United – in favour of democracy, peace and security
Reunited Germany supports European integration and is deeply involved in the international community.
Germany has been reunited since October 3, 1990. More than 20 years after reunification great progress has been made in rejuvenating the economic and social basis in the eastern federal states. Enormous challenges remain, however. The end of the East-West conflict has opened up new opportunities for German foreign policy – both within Europe and worldwide. Germany has accepted the international responsibility that has evolved for the country in the wake of dramatic changes with regard to world politics, and, together with partners worldwide, is deeply committed to the causes of democracy, human rights and the dialog between cultures. The prime objective of Germany’s foreign policy is to maintain peace and safety in the world.
State
Democratic parliamentary federal democracy since 1949. German Unity since 1990
Population
80,5 million
Capital
Berlin, 3.4 million inhabitants
National flag
Three horizontal stripes in black, red, gold
National coat of arms
Stylized eagle
National anthem
Third verse of August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben’s ”Das Lied der Deutschen” to a melody by Joseph Haydn “Kaiserhymne“
National holiday
October 3, Day of German Unity
Federal Chancellor
Angela Merkel (CDU) since 2005
Federal President
Joachim Gauck since 2012
Parliament
German Bundestag in Berlin; first pan-German elections to the Bundestag on December 2, 1990
Official language
German. German is the mother tongue of 120 million people. German is the mother tongue spoken most frequently in the European Union.