,
ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,
OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer),
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOMIG,
UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Klaus SCHARIOTH
chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 298-4000
FAX: [1] (202) 298-4249
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los
Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador William R. TIMKEN, Jr.
embassy: Pariser Platz 2, 10117 Berlin; note - new embassy opened 4
July 2008
mailing address: PSC 120, Box 1000, APO AE 09265, clayallee 170,
14195 Berlin
telephone: [49] (030) 2385174
FAX: [49] (030) 8305-1215
consulate(s) general: Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg,
Leipzig, Munich

Flag description:

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

Economy
Germany

Economy - overview:

Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy - the fifth
largest in the world in PPP terms - showed considerable improvement
in 2007 with 2.6% growth. After a long period of stagnation with an
average growth rate of 0.7% between 2001-05 and chronically high
unemployment, stronger growth led to a considerable fall in
unemployment to about 8% near the end of 2007. Among the most
important reasons for Germany's high unemployment during the past
decade were macroeconomic stagnation, the declining level of
investment in plant and equipment, company restructuring, flat
domestic consumption, structural rigidities in the labor market,
lack of competition in the service sector, and high interest rates.
The modernization and integration of the eastern German economy
continues to be a costly long-term process, with annual transfers
from west to east amounting to roughly $80 billion. The former
government of Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER launched a comprehensive
set of reforms of labor market and welfare-related institutions. The
current government of Chancellor Angela MERKEL has initiated other
reform measures, such as a gradual increase in the mandatory
retirement age from 65 to 67 and measures to increase female
participation in the labor market. Germany's aging population,
combined with high chronic unemployment, has pushed social