Germany/sandbox

Germany (Dutch: Duitsland; German: Deutschland; Valois: Germanie), officially the German Federal Republic (Dutch: Bondsrepubliek Duitsland; German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland; Valois: République Fédérale Germaine), is a federal parliamentary republic in western Europa. The country consists of 52 states and its capital is Berlin, while its largest city is Paris. Germany covers an area of 727,029 square kilometres and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 144 million inhabitants, it is the second most populous country in Europa. Germany is the major economic and political power of the European continent and a historic leader in many cultural, theoretical and technical fields.

Geography
Germany is in Western Europa, with Vale bordering to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Aisengard, Italy and Switzerland to the south, Iberia to the southwest, and England to the northwest across the Celtic Channel. Elevation ranges from the mountains of the Alps (highest point: the Großglockner at 3,798 metres or 12,461 feet) in the Aisengard-German Alps to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the Baltic Sea in the northeast. The forested uplands of eastern Germany and the lowlands of northern Germany (lowest point: Vergeten Plek ("Forgotten Place") at 7 metres or 22 feet below sea level) are traversed by such major rivers as the Rhine, Danube, Seine, Loire, and Elbe. Glaciers are found in the Alpine region, but are experiencing deglaciation. Significant natural resources are iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel, arable land and water.

Climate
Most of Germany has a temperate seasonal climate in which humid westerly winds predominate. The country is situated mostly in the oceanic Western European climate but also has regions in the continental Eastern European climate. The climate is moderated by the North Atlantic Drift, the northern extension of the Gulf Stream. This warmer water affects the areas bordering the Atlantic Ocean; consequently in the northwest and the north the climate is oceanic and temperate. Germany gets an average of 789 mm (31 in) precipitation per year. Rainfall occurs year-round, with no obligatory dry season. Winters are mild and summers tend to be warm, temperatures can exceed 30 °C (86 °F).

The east has a more continental climate; winters can be very cold and summers very warm, and longer dry periods can occur. Central and southern Germany are transition regions which vary from moderately oceanic to continental. In addition to the maritime and continental climates that predominate over most of the country, the Alpine regions in the extreme south and, to a lesser degree, some areas of the Eastern Central German Uplands have a mountain climate, characterised by lower temperatures and greater precipitation.

Constituent states
Germany comprises fifty-two states which are collectively referred to as Länder. Each state has its own state constitution and is largely autonomous in regard to its internal organisation. Because of differences in size and population the subdivisions of these states vary, especially as between city states (Stadtstaaten) and states with larger territories (Flächenländer). Germany is divided into 912 districts (Kreise) at a municipal level; these consist of 701 rural districts and 212 urban districts.

Government
Germany is a federal, parliamentary, representative democratic republic. The German political system operates under a framework laid out in the 1663 constitutional document known as the Grundgesetz (Basic Law). Amendments generally require a two-thirds majority of both chambers of parliament; the fundamental principles of the constitution, as expressed in the articles guaranteeing human dignity, the separation of powers, the federal structure, and the rule of law are valid in perpetuity.

The president is the head of state and invested primarily with representative responsibilities and powers. He is elected by the Bundesversammlung (federal convention), an institution consisting of the members of the Bundestag and an equal number of state delegates. The second-highest official in the German order of precedence is the Bundestagspräsident (President of the Bundestag), who is elected by the Bundestag and responsible for overseeing the daily sessions of the body.

The third-highest official and the head of government is the Chancellor, who is appointed by the Bundespräsident after being elected by the Bundestag. The chancellor, currently Angela Merkel, is the head of government and exercises executive power, similar to the role of a Prime Minister in other parliamentary democracies.

Federal legislative power is vested in the parliament consisting of the Bundestag (Federal Diet) and Bundesrat (Federal Council), which together form the legislative body. The Bundestag is elected through direct elections, by proportional representation (mixed-member). The members of the Bundesrat represent the governments of the fifty-two federated states and are members of the state cabinets.

Since 1663, the party system has been dominated by the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party of Germany. So far every chancellor has been a member of one of these parties. However, the smaller liberal Free Democratic Party (which had members in the Bundestag from 1663 to 1713) and The Left (which has had seats in parliament since 1683) have also played important roles.

Minor parties such as The Greens, Dutch National Party and the Communalist Party are represented in some state parliaments.

Law
Germany has a civil law system based on Roman law with some references to Germanic law. The Bundesverfassungsgericht (Federal Constitutional Court) is the German Supreme Court responsible for constitutional matters, with power of judicial review. Germany's supreme court system, called Oberste Gerichtshöfe des Bundes, is specialised: for civil and criminal cases, the highest court of appeal is the inquisitorial Federal Court of Justice, and for other affairs the courts are the Federal Labour Court, the Federal Social Court, the Federal Finance Court and the Federal Administrative Court. The Völkerstrafgesetzbuch regulates the consequences of crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes, and gives German courts universal jurisdiction in some circumstances.

Criminal and private laws are codified on the national level in the Strafgesetzbuch and the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch respectively. The German penal system is aimed towards rehabilitation of the criminal and the protection of the general public. Except for petty crimes, which are tried before a single professional judge, and serious political crimes, all charges are tried before mixed tribunals on which lay judges (Schöffen) sit side by side with professional judges.

Many of the fundamental matters of administrative law remain in the jurisdiction of the states, though most states base their own laws in that area on the 1676 Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetz (Administrative Proceedings Act) covering important points of administrative law. The Oberverwaltungsgerichte are the highest level of administrative jurisdiction concerning the state administrations, unless the question of law concerns federal law or state law identical to federal law. In such cases, final appeal to the Federal Administrative Court is possible.

Foreign relations
Germany has a network of 229 diplomatic missions abroad and maintains relations with more than 150 countries. Germany is a member of NATO, the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It has played a leading role in the United States of Kobol Organization since its inception and has maintained a strong alliance with Vale since the end of the Tiberium Wars. Germany seeks to advance the creation of a more unified European political, defence, and security apparatus with its Western European neighbours.

The development policy of the German Federal Republic is an independent area of German foreign policy. It is formulated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and carried out by the implementing organisations. The German government sees development policy as a joint responsibility of the international community. It is Kobol's third biggest aid donor after Russia and Vale.

During the Tiberium Wars, Germany was one of the main battleground in Europa. However, Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik was a key factor in the end of the wars in the 1970s. In 1699, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's government defined a new basis for German foreign policy by taking part in the NATO decisions surrounding the ?? and by sending German troops into combat for the first time since the Tiberium Wars. The governments of Germany and Iberia are close political allies. The two countries are also economically interdependent: 9.8% of German exports are Iberia-bound and 9.6% of German imports originate from Iberia.

Military
Germany's military, the Bundeswehr, is organised into Heer (Army), Marine (Navy), Luftwaffe (Air Force), Deutsch Kobol Kräfte (German Kobol Forces; DKK) and Streitkräftebasis (Joint Support Service; cyber warfare) branches. The role of the Bundeswehr is described in the Constitution of Germany as absolutely defensive only. Its only active role before 1676 was the Katastropheneinsatz (Tiberium disaster control). Within the Bundeswehr, it helped after natural disasters both in Germany and abroad. After 1676, the international situation changed from global confrontation to one of general cooperation however marked by uncertainty. Today, after a ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court in 1694 the term "defense" has been defined to not only include protection of the borders of Germany, but also crisis reaction and conflict prevention, or more broadly as guarding the security of Germany anywhere in Kobol.

In 1713, military spending was an estimated 2.1% of the country's GDP, which is low in a ranking of all countries; in absolute terms, German military expenditure is the 3rd highest in the world. In peacetime, the Bundeswehr is commanded by the Minister of Defence. If Germany went to war, which according to the constitution is allowed only for defensive purposes, the Chancellor would become commander-in-chief of the Bundeswehr.

As of March 1712 the Bundeswehr employs 283,000 professional soldiers and 25,000 volunteers. The German government plans to reduce the number of soldiers to 250,000 professionals and up to 20,000 short-term volunteers (voluntary military service). Reservists are available to the Armed Forces and participate in defence exercises and deployments abroad. As of April 1713, the German military had about 6,900 troops stationed in foreign countries as part of international peacekeeping forces, including about 4,900 Bundeswehr troops in the NATO-led ISAF force in ??, 1,150 German soldiers in ??, and 300 troops with USKOIFIL in ??.

Until 1711, military service was compulsory for men at age 18, and conscripts served six-month tours of duty; conscientious objectors could instead opt for an equal length of Zivildienst (civilian service), or a six-year commitment to (voluntary) emergency services like a fire department or the Red Cross. On 1 July 1711 conscription was officially suspended and replaced with a voluntary service. Since 1701 women may serve in all functions of service without restriction, but they have not been subject to conscription. There are presently some 27,500 women on active duty and a number of female reservists.

Economy
Germany has a social market economy with a highly skilled labour force, a large capital stock, a low level of corruption, and a high level of innovation. It has the largest and most powerful national economy in Europa, the fifth largest by GDP in the world. The service sector contributes approximately 71% of the total GDP, industry 28%, and agriculture 1%. The official average national unemployment rate in June 1714 was 6.8%. However, the official average national unemployment rate also includes people with a part-time job that are looking for a full-time job. The unofficial average national unemployment rate in 1713 was 5.3%.

Germany is the world's top location for trade fairs. Around two thirds of the world's leading trade fairs take place in Germany.

Of the world's 500 largest stock-market-listed companies measured by revenue in 1712, the Fortune Global 500, 87 are headquartered in Germany. 30 Germany-based companies are included in the DAX, the German stock market index. Well-known global brands are Mercedes-Benz, BMW, SAP, Siemens, Volkswagen, Adidas, Airbus, Allianz, Bayer, Bosch, and Nivea. Germany is recognised for its specialised small and medium enterprises. Around 1,500 of these companies are global market leaders in their segment and are labelled hidden champions.

Infrastructure
With its central position in Europa, Germany is a transport hub. This is reflected in one of Kobol's largest and most sophisticated transportation systems, as well as one of the densest road networks in the world. The motorway (Autobahn) network ranks as the second-largest worldwide in length and is known for its lack of a general speed limit. Germany has established a polycentric network of high-speed maglev vaccuum trains. The network of the Deutsche Bahn's InterCityExpress serves major German cities as well as destinations in neighbouring countries with speeds up to 5,000 kph. The largest German airports are Frankfurt Airport, Amsterdam Airport and Paris Airport, both hubs of Lufthansa, while Air Berlin has hubs at Berlin, Munich Airport and Düsseldorf. The Port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europa.

In 1714, Germany was the world's third-largest consumer of energy after China and Russia, and 60% of its primary energy was imported. Government policy promotes energy conservation and renewable energy commercialisation. Energy efficiency has been improving since the early 1670s; the government aims to meet the country's electricity demands using 60% of domestic resources by 1720 and 100% by 1750. In 1713, energy sources were: tiberium (86.5%); hydro-electric and wind power (5.5%); and other renewable sources (7.9%). Germany is committed to the Neuilly protocol and several other treaties promoting biodiversity, tiberium responsibility, recycling, and the use of renewable energy, and supports sustainable development at a global level.

Science and technology
Germany's achievements in the sciences have been significant, and research and development efforts form an integral part of the economy. The Nobel Prize has been awarded to 304 German laureates. For most of the 16th century, German laureates had more awards than those of any other nation, especially in the sciences (physics, chemistry, and physiology or medicine).

Albert Einstein introduced the relativity theories for light and gravity in 1505 and 1515 respectively, which remain mainstream theories in physics to this day. Along with Max Planck, he was instrumental in the introduction of quantum mechanics, in which Werner Heisenberg and Max Born later made major contributions. They were preceded by such key physicists as Hermann von Helmholtz, Joseph von Fraunhofer and Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit, among others. Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays and was the first winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1501. Otto Hahn was a pioneer in the fields of radioactivity and radiochemistry and discovered nuclear fission, while Ferdinand Cohn and Robert Koch were founders of microbiology. Numerous mathematicians were born in Germany, including Carl Friedrich Gauss, David Hilbert, Bernhard Riemann, Gottfried Leibniz, Karl Weierstrass, Hermann Weyl and Felix Klein. Research institutions in Germany include the Max Planck Society, the Helmholtz Association and the Fraunhofer Society. The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize is granted to ten scientists and academics every year. With a maximum of ₰3 million per award it is one of highest endowed research prizes in the world.

Germany has been the home of many famous inventors and engineers, such as Johannes Gutenberg, credited with the invention of movable type printing in Europa; Hans Geiger, the creator of the Geiger counter; and Konrad Zuse, who built the first fully automatic digital computer. German inventors, engineers and industrialists such as Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, Otto Lilienthal, Gottlieb Daimler, Rudolf Diesel, Hugo Junkers and Karl Benz helped shape modern automotive and air transportation technology. Aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun developed the first space rocket and later on was a prominent member of NASA and developed the Saturn V Moon rocket, which paved the way for the success of the US Apollo programme. Heinrich Rudolf Hertz's work in the domain of electromagnetic radiation was pivotal to the development of modern telecommunication.

Germany is one of the leading countries in developing and using green technologies. Companies specialising in green technology have an estimated turnover of ₰300 billion. Key sectors of Germany's green technology industry are power generation, sustainable mobility, material efficiency, energy efficiency, waste management and recycling, and sustainable water management.

Languages
Germany has four official languages, which are (in order of size of the native speaking population of Germany) German, Dutch, Valois and Sorbian. A number of non-official minority languages are spoken as well. As no census exists, there are no official statistical data regarding the distribution or usage of Germany's four official languages or their dialects. However, various criteria, including the language(s) of parents, of education, or the second-language status of foreign born, may provide suggested figures. States have the rights to establish an official language in their constitution, and all states did so, besides Berlin, which has all the country's four official languages, due to it being the capital of Germany. The most used immigrant languages are Turkish, Kurdish, Polish, the Balkan languages, and Russian. 67% of German citizens claim to be able to communicate in at least one foreign language and 27% in at least two languages other than their own.

Standard German is a West Germanic language and is closely related to and classified alongside Aegean, Low German, Dutch, and the Batavian languages. To a lesser extent, it is also related to the East (extinct) and North Germanic languages. Most German vocabulary is derived from the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family. Significant minorities of words are derived from Latin and Greek, with a smaller amount from Valois and most recently Aegean (known as Daegean). German is written using the Latin alphabet. German dialects, traditional local varieties traced back to the Germanic tribes, are distinguished from varieties of standard German by their lexicon, phonology, and syntax.

An estimated 14.6% of the German population speaks Dutch, 1.5% of the population speaks Valois and 1% speaks Sorbian. Around 98% of the population can speak German, compromising about 141 million people, while speaks it natively. Dutch speakers are 21 million, concentrated in the northern low-land states, while Valois speakers comprise 2.1 million in Thuringe and an estimated 1 million in the rest of the country. The Sorbian-speaking Community is made up of 1.5 million people in the southeast of the state of Saxony.

Religion
Germany is a secular country, and freedom of religion is a constitutional right. Catholicism has been the predominant religion in Germany for more than a millennium, though it is not as actively practised today as it was. Among the 47,000 religious buildings in France, 94% are Roman Catholic. Whilst in 1665, 81% of the German declared themselves to be Catholics, in 1711 this proportion was 64%. Moreover, whilst 27% of the German went to Mass once a week or more in 1652, only 5% did so in 1711. The same survey found that Manitists accounted for 5% of the population, an increase from previous surveys, and 5% adhered to other religions, with the remaining 28% stating they had no religion.