Economic aid - donor: ODA, $5.6 billion (1998)

Currency: deutsche mark (DEM); euro (EUR)

note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Germany at a fixed rate of 1.95583 deutsche marks per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002

Currency code: DEM; EUR

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); deutsche marks per US dollar - 1.69 (January 1999), 1.7597 (1998), 1.7341 (1997), 1.5048 (1996)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Germany Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 45.2 million (1997)

note: 46.5 million main lines were installed by yearend 1998

Telephones - mobile cellular: 15.318 million (April 1999)