Country Details
Isle of Man1
Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark
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Government
Detailed information and insights
Country name
Conventional long form
Federal Republic of Germany
Conventional short form
Germany
Local long form
Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Local short form
Deutschland
Former
German Reich
Etymology
the origin of the name is unclear; it may come from Celtic words meaning "neighboring people," or it may derive from Germanic words meaning either "spear man" or "head man;" the native designation "Deutsch" comes from the Old High German "diutisc" meaning "national"
Government type
federal parliamentary republic
Capital
Name
Berlin
Geographic coordinates
52 31 N, 13 24 E
Time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Etymology
the origin of the name is unclear but may be related to the Old Slavic (Polabian) word berl or birl, meaning "swamp" and referring to the original settlement site by the Spree River
Administrative divisions
16 states (Laender, singular - Land); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern (Bavaria), Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen (Hesse), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia), Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Saarland, Sachsen (Saxony), Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt), Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen (Thuringia)
Note
note: Bayern, Sachsen, and Thueringen refer to themselves as free states (Freistaaten, singular - Freistaat), while Bremen calls itself a Free Hanseatic City (Freie Hansestadt) and Hamburg considers itself a Free and Hanseatic City (Freie und Hansestadt)
Legal system
civil law system
Constitution
History
previous 1919 (Weimar Constitution); latest drafted 10-23 August 1948, approved 12 May 1949, promulgated 23 May 1949, entered into force 24 May 1949
Amendment process
proposed by Parliament; passage and enactment into law require two-thirds majority vote by both the Bundesrat (upper house) and the Bundestag (lower house) of Parliament; articles including those on basic human rights and freedoms cannot be amended
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth
no
Citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a German citizen or a resident alien who has lived in Germany at least 8 years
Dual citizenship recognized
yes, but requires prior permission from government
Residency requirement for naturalization
8 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal; age 16 for some state and municipal elections
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
Election/appointment process
president indirectly elected by a Federal Convention consisting of all members of the Federal Parliament (Bundestag) and an equivalent number of delegates indirectly elected by the state parliaments; president serves a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); following the most recent Federal Parliament election, the party or coalition with the most representatives usually elects the chancellor, who is appointed by the president to serve a renewable 4-year term
Most recent election date
president: 13 February 2022
chancellor: 6 May 2025
chancellor: 6 May 2025
Election results
2025: Friedrich MERZ (CDU) elected chancellor in second round; Federal Parliament vote - 325 to 289
2022: Frank-Walter STEINMEIER reelected president; Federal Convention vote count - Frank-Walter STEINMEIER (SPD) 1,045, Max OTTE (CDU) 140, Gerhard TRABERT (The Left) 96, Stefanie GEBAUER (Free Voters) 58, abstentions 86
Expected date of next election
president: February 2027
Legislative branch
Legislative structure
bicameral
Legislative branch - lower chamber
Chamber name
German Bundestag (Deutscher Bundestag)
Number of seats
630 (all directly elected)
Electoral system
mixed system
Scope of elections
full renewal
Term in office
4 years
Most recent election date
2/23/2025
Parties elected and seats per party
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) (164); Alternative for Germany (AfD) (152); Social Democratic Party (SPD) (120); Green Party (85); Left Party (Die Linke) (64); Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU) (44); Other (1)
Percentage of women in chamber
32.4%
Expected date of next election
February 2029
Legislative branch - upper chamber
Chamber name
Federal Council (Bundesrat)
Number of seats
69 (all appointed)
Parties elected and seats per party
SPD 23; CDU 17; Green Party 15; Left Party 4; CSU 3; FW 3; FDP 2; other 2
Percentage of women in chamber
34.8%
Judicial branch
Highest court(s)
Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges, including the court president, vice presidents, presiding judges, other judges; organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels); Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)
Judge selection and term of office
Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated states and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament; judges appointed by the president; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; half of Federal Constitutional Court judges are elected by the House of Representatives and half by the Senate; judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
Subordinate courts
Federal Administrative Court; Federal Finance Court; Federal Labor Court; Federal Social Court; each of the 16 federated states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts; two English-speaking commercial courts opened in 2020 in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg -- the Stuttgart Commercial Court and the Mannheim Commercial Court
Political parties
Alliance '90/Greens
Alternative for Germany or AfD
Christian Democratic Union or CDU
Christian Social Union or CSU
Free Democratic Party or FDP
Free Voters or FW
The Left or Die Linke
Social Democratic Party or SPD
Alternative for Germany or AfD
Christian Democratic Union or CDU
Christian Social Union or CSU
Free Democratic Party or FDP
Free Voters or FW
The Left or Die Linke
Social Democratic Party or SPD
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission
Ambassador Jens HANEFELD (since 5 September 2025)
Chancery
4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
Telephone
[1] (202) 298-4000
FAX
[1] (202) 298-4261
Email address and website
info@washington.diplo.de
https://www.germany.info/us-en
Consulate(s) general
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US
Chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Alan MELTZER (since July 2024)
Embassy
Pariser Platz 2, 10117 Berlin
Clayallee 170, 14191 Berlin (administrative services)
Clayallee 170, 14191 Berlin (administrative services)
Mailing address
5090 Berlin Place, Washington DC 20521-5090
Telephone
[49] (30) 8305-0
FAX
[49] (30) 8305-1215
Email address and website
BerlinPCO@state.gov
https://de.usembassy.gov/
Consulate(s) general
Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich
International organization participation
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CD, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Independence
18 January 1871 (establishment of the German Empire); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and France) in 1945 after World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed on 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed on 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; West Germany and East Germany unified on 3 October 1990, with all four powers formally relinquishing rights on 15 March 1991; notable earlier dates: 10 August 843 (Eastern Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 2 February 962 (crowning of OTTO I, recognized as the first Holy Roman Emperor)
National holiday
German Unity Day, 3 October (1990)
Flag
description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold
history: the colors can be traced back to the medieval banner of the Holy Roman Emperor -- a black eagle with red claws and beak on a gold field
history: the colors can be traced back to the medieval banner of the Holy Roman Emperor -- a black eagle with red claws and beak on a gold field
National symbol(s)
eagle
National color(s)
black, red, yellow
National coat of arms
Germany’s coat of arms is the world’s oldest, said to date back to 1200, and uses the country’s national colors; it features the oldest European national symbol, an eagle known as the Bundesadler (Federal Eagle); the coat of arms has varied over time for military or political reasons, but the eagle has always been part of the design; the Federal Republic of Germany adopted this version in 1950
National anthem(s)
Title
“Lied der Deutschen”(Song of the Germans)
Lyrics/music
August Heinrich HOFFMANN VON FALLERSLEBEN/Franz Joseph HAYDN
History
first adopted 1922; the anthem, also known as "Deutschlandlied" (Song of Germany), was originally adopted for its connection to the March 1848 liberal revolution; the Nazis later appropriated the first verse -- specifically the phrase "Deutschland, Deutschland ueber alles" (Germany, Germany above all) -- to promote nationalism, and the anthem was banned after 1945; in 1952, West Germany adopted the third verse as its national anthem; in 1990, it became the national anthem for the reunited Germany
National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites
56 (54 cultural, 2 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales
Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin (c); Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (c); Speyer Cathedral (c); Aachen Cathedral (c); Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau, and Bernau (c); Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura (c); Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter, and Church of Our Lady in Trier (c); Hanseatic City of Lübeck (c); Old Town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof (c); Würzburg Residence with the Court Gardens and Residence Square (c); Pilgrimage Church of Wies (c); Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Brühl (c); St Mary's Cathedral and St Michael's Church at Hildesheim (c); Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch (c); Maulbronn Monastery Complex (c); Collegiate Church, Castle and Old Town of Quedlinburg (c); Cologne Cathedral (c); Castle Church in Wittenberg (c); Classical Weimar (c); Wartburg Castle (c); Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz (c); Monastic Island of Reichenau (c); Berlin Modernism Housing Estates (c); Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps (c); Moravian Church Settlements (c); Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus (c); The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (c); Archaeological Border complex of Hedeby and the Danevirke (c); Naumburg Cathedral (c); Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt (c); ShUM Sites of Speyer, Worms and Mainz (c); The Great Spa Towns of Europe (c); Jewish-Medieval Heritage of Erfurt (c); Schwerin Residence Ensemble (c); The Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee (c); The Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee (c)