Introduction: As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation (after Russia), Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations,...

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Economic Overview: Analysis of the economy

Germany is the largest economy in Europe and the fourth-largest economy in the world (GDP was more than A$3.3 trillion in 2010). Germany is ranked as the world's second-largest goods exporter: approximately A$1.16 trillionwith a trade surplus of A$194 billion. Exports of goods and services made up over 41 per cent of GDP. Manufacturing is the mainstay of the German economy, with the export sector dominated by automobiles and machinery. Germany's exports of services are relatively underdeveloped and reform in the services sectors is relatively slow, but new sectors, like IT, biotechnology and ...

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