Germany stretches from the high mountains of the Alps (highest point: the Zugspitze[?] at 2,963 m) in the south to the shores of the North and Baltic Seas in the north. In between are found the forested uplands of central Germany and the low-lying lands of northern Germany (lowest point: Freepsum Lake[?] at -2 m), traversed by some of Europe's major rivers such as the Rhine, Danube and Elbe.
Germany possesses the world's third most technologically powerful economy after the US and Japan, but its basic capitalistic economy has started to struggle under the burden of generous social benefits. Structural rigidities - like a high rate of social contributions on wages - have made unemployment a long-term, not just cyclical, problem, while Germany's aging population has pushed social security outlays to exceed contributions from workers. The integration and upgrading of the eastern German economy remains a costly long-term problem, with annual transfers from the west amounting to roughly $100 billion. The recent adoption of a common European currency and the general political and economic integration of Europe are thought to bring major changes to the German economy in the early 21st century.
The population of Germany is primarily German. There are more than 7 million foreign residents, including those granted political asylum, guest workers, and their dependants. Germany is a prime destination for political and economic refugees from many developing countries. An ethnic Danish minority lives in the north, and a small Slavic minority known as the Sorbs lives in Saxony. Immigration has also created a sizeable Turkish minority, and other smaller minorities such as those of Croats, Italians, Russians or Poles.
Protestants (38%) and Catholics (34%) represent the major religions in Germany. There is also a noticeable Islamic minority of 1.7%, while the rest (26.3%) is either unaffiliated or belongs to smaller religious minorities.
Germany has one of the world's highest levels of education, technological development, and economic productivity. Since the end of World War II, the number of youths entering universities has more than tripled, and the trade and technical schools of Germany are among the world's best. With a per capita income level of about $25,000, Germany is a broadly middle class society. A generous social welfare system provides for universal medical care, unemployment compensation, and other social needs. Germans also are mobile; millions travel abroad each year.
Germany's contributions to the world's cultural heritage are numerous. Germany was the birthplace of composers such as Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, and Wagner; poets such as Goethe and Schiller; philosophers of the likes of Kant, Hegel, Marx or Nietzsche; as well as scientists of the caliber of an Einstein.
Roman Catholicism was Germany's top religion in the 1500s, but the religious movement commonly known as the Reformation changed this drastically. In 1517 Martin Luther challenged this religion as he saw it a commercialization of his faith. Through this, he altered the course of European and world history and established Protestantism, the second largest confession in Germany today.
Before World War II, about two-thirds of the German population was Protestant and one-third was Roman Catholic. In the north and northeast of Germany especially, Protestants dominated.
The Grundgesetz, Germany's constitution, guarantees freedom of faith and religion. It also states that no one may be discriminated due to their faith or religious opinions.
Currently about 67 percent of the German population, more than 55 million people, officially belong to a Christian Church, although most of them take no part in church life. Nearly half of them are Protestants and nearly half of them Roman Catholics. Most German Protestants are members of the Evangelical Church in Germany. Approximately three million Muslims and 100,000 Jews live in Germany.
Link to this page
