Germany

Geography

Economics

Demographics

Military

Politics

Surface

Surface (in square kilometers)

Surface (in square miles)

Surface (water)

Water Surface (in square kilometers)

Water Surface (in square miles)

Share of water (%)

Temperature

Average temperature (in Celcius)

Average temperature (in Farenheit)

Average high temperature (in Celcius)

Average high temperature (in Farenheit)

Average low temperature (in Celcius)

Average low temperature (in Farenheit)

Rainfall

Average rainfall (mm)

Average rainfall (inch)

Distance to other capitals (kilometers)

Distance to other capitals (miles)

Proximity

Economic organizations

Gross Domestic Product (US$)

Gross Domestic Product per capita

Amount of memberships (economic organizations)

Absolute earnings for every 1$

Relative earnings

GDP in PPP per capita (in US$)

GDP in PPP per capita

Gross Domestic product (in million US$)

GDP per capita (in US$)

Surface GDP

GDP per square kilometer (in US$)

GDP per square mile(in US$)

Relative GDP in PPP

Population

Population density

Emigration

Immigration

Literacy

Health

Population density (in km2)

Population density (in mi2)

Religion

Christianity (share of the total population)

Islam (share of the total population)

Buddhism (share of the total population)

Hinduism (share of the total population)

Judaism (share of the total population)

Other religions (share of the total population)

Non-religious (share of the total population)

Military spending (in % of GDP)

Military spending

It has an annual budget of around US$50 billion, or around 1.3 percent of its GDP. This makes Germany the seventh largest military spender in the world representing 2.6 percent of total global military expenditure.

The German Army, called the Bundeswehr, consists of a Navy, land forces, an Air Force and support forces. Aside from its highly developed economies, Germany has a highly developed military industry. This has made Germany one of the most technologically advanced states in the world.

Military membership

Germany is a member of 15 international military organizations. This makes Germany the second most militarily interconnected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations:

Common Security and Defence Policy
Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation
Permanent Structured Cooperation
Member state of NATO
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

(OSCE)

Conference on Disarmament
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

Wassenaar Arrangement
Nuclear Suppliers Group
Australia Group
Missile Technology Control Regime
International Atomic Energy Agency
NATO
Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative

Military membership

International wars

Germany has partaken in 12 international wars since its existence. These are:

Hundred Days war 1815-1815
Second Schleswig War 1864-1864
Boxer Rebellion 1899-1901
Venezuelan crisis of 1901–1903
Russian Civil War 1917-1911

Greater Poland Uprising 1918-1919
Third Silesian Uprising 1911-1911

Spanish Civil War 1936-1936
Sudeten German uprising 1938-1938
World War II 1939-1945

First Indochina War 1946-1954
Syrian Civil War 2011-present

Number of international wars fought

Military spending (in US$ million)

Membership (international political organizations)

Germany is a member of 19 international political organizations which makes it the eighth most politically interconnected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations:

Member state of the United Nations
International Labour Organization
European Union
the Council of Europe
Energy Community
Council of the Baltic Sea States
HELCOM (Helsinki Commission)
Northern Dimension Partnership in Public

Health and Social Well-being (NDPHS)

Political Membership

Democracy/dictatorship rating

Despite some minor drawbacks such as budget misallocation, Germany is considered to be one of the most democratic states in the world ranked 14th.

Democracy/Dictatorship

The politics of Germany take place in the form of a federal parliamentary republic. Its election takes place every four years where a multiparty system is elected which in turn elects its Chancellor as head of state.

International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property
UNIDROIT
International Criminal Court
Interpol
Permanent Court of Arbitration
Western European and Others Group
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance

European Cooperation in Science and Technology
Group of Eight (G8)
Union for the Mediterranean

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Known for its sausages, its beer as well as its iconic architecture, Germany has had a large impact on European as well as global history. Its name derived from the Latin word Germania which has been applied to the tribes that lived outside of the border of the Roman empire. Throughout history, these tribes have also been part of the holy Roman empire until it collapsed at the start of the third century. During the 19th century, it has fought several wars with France during the French Napoleonic wars as well as the defeat of the French after the Franco-Prussian war. Shortly after, Otto von Bismarck had united all German lands and proclaimed a united Germany in 1871. Shortly after, Germany joined the colonization efforts of Europe and claimed several territories within Africa. After obtaining a military alliance with Austria-Hungary, Germany joined this faction during the first world war which it lost. After signing the Treaty of Versaille, Germany had to cede several territories and was obliged to pay war reparations to the victors which were France, the United Kingdom and the United States. After a period of economic downturn and political unrest, the national Socialist movement with Adolf Hitler in power had gained political control over Germany. After a small expansion of the German territory in Czechoslovakia, a border skirmish between Germany and Poland had led to a full invasion by German forces into Poland. After refusing an ultimatum given by the United Kingdom to restore the Polish integrity, the United Kingdom, followed by the rest of the world entered the second world war. After losing the second world war, Germany was carved up into several territories that were controlled by the United Kingdom, France, the United States and the Soviet Union. In 1949, the territories of the United States, France and the United Kingdom were merged into an independent West Germany. The part that was controlled by the Soviet Union became a part of the Warsaw Pact and remained a part of the Soviet sphere of influence until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990 when Germany was reunited.

The geography of Germany is distinguished between its northern, low-lying part that is part of the European plain and its southern part which is more mountainous. There are several densely forested areas scattered throughout the southwestern part and the northeastern part of Germany. Located in the center of Europe, Germany borders a total of eight states with Denmark in the north, Poland and Czechia to its east, Austria and Switzerland to its south, France to its southwest and Luxembourg and Belgium and the Netherlands to its west.

It is the 63rd largest state in the world with a total surface area of 359,000 square kilometers or 138,000 square miles. This makes Germany slightly larger than Congo Brazzaville and slightly smaller than Japan.

It has a total water surface area of 8392 square kilometers or 3236 square miles. This makes Germany the 53rd state with the highest water surface.

Below, a graph is shown which displays the absolute amount of water of each state in square kilometers and square miles.

Around 2.35 percent of its surface is covered by water. This is largely in the form of several lakes as well as some of the largest rivers that flow through Europe with the Danube River being the largest.

The climate of Germany is characterized by a temperate climate which is heavily influenced by the Atlantic Sea and the colder winds from the north and eastern Europe. It is the 170th warmest state in the world with an average temperature of 8.2 degrees Celsius or 46.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

During the summer, which spans from June to September, the average temperature goes up to 11.6 degrees Celsius or 52.9 degrees Fahrenheit.

During winter, the average temperature goes down to 4.3 degrees Celsius or 39.7 degrees Fahrenheit. The harshness of its winter is heavily dependent on the airflow. If the airflow comes from the Atlantic, its winters are relatively mild but when the airflow is coming from central Russia, Germany can experience heavy freezing temperatures.

Most of its rainfall occurs in the higher lying areas. The lower lying areas receive around 40 percent less rainfall compared to the higher lying areas. Despite being the 127th state with the highest amount of rainfall, its rainfall is fairly evenly spread out throughout the year. The annual rainfall is 74.7 centimetres per year or 29.4 inches.

The capital of Germany, Berlin is home to nearly 4 million people. The capital that is closest located to Berlin is Prague, the Czech Republic with a distance of 251 kilometers or 156 miles. The capital that is furthest removed from Berlin is Wellington New Zealand with a distance of 18,151 kilometres or 11,278 miles.

Since its unification, Germany has become one of the largest economies in the world. Most of its goods are being made by a high skilled labour force which has led to a high quality of German products. One of the largest industries in Germany is the automobile industry followed by the electronics industry. Because Germany is an export-oriented economy, it was hit relatively hard during the financial crisis of 2008. This has led to a rise of unemployment as well as a decline of four percent of its GDP. Both have been slowly rising ever since. Germany has exported its goods all over the world and is not heavily dependent on a single state for its exports. However, China, France and the United States combined make up around 23 percent of total exports. Most of its imports also comes from China, France and the United States which is approximately 22 percent of total imports.

With a total membership of 22 international economic organizations, Germany is the eighth most economically integrated state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations:

African development Bank
Asian Development Bank
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Bank for International Settlements
Caribbean Development Bank
Council of Europe Development Bank
Financial Action Task Force
Inter-American Development Bank
International Energy Agency
International Monetary Fund
OECD - Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

World Bank Group
World Customs Organization
World Trade Organization
TRACECA Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia
Group of Ten (economics)
International Energy Agency
Energy Charter Treaty
Energy Community
Nuclear Energy Agency
International Renewable Energy Agency
G20

The German GDP is reaching nearly US$3 trillion. This makes Germany the fourth largest economy in the world representing 3.454 percent of total global GDP.

It has the 21st highest GDP in terms of surface area which is around US$8 billion per square kilometer or US$21 billion per square mile.

Its GDP per capita is the 19th highest in the world and is around US$45,872.

The absolute earnings (GDP per capita) reflect the average yearly income. The figure below shows how much, on average, an inhabitant of another state earns for every $1 earned by a citizen of this state.

Its purchasing power is also the 19th highest in the world and is US$53,350.

The relative Gross Domestic Product in Purchasing Power Parity compares the purchasing power of this state with that of the rest of the world. The graph on the left shows how much purchasing power of 1$ compared to the purchasing power of other states

German is the official language of Germany, but other languages such as Romani, Danish and Frisian are recognized as regional languages. Native Germans make up the majority of the population, but citizens from other states, mainly Turkey and Poland, are also largely represented within Germany. It has a total population of 83.8 million people which makes it the 17th most populous state in the world.

It has the 44th highest population density in the world with 233 people per square kilometer or 602 people per square mile.

Around 4 million people, or 4.8 percent of the population have migrated from Germany. This represents 1.6 percent of total global migration. The most popular destination for emigration has been the United States which is solely responsible for 25 percent of emigration.

Around 15.65 percent of the population, or around 13 million people have migrated to Germany which represents 5.2 percent of total global migration. Because Germany is a member of the European Union, as well as an economic powerhouse, it has become an attractive destination for economic opportunities within Europe. Another wave of immigrants is the result of the Bosnian war which has seen many refugees from the Balkan. A more recent crisis is the Syrian civil war which has led to more than 1.5 million people to migrate from Syria to Germany.

With a literacy rate of 98.6 percent, Germany is the 44th most literate state in the world. This is largely due to the fact that the German schooling system is compulsory and well-funded.

The health care system of Germany is heavily funded by the German government. There is a wide range of individual health coverage options which lead to competition between healthcare providers which keeps the health care costs down. One of the leading causes of mortality within Germany is related to lifestyle choices with cardiovascular diseases being the largest cause of death as a result of inactivity. On average, the life expectancy in Germany is 81.9 years with women reaching 84.1 years and men reaching 79.6 years. This ranks Germany as the 26th highest state in the world.

Throughout the second half of the 20th century, different religious approaches were made between East and West Germany. East Germany has had a policy of State atheism which was largely promoted by the Soviet Union. West Germany at the same time has granted freedom of religion towards all religions. After unification, religion was fully the accepted by the German state but geographical differences between religious and irreligious people still exist today.

Germany is the 95th most Christian state with around 66.6 percent of the population adhering to Christianity. Catholicism used to be the largest denomination within the German territory, but with the rise of Martin Luther, half of all Germans switched to Protestantism.

On the right, the global share of Christians per state is displayed

Islam is the third largest group in Germany and is followed by 5.8 percent of the population. Most Muslims arrived in Germany in the 1960s in order to fill the labour shortage. A second large wave of Muslim migrants arrived in the last decade when civil unrest during the Arab Spring has led to several civil wars in the Maghreb and the Levant which has led to large swaths of migration.

Buddhism has been present in Germany for over 150 years. It was first introduced within the region and later on some Germans became Buddhist monks. Presently, around 250,000 Buddhist reside in Germany with half of the Buddhist being indigenous Germans and the other half coming from the Asian continent. These people represent 0.3 percent of the population.

Hinduism is represented by 0.07 percent of the population. 60 percent of Hindus come from India, but the notable share also comes from Sri Lanka which had fled civil unrest in the 1970s.

Jews have had a heavy history and Germany throughout the second world war. They have been the focus of attention for the Nazi German workers party and have been relentlessly persecuted throughout the second world war. Currently, around 0.25 percent of the German population is Jewish.

Other religions make up 0.1 percent of the population. The largest religion within this group is the Yazidi religion that is largely made up of Kurdish people that have fled the persecution during the rise of Isis.

Around 16.55 percent of the population does not adhere to any faith. This is largely due to policies of the Soviet Union in eastern Germany where religion was outlawed because it fell out of line with State atheism.