https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

 

LEH 355 H02W 50910 Gueswende Y Germany is a big country (357,022 square kilometers) situated in central Europe. The country has 16 states and its capital is Berlin. With 81,147,265 million inhabitants in July 2013, it has the most Europe's largest economy and is the second most populous nation (after Russia). It is the third largest exportateur from the European Union. Germany is a key member of the continents economic, political, and defense. In the following line, according to the CIA World Factbook, I will write a little summary of Germany’s Economy.   Germany was a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. That is why European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century, left the country occupied by other countries and divided Germany in two states: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR).After these deserters, Germany has to paid money to other territories as reparation. Something that has a big impact on Germany economy. To become powerful again, Germany has to open a lot of industries specialize in machinery, vehicles, chemical, household equipment... That make Germany become the fifth largest economy in the world and Europe's largest leading exporter of machinery, vehicles, chemicals, and household equipment. One advantage of Germany economy is that the country benefits from a highly skilled labor force. Also, according to the CIA World Factbook, Germany is facing demographic challenges: Low fertility rates and declining net immigration amount. Therefore, the government has to do some actions to regulate that. For example, one solution consists for the government to increase the benefit and the amount of Germany social welfare system. Also, as a  solution for that, Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (1998-2005), decide to reduced working hour scheme, declare that the government subsidized business that increase the unemployment rate during the 2008, 2009 recession making that rate the deepest since World War II. At that period there was also a crisis in Germany that lead of a low investment spending and the decreased demand for German exports from other countries. Stimulus, stabilization efforts and tax cuts initiated in 2008 and 2009 by Chancellor Angela MERKEL's permit to increased Germany's total budget deficit (federal, state, and municipal) but lower spending and higher tax revenues reduced the deficit to 0.8% in 2011. In 2012 Germany reached a budget surplus of 0.1. By 2014, the federal government is planning to balance its budget. The import partners are Netherlands, France, China, Belgium, Italy, UK, Austria and Russia. The Export partners are France, UK, Netherlands, US, Austria, Italy, China, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland. In agriculture, the main product of Germany are potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages, cattle, pigs, poultry…   Germany is a developed country. Germany is known to have a rich political and cultural history. Also, the country has some great philosopher, poet, scientist, thinkers in the past. Here is my general summary about Germany according to the CIA World Factbook (2012 data).