Key facts on the country of Germany
Location
Germany is situated in Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, South of Denmark.
Land Area
Germany is slightly smaller than Montana, and stretches over an total area of 357,021 sq km, which 349,223 sq km is land and 7,798 sq km is water. Germany has a total coastline of 2,389 km.
Climate
Germany has a temperate and marine climate with cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers with occasional warm mountain winds.
Natural Resources and Hazards
Germany's main recognized natural resources are coal, lignite, natural gas, copper, potash, iron ore, nickel, salt, construction materials, arable land and timber. The only experienced natural hazards are flooding.
Population and Employment
Germany has a total population of 82,431,390 (July 2005 est.) people with a average life expectancy at birth of 78.65 years. It has a total labour force of 42.63 million (2004 est.) that is generally occupied in agriculture 2.8%, industry 33.4% and services 63.8% (1999). It has a fairly high unemployment rate of 10.6% (2004 est.).
Religion
34% of Germany's population are Protestants, 34% are Roman Catholics, 3.7% are Muslims and 28.3% are unaffiliated and have other religions.
Flag
Germany's flag consist of three equal horizontal bands of black, red and gold.
Agricultural Products and Main Industries
Germany's main recognized agricultural products are potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages, cattle pigs and poultry. Germany is among the world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages, shipbuilding and textiles.
Capital
The capital of Germany is Berlin with a total population of 3,386 319 (July 2004) inhabitants.
Time Zone
GMT plus 2 hours
