|BNature and climate|N: Great differences in nature between northern and southern parts: Northern parts are a lowlands, which towards the North Sea is a marschland, where tidal variations are big. In the east, towards the Baltic Sea, are both high chalkcliffs and long low sandbeaches.
In the southmost parts of Germany are the European Alps. Highest peak in Germany, the Zugspitze, reaches 2 964 m.a.s.l. Between the northern and southern parts lies an often greatly broken land crossed by several lower mountainchains. Most known of these are Harz, Schwarzwald and Siebengebirge.
Biggest rivers are the Rhine (Europe's most trafficated waterway), Mosel, Weser, Elbe, Oder (forms border to Poland) and the Danube.. 30% of the area is forested.
The climate is tempered and mainly continental with low variation within the country. Average temperature in January between -3°C and +1°C and between +15°C and +18°C in July. Percipitation between 700 and 1000 mm.
|BPeople|N: Many people are ancestors of the old German tribes of Franks, Allemans, Bavarians and Saxons. In the South one can still trace a Celtic influence. And in the East Germanised Slavs. Few ethnic minorities, Danish in Schleswig-Holstein. About 2 million "guest"-workers, mainly from Turkey and Yugoslavia. Only 5% of the population live in the countryside.
|BEconomy|N: 50% of the population are occupied in serviceindustry and public administration, 40% in industry and communication, and 5% in agriculture.
One of the worlds leading industrial nations. Industrialization started at the middle of the 19th century in the Ruhr-area with exploiting the local natural resources coal, iron, forests and hydro-energy. There was not enough iron-ore for the purposes, so import started mainly from France and Scandinavia. An extensive textile-industry was also started in this area.
The iron- and steelindustry founded in Ruhr was the base for the development of the German industry and gave the raw material for an extensive mechanical manufacturing on a high level of technology and quality. Germany is now the worlds third producer of cars, after USA and Japan. The great resources of coal are also the base for an extensive chemical industry.
Most important exportgoods are machinery, vehicles, electrotechnical and chemical products. Most important import goods are oil, machinery, vehicles, raw materials and food.
Germany has few minerals except coal and rock salt. Agriculture only supplies 75% of the domestic consumption. Most important crops are wheat, barley, sugarbeats, oilplants, winegrapes, hops and potatoes.
Germany has been a leading country in giving the industrial workers influence.
|BHistory|N: Germany has traces of mankind from about 500 000 BC. The first finds of hunters are from 15 000 BC and from farmers from 5 000 BC.
When the Romans had conquered France they headed north. In the Moselvalley and in southern Germany still remains many remnants from the Roman period.
In the 5th century AD many Germans emigrated southwards, the Franks, and to England, while Slavs immigrated from the east and settled in Germanys eastern and northern parts.
The Franks that moved south brought their German manners and customs, conquered wast areas and kept close relations with Germany. They founded a loosely tied nation in union with their old country.
This Frankish nation growed and in the 7th and 8th centuries it consisted of Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Bohemia, Moravia, Austria, Schweiz and parts of northern Italy.
843 this nation was divided in three parts and the most eastern part was much like todays Germany. This newfounded nation was a loosely tied union of many, mostly selfgoverning, duchies and towns.
The German history from 843 can be divided in the following periods:
The Eastfrankish nation 843-1024: The power of the duchies increased, but the king extended the nation down to the Mediterranean Sea. 962 Otto I was crowned emperor of the German-Roman Empire.
The German-Roman Empire 1024-1437: The emperors never succeeded to organize a central administration. They exercised power travelling around the different parts of the nation.
Germany under the Habsburgs 1438-1806: At the end of the 14th and beginning of the 15th centuries parts of the Netherlands and some areas in the east was added to the nation.
But severe internal antagonism characterized the period, not least the Reformation. Several wars were fought. All in all starting a period of declination at the middle of the 16th century.
In Prussia the local princes strengthened their positions by introducing a central administration and building strong military forces. Wast areas in the north and east were conquered.
1806 Napoleon united the duchies depending on him in the Rhine-league, which finally ended the German-Roman empire.
The German League and unification 1815-1871: At the congress of Vienna 1815 the duchies in the Rhine-league were restored. Germany was formed by the empire of Austria, the kingdoms of Bavaria, Hannover, Prussia, Saxony and Württemberg, along with 32 minor duchies. The German League was formed to deal with matters of common interest, but the league gained no real influence.
A customs union was formed 1834, but attempts to strengthen the league in other ways failed.
In stead Prussia strengthened its positions and finally formed a North-German League without Austria.
After the French war 1870-1871 the North-German League was transformed to the German empire with William I as emperor.
The German Empire 1871-1918: A federal empire where the emperor controlled foreign policy and defence.
After the German defeat in the First World War emperor William II abdicated 1918.
The Weimar Republic 1919-1933: A communist coupe was defeated in 1919 and a national congress met at Weimar to write a new constitution. Germany became a federal republic were the rights of the federal states were limited.
Most of the period the nation was led by coalition governments with big influence from the socialdemocrats.
The republic suffered from severe economic problems. First because of war indemnity and later because of the international depression. These problems made it possible for the Nazi-party under Adolf Hitler to grow and at the elections in 1932 become the biggest party of the parliament.
The Third "Reich" 1933-1945: Hitler was appointed prime minister "reichskansler" and forced through emergency powers act that formally ended the Weimar Republic and meant dictatorship.
All political parties, except the Nazi-party, were banned. And when the president Hindenburg died in 1934 Hitler was proclaimed head of state and leader (Führer).
Now political opponents were jailed, Jews were persecuted, after 1938 murdered and during the war subject to orderly purge.
Hitler started, in violence of the Versaille-peace-treaty, a quick rearmament.
1938 Austria was incorporated and in 1939 Czechoslovakia conquered. on September 1st German troops marched into Poland and thus started the Second World War.
1945-...: After the German military defeat the nation was divided in four zones of which the four victorypowers, USA, Great Britain, France and the Sovjetunion, administrated one each.
1949 a new country, The Federal Republic of Germany, Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Westgermany, was formed of the three zones that had belonged to USA, Great Britain and France. In the same year another new country, The German Democratic Republic, Deutsches Demokratisches Republik, Eastgermany, was formed of the Sovjet zone.
The tension between these two German countries, and between the two victorious spheres of World War II, east towards west, formed the ground for the "Cold War".
Westgermany was rapidly built up as a leading industrial nation again, much because it did not have to pay any war indemnity, and extensive help, mainly from the USA, the Marshal-plan.
After the war millions fled from Eastgermany to Westgermany, so many that it threatened the Eastgerman industry. To stop this the Berlin Wall, "The Iron Curtain", was built in 1961.
Eastgermany also had an impressing reconstruction of the industry. But when Gorbatjov introduced the Perestrojka and the Glasnost in the Sovjetunion, and the favourable trade between Eastgermany and the Sovjetunion ceased, the Eastgerman industry collapsed together with the political system.
At November 9th 1989 the leaders of Eastgermany opened the borders, and the people of the streets on both sides of the Berlin Wall started to tear the wall down.
In July 1990 East- and Westgermany formed a monetary union, and October 3rd they were formally merged. The first joint public elections were held December 2nd 1990.
