Federated Republic of Germany

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Western and Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north with the Alps to the south. Its sixteen constituent states have a total population of over 82 million, making it the most populous member state of the European Union.

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See the 1991 CE borders on the map →

1. Konrad AdenauerHead of Government1949 CE – 1963 CE
2. Theodor HeussHead of State1949 CE – 1959 CE
3. Heinrich LübkeHead of State1959 CE – 1969 CE
4. Ludwig ErhardHead of Government1963 CE – 1966 CE
5. Kurt Georg KiesingerHead of Government1966 CE – 1969 CE
6. Gustav HeinemannHead of State1969 CE – 1974 CE
7. Willy BrandtHead of Government1969 CE – 1974 CE
8. Helmut SchmidtHead of Government1974 CE – 1982 CE
9. Walter ScheelHead of Government1974 CE
10. Walter ScheelHead of State1974 CE – 1979 CE
11. Karl CarstensHead of State1979 CE – 1984 CE
12. Helmut KohlHead of Government1982 CE – 1998 CE
13. Richard von WeizsäckerHead of State1984 CE – 1994 CE
14. Roman HerzogHead of State1994 CE – 1999 CE
15. Gerhard SchröderHead of Government1998 CE – 2005 CE
16. Johannes RauHead of State1999 CE – 2004 CE
17. Horst KöhlerHead of State2004 CE – 2010 CE
18. Christian WulffHead of State2010 CE – 2012 CE
19. Joachim GauckHead of State2012 CE – 2017 CE
20. Frank-Walter SteinmeierHead of State2017 CE –
21. Olaf ScholzHead of Government2021 CE – 2025 CE
22. Friedrich MerzHead of Government2025 CE –

Location

Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark

Government type

federal parliamentary republic

Executive branch

chief of state: President Frank-Walter STEINMEIER (since 19 March 2017); head of government: Chancellor Friedrich MERZ (since 6 May 2025); cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) recommended by the chancellor, appointed by the president;

Ethnic groups

German 85.4%, Turkish 1.8%, Ukrainian 1.4%, Syrian 1.1%, Romanian 1%, Poland 1%, other/stateless/unspecified 8.3% (2022 est.)

Natural resources

coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land

Economy

leading export-driven, core EU and eurozone economy; key automotive, chemical, engineering, finance, and green energy industries; growth stalled by energy crisis and declining exports; tight labor market with falling working-age population; fiscal rebalancing with phaseout of energy price supports

Official & national languages

German

Currency

euro (EUR), Deutsche Mark (DEM)

• 10-member Defense Pact (1948)Military alliance · member1955 CE –
• NATONATOMilitary alliance · member1955 CE –
• European UnionEUEconomic bloc · founding member1958 CE –
• EECEECEconomic bloc · founding member1958 CE –
• United NationsUNInternational organisation · member1973 CE –
• G7G7Political union · founding member1975 CE –
• 20-member Defense Pact (1949)Military alliance · member1990 CE –
• Germany–Russia Non-Aggression Pact (1990)Historical alliance · member1990 CE –
• G20G20Political union · founding member1999 CE –

• Preceded byGerman Democratic Republicterritorial1949 CE – 1990 CE
• Preceded byFederal Republic of Germanyinstitutional1950 CE – 1990 CE
• Preceded byGerman Empireterritorial1871 CE – 1919 CE

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