As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation, Germany remains 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, which became 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 unification 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.
Country profile: Germany
The trauma of post-war division is now firmly in the past but over a decade and a half on from the collapse of the Berlin Wall, Germany has yet to come up with the economic key to coping with its aftermath. Regarded in the 1980s as the economic giant of Europe, the country faced enormous challenges with reunification.
People in the previously affluent west have had to pay a higher price than many originally expected while those in what was once the German Democratic Republic, the former Soviet-dominated east, have seen jobs vanish and the cost of living spiral. The population is declining there too as young people vote with their feet. Their talents go west with them.
The pain of Germany's Nazi-era history remains a sensitive element in the country's collective modern-day psyche. Out of the devastation of World War II grew European awareness of the need to guard against any such catastrophe recurring on the continent.
In the 1950s Germany was one of the six founding nations in the original European Economic Community from which the European Union was eventually to develop and in which Germany is a key player. Franco-German cooperation was central to European economic integration in the 1980s and 90s.
Germany's international profile has been growing in other areas too. The country sent peacekeepers to the Balkans and its forces have been involved in operations in Afghanistan. The former chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, was a vociferous critic of the launch of US-led operations in Iraq.
The country has famous beer brewing traditions. Beer purity laws dating back to 1516 limit the fermentation ingredients to malted grain, hops, yeast and water.
As the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms, among others, Germany's gift to European classical music is colossal while Goethe, Nietzsche, Kant and Brecht are giants in the world of letters and philosophy.
- Full name: Federal Republic of Germany
- Population: 82.5 million (UN, 2005)
- Capital: Berlin
- Area: 357,027 sq km (137,849 sq miles)
- Major language: German
- Major religion: Christianity
- Life expectancy: 76 years (men), 81 years (women) (UN)
- Monetary unit: 1 euro = 100 cents
- Main exports: Motor vehicles, electrical machinery, metals
- GNI per capita: US $34,580 (World Bank, 2006)
- Internet domain: .de
- International dialling code: +49
President: Horst Koehler
The president has a mainly ceremonial role. Horst Koehler, a former head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was elected in May 2004.
Chancellor: Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel, leader of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), was sworn in as Germany's first female chancellor in late November 2005, taking over from Gerhard Schroeder who had held the post since 1998.
Angela Merkel, Germany's first female chancellor Profile: Angela MerkelGermany's political parties
General elections two months earlier produced a very close result. After lengthy talks, agreement was reached that Ms Merkel would be chancellor in a "grand coalition" involving the CDU, its CSU allies and the SPD.
Ms Merkel's key task is to revive the economy. Her plans to cut taxes for high earners and to liberalise employment law were shelved during coalition talks.
The policy deal agreed included some tax increases, a rise in the retirement age, spending cuts to reduce the budget deficit and an investment programme to tackle unemployment.
She was born in Hamburg in 1954 but grew up in East Germany where her father was a Protestant clergyman. She holds a doctorate in physics.
She became leader of the CDU in 2000 after Helmut Kohl was brought down by a party funding scandal.
Germany's competitive television market is the largest in Europe, with some 34 million TV households. The many regional and national public broadcasters - organised in line with the federal political structure - vie for audiences with powerful commercial operators. Each of the country's 16 regions regulates its own private and public broadcasting.
Around 90% of German households have cable or satellite TV, and viewers enjoy a comprehensive mix of free-to-view public and commercial channels. This has acted as a brake on the development of pay-TV services.
Germany is home to some of the world's largest media conglomerates, including Bertelsmann and the publisher Axel Springer. Some of Germany's top free-to-air commercial TV networks are owned by ProSiebenSat1, a consortium led by a US billionnaire.
Germany is rolling out digital radio and TV and aims to switch off its analogue TV transmitters by 2010. Public TV broadcasters ZDF and ARD offer a range of digital-only channels.
While the press and broadcasters are free and independent, the display of swastikas and statements endorsing Nazism are illegal.
There are several national newspapers, but the press market is strongest at a regional level, with more than 300 titles.
The press
Television
Radio
News agency
Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy - the fifth largest in the world - has become one of the slowest growing economies in the euro zone. A quick turnaround is not in the offing in the foreseeable future. Growth in 2001-03 fell short of 1%, rising to 1.7% in 2004 before falling back to 0.9% in 2005. The modernization and integration of the eastern German economy continues to be a costly long-term process, with annual transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $70 billion. Germany's aging population, combined with high unemployment, has pushed social security outlays to a level exceeding contributions from workers. Structural rigidities in the labor market - including strict regulations on laying off workers and the setting of wages on a national basis - have made unemployment a chronic problem. Corporate restructuring and growing capital markets are setting the foundations that could allow Germany to meet the long-term challenges of European economic integration and globalization, particularly if labor market rigidities are further addressed. In the short run, however, the fall in government revenues and the rise in expenditures have raised the deficit above the EU's 3% debt limit.
German natural resources include coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land
strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea
German religion is Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%.
Natural hazards in Germany include flooding.
Travel Advice on Germany
SUMMARY
- Germany shares with the rest of Europe a threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate and against civilian targets. Two explosive devices were found on regional trains in the Dortmund and Koblenz areas on 31 July 2006.
- We are aware of British nationals who have been arrested for possessing counterfeit currency. We advise against changing currency anywhere other than banks or legitimate Bureaux de Change.
- Most visits to Germany are trouble-free. The main types of incident for which British nationals require consular assistance in Germany are for replacing lost and stolen passports and drug offences.
- We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling to Germany. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake. Please see: Travel Insurance
SAFETY AND SECURITY
Crime
You should take normal, sensible precautions to avoid mugging, bag‑snatching and pickpocketing. You should be extra vigilant at airports and railway stations in the large cities. Do not leave valuables unattended.
Political Situation
Road Safety
If you wish to drive in Germany you must carry a valid driving licence, insurance and vehicle documents with you in the vehicle at all times. If the vehicle does not belong to the driver, written permission from the registered owner may also be requested.
The minimum age for driving a car in Germany is 18 years old. 17 year-old British drivers with valid British licences are not permitted to drive a car. Anyone who contravenes this law may be fined and your vehicle will be impounded. Advice on driving outside the UK can be obtained from motoring organisations such as the AA and RAC.
You should take particular care when driving in Germany as driving regulations and customs are different from those in the UK. Roads in Germany, particularly motorways, are of an excellent standard but speed limits are higher than in the UK and the accident rate is greater. Many drivers undertake long journeys in, or through, Germany. Care should be taken to plan journeys and take sufficient breaks; a minimum break of 15 minutes after every two hours of driving is recommended.
LOCAL LAWS AND CUSTOMS
If you intend to stay in Germany for 3 months or more you must register with the German authorities (Einwohnermeldeamt) within 7 days of arrival. Those staying in Germany for a short visit are not normally required to register. Hotels are legally obliged to register guests and this information is passed automatically to Einwohnermeldeamt.
There is no longer a requirement for EU Citizens to apply for a residence permit.
If you intend to work in Germany, you should obtain detailed information on employment regulations from the German Embassy, 23 Belgrave Square, London, SWIX 8PZ; (tel: 020 7824 1300) or from the British Embassy in Berlin or a British Consulate in Düsseldorf, Hamburg or Münich.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
You do not require a visa.
Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country. For further information on exactly what will be required at immigration please contact: German Representation in the UK
HEALTH
We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake. Please see: Travel Insurance
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
The Friedrich-Loeffler-Insitute / Federal Research Institute for animal health has confirmed outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in wild birds throughout Germany. The first case in domestic poultry was confirmed in Saxony on 5 April 2006. The H5N1 virus has also been found in at least three dead cats and a stone marten. No human infections or deaths have been reported.
The risk to humans from Avian Influenza is believed to be very low. As a precaution you should avoid visiting live animal markets, poultry farms and other places where you may come into close contact with domestic, caged or wild birds; and ensure poultry and egg dishes are thoroughly cooked.
You should read this advice in conjunction with the FCO’s Avian and Pandemic Influenza Factsheet, which gives more detailed advice and information.
You should seek medical advice before travelling and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up to date. For further information on health, check the Department of Health’s (DoH) website at: www.dh.gov.uk
GENERAL
The British Consulate-General, Düsseldorf is the only passport issuing post within Germany. However Emergency Passports (EPs) can be obtained from either the British Embassy Berlin or the British Consulate Generals, Hamburg, Munich and Düsseldorf.
An Emergency Passport is a piece of paper valid for 1 journey to the UK. This paper is usually surrendered on arrival to the UK and you must then obtain a new passport from your nearest Passport Office in the UK.
A call centre now handles all passport enquiries. If you wish to speak to an operator please call Abtran on (04) 0190 700 661 (open Mon-Fri 09.00-17.30). Please note that calls will be charged at a premium rate – or e-mail consular.section@duesseldorf.mail.fco.gov.uk.