Imports—partners: EU 54.3% (France 10.5%, Netherlands 8.5%, Italy
7.8%, UK 7.0%, Belgium-Luxembourg 6.2%), US 7.7%, Japan 4.9% (1997)
Debt—external: $NA
Economic aid—donor: ODA, $7.5 billion (1995)
Currency: 1 deutsche mark (DM) = 100 pfennige
Exchange rates: deutsche marks (DM) per US$1—1.69 (January 1999),
1.7597 (1998), 1.7341 (1997), 1.5048 (1996), 1.4331 (1995), 1.6228
(1994)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Union introduced a common
currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some
member countries at the rate of 0.8597 euros per US$ and a fixed
rate of 1.95583 deutsche marks per euro; the euro will replace the
local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 44 million
Telephone system: Germany has one of the world's most technologically advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of intensive capital expenditures since reunification, the formerly backward system of the eastern part of the country has been modernized and integrated with that of the western part domestic: the region which was formerly West Germany is served by an extensive system of automatic telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available and includes roaming service to many foreign countries; since the reunification of Germany, the telephone system of the eastern region has been upgraded and enjoys all of the advantages of the national system international: satellite earth stations—14 Intelsat (12 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), 2 Intersputnik (1 Atlantic Ocean region and 1 Indian Ocean region); 7 submarine cable connections; 2 HF radiotelephone communication centers; tropospheric scatter links
Radio broadcast stations: AM 77, FM 1,621, shortwave 37, digital audio broadcasting 130