Nassel News

Germany has the  largest European economy and is considered as the third largest economy in the world in real terms, ranking after the United States of America and Japan. It is also known as  fifth behind the United States, China, India and Japan counted by purchasing power parity. Germany is also a leading country when it comes to exports and imports, World Trade Center even declared the country as 2nd in imports for 2005. Inspite of the country’s good economy, its has never limiting its resources in its domain, Germany even ranked as the second largest international creditor behind Japan.
            Since reunification Germany has resumed its role as a major centre country between Scandinavia in the north and the Mediterranean region in the south, as well as between the Atlantic west and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
The territory of Germany stretches from the high mountains of the Alps in the south to the shores of the North Sea (Nordsee) in the north-west and the Baltic Sea (Ostsee) in the north-east. In between are the forested uplands of central Germany and the low-lying lands of northern Germany (lowest point: Neuendorfer/Wilstermarsch at 3.54 metres (11.6 ft) below sea level), traversed by some of Europe’s major rivers such as the Rhine, Danube and Elbe.
            Because of its central location, Germany shares borders with more European countries than any other country in Europe. Its neighbours are 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 living paradise in Europe as people addressed, Germany has proven its bounty for centuries. Terrain rises from northern coastal lowlands to belt of central uplands, complex and varied in form. To south of uplands, a high plain suddenly rises to Alps in country’s extreme south. Most important rivers: Rhine, flowing to north; Elbe, flowing to northwest; and Danube, flowing to southeast. The greater part of Germany lies in the cool/temperate climatic zone in which humid westerly winds predominate.The climate is influenced to some extent by the Gulf Stream, which promotes an unusually mild climate in areas adjacent to it. The climate in Great Britain, Portugal, France and Norway is especially influenced by this stream and to a lesser extent the areas bordering on the North Sea including the peninsula of Jutland in north Germany and the area along the Rhein which flows into the North Sea. Cool, continental climate with abundant rainfall and long overcast season. Lower temperatures with considerable snowfall in east and south. Prone to rapid weather variations from merging of Gulf Stream and extreme northeastern climate conditions.
A major issue of concern remains the persistently high unemployment rate and weak domestic demand which slows down economic growth. Eastern Germany in particular suffers from a lack of a solid base of small and medium-sized companies, which provided the foundation for the Federal Republic’s economic prosperity and is responsible in great measure for Germany’s lag in economic growth. In spite of its extremely good performance in international trade domestic demand has stagnated for many years because of wage stagnation and zealous cost-cutting by the federal state. Insecurity among consumers has caused many of the prevalent economic problems. Germany’s government runs a restrictive fiscal policy and has cut numerous regular jobs in the public sector. Since reunification there has been a net loss of estimated 1 million such jobs. But while regular employment in the public sector shrank, “irregular” government employment like so called 1-Euro-Jobs, government supported self-employment and job training increased. Despite the tense situation in eastern Germany, total government employment in Germany remains lower than in other states such as the United Kingdom or Canada.
            Economical and political discussion in Germany today concentrates on whether Germany needs more “market reforms” such as deregulation of the labour market, more low income jobs, lower social security contributions, lower taxes for enterprises and employers, or already passed too many reforms. In view of problematic socio-economic trends (fast growing inequality, rising poverty rates, stagnant wages, less social security, constant high unemployment) corporate profits and salaries of top managers soar. More and more people in Germany distrust the sense and direction of the reforms over the last years. A major reason is the pressure that unions and lobbyists exert on parliament. One third of the lower house (Bundestag) are themselves in one union or another. Many representatives of the upper house (Bundesrat) and lower house are at the same time on the advisory council (Aufsichtsrat) of major concerns in the pharmaceutical, energy and automobile sectors leading to exploding costs for the consumer in these areas.
            Germany nowadays is continuously prospering in the world’s depth. It has given countless contributions to the world’s growth and development. It will continue to strive for development as ages pass by.