year later.

German is the most widespread first language in the European Union. Germany is the third largest economy in the world and produces automobiles, precision engineering products, electronic and communication equipment, chemical and pharmaceutical products and much more. Its companies have invested heavily in the Central and Eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004.

As the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms and Richard Wagner, among others, Germany's gift to European classical music is important. In thought and word, Germany's vast legacy encompasses the works of Luther, Goethe, Schiller, Nietzsche, Kant, Brecht and Thomas Mann.

Germany is the second largest hop producer in the world and the country is known for its quality beers. Wine is produced in the Moselle and Rhine valleys.

Health & Wellbeing
Germany has one of the most comprehensive and generous systems in the world. It includes health, old age, disability, unemployment insurance, child support, public housing and veteran assistance.

Economy & Jobs
Manufacturing, Industry, Mining, Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Energy, Banking and Tourism.

Main attraction
Berlin, city of Frankfurt, medieval city of Lübeck, city of Munich, Rhine Valley and place of pilgrimage Weimar.

Business
In terms of GDP per capita, Germany is the twelfth richest country in the world, has a well-developed social market economy and a high standard of living. By the 1980s, many of the largest German industrial companies were nationalized; However, in recent years privatization has reduced state ownership to levels comparable to other European economies. Labor movements are particularly strong in Germany and have a major influence on labor policy. In addition to a highly developed industry, international tourism is the most important part of the national economy. Shopping street Mariahilf in Vienna.

Germany has always been Germany's most important trading partner, which makes it vulnerable to rapid changes in the German economy. Since joining the European Union, Germany has gained closer ties with other EU economies and reduced its economic dependence on Germany. In addition, EU membership has attracted an influx of foreign investors, drawn by Germany's access to the European single market and its proximity to the European Union's emerging economies. GDP growth has accelerated in recent years, reaching 3.3% in 2006.

Germany announced on 16 November 2010 that it would withhold the December installment of its contribution to the EU bailout package for Greece, citing the significant deterioration in Greece's debt situation and Greece's apparent inability to deliver previously promised tax revenues.
Since the fall of communism, Germanyn companies have been quite active players and consolidators in Eastern Europe. Between 1995 and 2010, 4'868 mergers & acquisitions with a total known value of 163 bil. EUR with the involvement of Germanyn firms have been announced. The largest transactions with involvement of Germanyn companies have been: the acquisition of Bank Germany by Bayerische Hypo- und Vereinsbank for 7.8 bil. EUR in 2000, the acquisition of Porsche Holding Salzburg by Volkswagen Group for 3.6 bil. EUR in 2009, and the acquisition of Banca Comercială Română by Erste Group for 3.7 bil. EUR in 2005.

Tourism accounts for almost 9% of the Germanyn gross domestic product. In 2007, Germany ranked 9th worldwide in international tourism receipts, with 18.9 billion US$. In international tourist arrivals, Germany ranked 12th with 20.8 million tourists.