Terrain
Lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
LOCATION & TERRAIN (1:18)
Climate
Temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind
People
Nationality: German(s)
Population: 80,996,685 (July 2014 est.)
Languages: German (official)
MUSLIM IMMIGRATION (1:09)
Religions
Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%
Economy
The German economy - the fifth largest economy in the world in PPP terms and Europe's largest - is a leading exporter of machinery, vehicles, chemicals, and household equipment and benefits from a highly skilled labor force. Like its Western European neighbors, Germany faces significant demographic challenges to sustained long-term growth. Low fertility rates and declining net immigration are increasing pressure on the country's social welfare system and necessitate structural reforms.
THIRD LARGEST ECONOMY (1:11)
Dependency on Russian Gas Exports (1:10)
Living Conditions
Germans take great pride in their homes; most spend about 10 percent of their income on home furnishings and decoration. Families live in small houses or apartments with a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room, and one or two bedrooms. Young children often share a bedroom. Germans receive high-quality medical care, and the life expectancy (the average age a person can expect to live to) is seventy-two years for men and seventy-nine years for women.
Government
Federal republic
PARLIAMENT & CHANCELLOR (1:10)
GEO-POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE (:48)
US Military Presence/Support
The American-German relationship was terminated during WWI and then again after Nazi Germany declared itself at war with the U.S. After WWII, America was one of three Allied powers that militarily occupied and helped rebuild West Germany. Today the U.S. and a re-unified Germany are key allies. Numerous American military bases still exist and the two countries work together on many NATO and U.N. efforts.
U.S. NATO Involvement (1:38)
U.S. Forces in Germany and Europe (1:41)
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (1:07)