18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October 1990; all four powers formally relinquished rights 15 March 1991
12 October 1968 (from Spain)
Religions
Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%
nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices
Languages
German
Spanish 67.6% (official), other 32.4% (includes French (official), Fang, Bubi) (1994 census)
Exports
machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures, foodstuffs, textiles
petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa
External Debt
$5,624,000,000,000 $
$1,051,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6734 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar 441.72 (2008 est.), 481.83 (2007), 522.4 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.500%
0.100%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
41
0
Location
Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon
Area
357,022 km sq
28,051 km sq
Coastline
2,389 km
296 km
Climate
temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind
