Land area: 135,236 sq mi (350,261 sq km); total area: 137,846 sq mi (357,021 sq km)

Population (2008 est.): 82,369,548 (growth rate: 0.0%); birth rate: 8.1/1000; infant mortality rate: 4.0/1000; life expectancy: 79.1; density per sq km: 235

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Berlin (capital since Oct. 3, 1990), 3,933,300 (metro. area), 3,274,500 (city proper)

Other large cities: Hamburg, 1,686,100; Munich, 1,185,400; Cologne, 965,300; Frankfurt, 648,000; Essen, 588,800; Dortmund, 587,600; Stuttgart, 581,100; Düsseldorf, 568,900; Bremen, 527,900; Hanover, 516,300; Duisburg, 513,400

Monetary unit: Euro (formerly Deutsche mark)

National name: Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Current government officials

Language: German

Ethnicity/race: German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, Italian 0.7%, Greek 0.4%, Polish 0.4%, other 4.6%

Religions: Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Islam 4%, Unaffiliated or other 28%

National Holiday: Unity Day, October

Literacy rate: 99% (2003 est.)

Economic summary GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $2.81 trillion; per capita $34,200. Real growth rate: 2.5%. Inflation: 2.3%. Unemployment: 8.4%. Arable land: 34%. Agriculture: potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages; cattle, pigs, poultry. Labor force: 43.63 million; industry 33.4%, agriculture 2.8%, services 63.8% (1999). Industries: among the world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages, shipbuilding, textiles. Natural resources: iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel, arable land. Exports: $1.361 trillion f.o.b. (2007 est.): machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures, foodstuffs, textiles. Imports: $1.21 tillion f.o.b. (2007 est.): machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals. Major trading partners: France, U.S., UK, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Spain, China (2006).