IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC,
NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG,
UPU, WADB (nonregional), WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Juergen CHROBOG

chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone: [1] (202) 298-8141

FAX: [1] (202) 298-4249

consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston,
Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle

consulate(s): Wellington (America Samoa)

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
John C. KORNBLUM (was due to resign on 20 January 2001)

embassy: Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5, 10117 Berlin

mailing address: PSC 120, Box 1000, APO AE 09265

telephone: [49] (30) 238-5174

FAX: [49] (30) 238-6290

consulate(s) general: Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg,
Leipzig, Munich

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red,
and gold

Germany Economy

Economy - overview: Germany possesses the world's third most
technologically powerful economy after the US and Japan, but
structural market rigidities - including the substantial non-wage
costs of hiring new workers - have made unemployment a long-term,
not just a cyclical, problem. Germany's aging population, combined
with high unemployment, has pushed social security outlays to a
level exceeding contributions from workers. The modernization and
integration of the eastern German economy remains a costly long-term
problem, with annual transfers from western Germany amounting to
roughly $70 billion. Growth picked up to 3% in 2000, largely due to
recovering global demand; newly passed business and income tax cuts
are expected to keep growth strong in 2001. Corporate restructuring
and growing capital markets are transforming the German economy to
meet the challenges of European economic integration and
globalization in general.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.936 trillion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $23,400 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.2%

industry: 30.4%

services: 68.4% (1999)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 40.5 millio