German Economy

Geography

Germany, officially known as the Federal Republic of Germany is located in Central Europe. Its surrounding borders to the north include the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and Denmark; to the south by Austria and Switzerland, to the east by the Czech Republic and Poland; and to the west by Luxemburg, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The total amount of area that covers Germany is 357,021 sq km. Of that total amount of area 349,223 sq km is made up of land while the remaining 7,798 sq km is made up of water. The German climate is classified as temperate and marine; meaning the country most experiences a cool and cloudy atmosphere with wet summers and winters. The nation’s only concern of a natural hazard occurring is flooding. The highest point in the country is located in Zugspitze which has an elevation of 2,963 meters. The lowest point is situated in Neuendorf bei Wilster which has an altitude 3.54 meters below sea level. The most abundant resources found in the country are; coal, natural gas, arable land, timber, lignite, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, and salt. The discharge given off by many coal burning machines has resulted in an ample amount of air pollution deriving from the sulfur dioxide emissions. Even though Germany remains one of the most cautious countries in trying to prevent pollution they still remain one of the highest polluters in the European Union. Germans continue to work hard in devising a plan with the E.U. to keep their greenhouse gasses at a minimum.

History

The first sign of a German settlement was noted at around 800 A.D. by the Holy Roman Empire. The land that the Holy Roman Empire called home also overlapped into parts of France. This power soon decentralized and was split up between numerous princes. Separated by religious beliefs, the Reformation propelled Germans to wage war against one another; these battles would last for thirty years. The 19th century brought about many liberalists who were striving to unite Germany in hopes of it officially becoming a country. This may be due in part to the huge impact that the French Revolution had on Europe. Otto Van Bismarck, chancellor of Prussia, was able to lead his people to three successful wars ultimately leading to the liberation of the German state. Germany was formally announced a country in the Palace of Versailles on January 18th 1871. With its growing population and economy Germany quickly became renowned as one of the dominate forces in Europe. Like other commanding European countries, Germany quickly tried to extend its influence over the world by trying to gain as many colonies as possible. The “Scramble for Africa” created a great amount of tension between the leading European countries ultimately leading to World War I where Germany’s enemies would prevail. Adolf Hitler created a sense of nationalism in Germany that had never been seen before. Unfortunately his agenda was channeled in the wrong direction. In their pursuit for European dominance, Germany invaded Poland in 1939 creating a spark for World War II. This heated conflict would prove to be detrimental to the German state as they were defeated and forced to surrender in 1945. World War II not on proved to be disastrous for the population and the economy of Germany, it helped lead to the separation of the country splitting it into Eastern and Western Germany. The country would not reunite until the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Population

Germany is known as home to about 82,369,548 people, making it the highest populated country in the European Union. Despite being so highly populated, Germany is expected to experience a decline in the amount of residents due to the low fertility rate of 1.39 children per mother.

Approximately 13.8% of the population is made up of individuals aged 0-14, roughly 66.2% are between the ages of 15-64, and the remaining 20% of residents being 65 and over. The sex ratio stands at 0.97 males per 1 female. Germany is noted as having the third most international migrants worldwide, boasting 2.19 per 1,000 people. However, this rate is also continuing to drop do to the heightened restrictions that the German government has put on immigration and asylum (individuals seeking protection by a sovereign authority). The primary ethnic group is German, accounting for 91.5% of the population. The Turkish immigrants make up 2.4% of the residents while the other 6.1% is a mixed array of Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, and Spanish. The life expectancy at birth for a German male is about seventy-six years of age with the women experiencing an average life span of eight-two. With the lifespan of a German citizen averaging out to seventy-nine years old, the country as a whole has the twenty-third highest