...Germany – people, culture, language A guide for businesses The country Germany today: Germany is the world's third largest economy after the USA and Japan, despite its recent economic and unemployment difficulties and the problems caused by the re-unification of East and West Germany in 1990. It has Europe's biggest population (83.5 million people) and a land area of 357,021 kilometres (137,828 square miles). It is a founder member of the EU and of NATO. Growth sectors: Germany's economy is famous for its industrial output in the automotive, machine tools, white goods and engineering industries, as well as textiles and finished goods. Environment: Germany has three main geographical areas, the lowlands in the north, the uplands in the centre and the mountains in the south. Politically and socially, Germany is quite regionalised and is organised in sixteen states or “Bundesländer” with the federal capital in Berlin. As a result, each major city has its own character and the cities and villages of Bavaria are quite different from the north. Germany has a temperate climate with average rainfall of 600-700 mm (23-27 inches) per year. The people Federalism: The Head of State is the President, elected every five years. The Chancellor, currently Angela Merkel, is the Head of Government, elected every four years and leader of the winning party in the election. The two main parties are the SPD (Social Democratic Party), and the CDU (Christian Democratic Union). North/South divide:...
Words: 1226 - Pages: 5
...Germany Demographics Profile 2013 Home > Factbook > Countries > Germany Population 81,305,856 (July 2012 est.) Age structure 0-14 years: 13.2% (male 5,499,555/female 5,216,066) 15-24 years: 10.9% (male 4,539,977/female 4,339,221) 25-54 years: 42.2% (male 17,397,266/female 16,893,585) 55-64 years: 13% (male 5,236,617/female 5,354,262) 65 years and over: 20.7% (male 7,273,915/female 9,555,392) (2012 est.) Median age total: 45.3 years male: 44.2 years female: 46.3 years (2012 est.) Population growth rate -0.2% (2012 est.) Birth rate 8.33 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) Death rate 11.04 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) Net migration rate 0.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) Urbanization urban population: 74% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 0% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.) Major cities - population BERLIN (capital) 3.438 million; Hamburg 1.786 million; Munich 1.349 million; Cologne 1.001 million (2009) Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2011 est.) Infant mortality rate total: 3.51 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.81 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) Life expectancy at birth total population: 80.19 years male: 77.93 years female: 82.58 years (2012 est.) Total fertility rate 1.41 children born/woman...
Words: 14592 - Pages: 59
...INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGES NAME: HUSSAIN NIZZAMI SESSION: 2012-2013 SUBMITTED TO: MAM MARIA MALDONADO TOPIC: GERMANY HISTORY & CULTURE UNIVERSITY OF THE PUNJAB Table of Contents: Item Topic Page Geography 3 History 5 Government 10 Economy 12 Industry 15 Educational System 20 Famous Historical Germans 23 Culture ...
Words: 9395 - Pages: 38
...tacit control. Germany does not fit that mold, however. This is a country who was globally defeated twice by several antagonistic powers and rose again to become a rich and influential state. A nation, who was responsible for some of the most reprehensible war crimes known to man within the last century, sits among its contemporary peers in the UN and decries similar actions perpetrated by other states. Germany has been able to replace its power in the region from military dominance to economic and political dominance, allowing it to become one of the most influential member-states of the EU and a model for peaceful democratic capitalism. Germany has played a central role in the history and major events within the European continent for the past hundred years. Germany invaded neutral Belgium in 1914 following the assassination of Austro-Hungary Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Due to complex diplomatic alliances within the region and globally, the result of this action spiraled into a global conflict. This conflict split the region into two sides, the Triple Entente and the Central Powers. The Triple Entente originally consisted Britain, France and Russia. The United States and Japan would later join. The Central Powers were Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers shortly after the breakout of war. Know at the times as was “to end all wars,” the conflict lasted from 1914-1919. The defeat of the Central Powers and Germany and the effect...
Words: 1878 - Pages: 8
...International business thrives in the country of Germany. They have a variety of characteristics and features of tradition within the country. Taking an overview of areas such as culture, legal system, geography, political system, and history is just the beginning to this unique country. Through the research provided, it should be a useful indicator of whether or not Germany is a desirable place to pursue international business in. The national flag of Germany consists of three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red (middle), and gold (bottom). The colors of black, red, and gold have played an important role in German history and can be traced all the way back to medieval times where there was a banner of the Holy Roman Emperor. This original banner had a black eagle with red claws and beak on a gold field. The Holy Roman Empire was a German-majority, multi-ethnic empire in central Europe until 1806, when it was defeated at the Battle of Austerlitz. After this battle, German-states that were part of the Holy Roman Empire came under French rule and several German organizations began agitations to free Germany from foreign rule and create a unified country. Among these organizations were two prominent ones by the names of Lutzow Free Corps and Jena Student’s League. The members of these two organizations wore uniforms of black with gold and red accessories and used flags of those colors as well. When Germany was unified in 1871 under Otto Von Bismarck, it chose a national...
Words: 2148 - Pages: 9
...Coercive Diplomacy: Otto von Bismarck and the Unification of Germany by Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth R. Kassner United States Marine Corps United States Army War College Class of 2012 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: A Approved for Public Release Distribution is Unlimited This manuscript is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Strategic Studies Degree. The views expressed in this student academic research paper are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. The U.S. Army War College is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (215) 662-5606. The Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information...
Words: 7938 - Pages: 32
...Strength - Political stability o The Power house in Europe o Very low corruption rate in the world - Rank 14 in 2011 (http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2011/results/) - Strong Economic o Leading in export and manufacture industry o Strong financial in Europe - Have the best transportation and infrastructure system - High standard of workforce with a qualified expertise, knowledge and skills (mostly in engineering) - Education institution and industry engineer has a strong relationship (industry engineer usually offer internship to high-school student so that they acknowledge and experience how the business and engineer are doing) - European Union membership o Easy to export with less restriction o Easy to invest in the other countries with less restriction Weakness - Decline birth rate o The population is too low a level to support a current social welfare economic system (fewer younger worker to pay the health and pension bills for an elders population, state can face an unprecedented fiscal burden) o Labor shortage during the long run - Too tradition (too many rules, too strict, work oriented, doesn’t like change) - Labor cost o Labor union is very strict o Labor cost is so high o About 65% the government revenue comes from labor taxes (about 13% higher than the average OECD country) (http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=REV) - Slow in communication skills (Negotiated), very demanding, and make simple thing so complicated - Business and industry...
Words: 496 - Pages: 2
...people. There can be two kinds of migration: immigration and emigration. In this part I am going to talk only about immigration to Germany. It is defined as a movement of people into country. This movement will help to meet future labour demand and a shortages caused by shrinking German working-age population. However, international recruitment is difficult process. Restrictions still prevent the employment of most skilled workers, even if there is a labour shortage. In Germany there are three types of immigrants: EU-immigrants, non-EU and students. Skilled workers The biggest shortage in German labour market is skilled workers. The market is showing shortages in different occupations. For example, there are not enough engineers, IT specialist, mathematicians or specialists in natural science. Scarcity is expected to reach 5.4 million by 2025 (federal Employment Agency, 2011 a ) . Immigrants should fill out this labour deficit. There are two kinds of immigrants- EU and non-EU immigrants. The most of high-skilled immigrants come from non-EU countries. In 2011 most of them were from India, United States, Japan, China. Regulations are different for both, but for latter much stricter. Regulations EU immigrants Citizens from European Economic Area ( EU plus Iceland, Norway, Lichtenstein) and Switzerland are allowed to live and work in Germany freely. The only requirement is to register your living place. The only exception is for Bulgaria and Romania citizens, they have to...
Words: 620 - Pages: 3
...Research Paper Socioeconomics Germany The purpose of this research paper is to provide socioeconomic information on Germany to help determine whether or not Germany is a good country to enter for Schmidt Brewing Company to expand their brewery operations. I will begin by providing some general history on Germany and then move to some specific demographics. I will then describe the current economic system of Germany and the level of economic freedom. I will conclude by explaining both the opportunities and threats that exist due to the current socioeconomic factors in Germany, and how these factors may affect operating a business. Last, I will elaborate on the beer consumption in Germany and how this information might affect the operating expansions of Schmidt Brewing if they chose to do business in Germany. Germany is a country located in Central Europe and is bordered by both the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. In the 16th century Germany was known as the center for Protestant Reformation. “The Protestant Reformation was a movement in Europe that began as an attempt to reform the Catholic Church.”(33). Germany became known as a nation state in 1871. “Traditionally, a nation state is a specific form of state, which exists to provide a sovereign territory for a particular nation, and which derives its legitimacy from that function.”(33). Following World War II, Germany divided into two separate states but then reunified again in 1990. Today, Germany is a member of the European...
Words: 1287 - Pages: 6
...Germany has a rich culture built upon a foundation of Art, Literature, Sports, Food, and Music. Due to Germany's war torn past many of its modern day aspects are very different from that of our own, But very similar in other ways. Its art, literature and music have gone through a sort of renaissance that have helped evolve the culture into one very much its own. With its own style and grace that makes Germany the country it is today. "Art in Germany has evolved very much in the past 50 years. From the rubble of the holocaust and world wars, a new and exciting breed of artist has emerged. "A variety of innovative and avant-garde styles that transformed the artistic landscape of Germany between the establishment of the Wilhelmine Empire in 1871, and Hitler's takeover of the short-lived Weimar Republic in 1933. This period of cataclysmic political and social change also witnessed the dramatic rise of the artistic movement called Expressionism."(German Art) Germany has a wide variety of art history that accounts for its vast array of modern art styles. Expressionism is a style of art in which the purpose is not to reproduce a subject accurately, but instead to portray it in such a way as to express the inner state of the artist. The movement is associated with Germany in particular, and was influenced by such powerful styles as symbolism, fauvism and cubism. Such artists that made this style popular were, Franz von Stuck, Kathe Kollwitz, and Emil Nolde. (Artists) Much of...
Words: 1708 - Pages: 7
...Introduction Germany officially the Federal Republic of Germany is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe, comprising of 16 independent states General features Geography Germany is in Western and Central Europe, bordering Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the east, Austria and Switzerland in the south, France and Luxembourg in the south-west, and Belgium and the Netherlands in the north-west. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Significant natural resources are iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel, arable land and water. By European standards it has many natural resources, including lignite, anthracite, timber, peat, iron ore and hydroelectric power. However, Germany has very few natural gas or petroleum deposits and so it must import large amounts of them. (Statistic number: the total natural gas imported in cubic meters (cu m)- imports: 99.63 billion cu m (Source: CIA World Fact book information in this page is accurate as of January 9, 2012) Weather Germany has a largely temperate seasonal climate. The east has a more continental climate; winters can be very cold and summers very warm, and long dry periods are frequent. Central and southern Germany are transition regions which vary from moderately oceanic to continental. In addition to the maritime and continental climates that predominate over most of the country, the Alpine regions in the...
Words: 2270 - Pages: 10
...Outline: Enterprise in Germany I will always try to create a comparison between Germany vs. Uk / Germany vs. Europe, Germany vs. World to create a comparison. I always prefer to create a comparison and try to bring in my own ideas. It will partial be underlined with research finding and to some degree supported by my own opinion based on data (60% research 40% own opinion on topic) 1. Introduction: a. About me b. About Germany (location, innovation driven economy etc) 2. Framework of German Entrepreneurship: c. Looking at the pillars of German enterprise (graphically display the German environment in comparison) 3. Domestic Environment: (will be related to the framework in part2) d. Culture: i. Hofsted on Germany ii. Analysis of Hofsted and its effect on enterprise e. Economic climate / policies: iii. Support in Germany (funding / areas of funding, organizations etc.) enterprise (What area wants to government to grow?) iv. Recent changes in policy and economic climate that could effect enterprise Gender 4. Attitude towards enterprise / entrepreneurship in Germany: (related to framework in part 2) f. Outline of German attitude based on research in the area g. Interviews with German MSc / Phd students in Leeds and Durham and discussing their understanding of german enterprise / entrepreneurship. (This will be related to existing literature to see if my mini...
Words: 537 - Pages: 3
...Brown ECON220-Q2FF Introduction to Macroeconomics. Germany as a federation is a polycentric country and does not have a single economic center. Only 3 of Germany's 100 largest companies are headquartered in the capital Berlin. The stock exchange is located in Frankfurt Am Main, the largest Media Company Bertelsmann AG is headquartered in Gutersloh; the largest car manufacturers are in Wolfsburg, Stuttgart and Munchen. Germany has a social market economy characterized by a highly qualified labor force, a developed infrastructure, a large capital stock, a low level of corruption, and a high level of innovation. It has the largest national economy in Europe, the fourth largest by nominal GDP in the world, and ranked fifth by GDP (ppp) in 2009.The service sector contributes around 70% of the total GDP, industry 29.1%, and agriculture 0.9%. Industry and construction accounted for 29% of gross domestic product in 2008, and employed 29.7% of the workforce. Germany excels in the production of automobiles, machinery, electrical equipment and chemicals. With the manufacture of 5.2 million vehicles in 2009, Germany was the world’s fourth largest producer and largest exporter of automobiles. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Germany expanded 0.20 percent in the third quarter of 2012 over the previous quarter. GDP Growth Rate in Germany is reported by the German Federal Statistical Office. Historically, from 1991 until 2012, Germany GDP Growth Rate averaged 0.3 Percent reaching an all-time...
Words: 476 - Pages: 2
...As I walked out of the airport the mid-morning sun felt like blazing fire knives on my eyes. I was incredibly tired from the eight hour flight to Germany. I wanted to crash, just like the Titanic. Before we had walked out of the fuming airport, we sat there tediously waiting for the tardy, egregious bus to show up. Hauling my boulder of a suitcase, I absorbed all the subtle differences of this German city airport. What snatched my attention the most was the traffic signs. They seemed so much more intricate and weird. We drove for a few, long, excruciating hours. The whole time I just wanted to sleep but I was so excited to be in Germany that I couldn’t fall asleep. The area we were driving trough was completely full of farms. There were endless seas of fields all around us. Before we knew, it we were suddenly in the town of Heidelberg. We rushed out of the bus like gushing water being released from a dam. The feeling of being on German soil was exhilarating and extravagant. The first thing a small group of friends and I did was go to a grocery store, and we each bought different things to make sandwiches. We bought all these strange breads and cheeses that had intense flavors, like the intense flavor a gushers fruit flavors, or the power packed taste of Sunny D. We sat around an old fountain statue and eating our sandwiches and watching people go about their day. We looked inside the bottom of the fountain and saw a shimmering pool of glistening golden light from all...
Words: 541 - Pages: 3
...The blame had been placed on the ‘International Jewry’ for the defeat of the Germans in the First World War and the humiliating peace treaties that were signed afterwards that forced them to take the blame for the war. It seemed that a lot of the blame was placed on the democratic officials that had been elected throughout the duration of the Weimar Republic as it was responsible for the economic depression that occurred in the earlier nineteen-thirties. Using the ‘political paranoia’ that was spread across the middle class the time, the Nazis cleverly played on their fear to help their meteoric rise. It was not long after their rise that the Nazis appointed, Hitler as chancellor of Germany on the 30th of January, 1933. At the time there was a lot of controversy between the parties about the election of Hitler, who was the leader of a paramilitary fascist party to become head of the...
Words: 1147 - Pages: 5
