Political parties and leaders:
Alliance '90/Greens [Angelika BEER and Reinhard BUETIKOFER];
Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Angela MERKEL]; Christian Social
Union or CSU [Edmund STOIBER, chairman]; Free Democratic Party or
FDP [Guido WESTERWELLE, chairman]; Left Party or PDS/WASG [Oskar
LAFONTAINE and Gregor GYSI]; Party of Democratic Socialism or PDS
[Lothar BISKY]; Social Democratic Party or SPD [Franz MUENTEFERING]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
business associations, employers' organizations; expellee, refugee,
trade unions, and veterans groups
International organization participation:
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CDB, CE,
CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM
(guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris
Club, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK,
UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Wolfgang Friedrich ISCHINGER chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 298-8140 FAX: [1] (202) 298-4249 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel R. COATS embassy: Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5, 10117 Berlin; note - a new embassy will be built near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin; ground was broken in October 2004 and completion is scheduled for 2008 mailing address: PSC 120, Box 1000, APO AE 09265 telephone: [49] (030) 8305-0 FAX: [49] (030) 8305-1215 consulate(s) general: Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold
Economy Germany
Economy - overview:
Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy - the fifth
largest in the world - has become one of the slowest growing
economies in the euro zone. A quick turnaround is not in the offing
in the foreseeable future. Growth in 2001-03 fell short of 1%,
rising to 1.7% in 2004. The modernization and integration of the
eastern German economy continues to be a costly long-term process,
with annual transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $70
billion. Germany's aging population, combined with high
unemployment, has pushed social security outlays to a level
exceeding contributions from workers. Structural rigidities in the
labor market - including strict regulations on laying off workers
and the setting of wages on a national basis - have made
unemployment a chronic problem. Corporate restructuring and growing
capital markets are setting the foundations that could allow Germany
to meet the long-term challenges of European economic integration
and globalization, particularly if labor market rigidities are
further addressed. In the short run, however, the fall in government
revenues and the rise in expenditures have raised the deficit above
the EU's 3% debt limit.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.362 trillion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.7% (2004 est.)