From Yesterday to Today: GERMANY

Germany: A Rich History and Advanced Economy from Past to Present

Located in Central Europe, with the Baltic Sea, North Sea and Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Switzerland and Austria to the south, and France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands to the west, Germany is not only a country of considerable land area but also the most populous nation in the European Union. Germany generally has a temperate climate due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. By virtue of its location, it is home to many varieties of animals and plants. Wildlife parks, aquariums and bird parks are quite renowned. The Berlin Zoo is home to 14,000 animals, making it the world's zoo with the largest animal collection.

Germans Enter the Historical Stage

Looking at Germany's place in history, we can speak of the Charlemagne Empire. After Emperor Charlemagne's death, the empire was divided into parts, and with Pope in Rome proclaiming Otto I as king, the Holy Roman Empire was established. Following the French Revolution in 1789, Germany experienced French occupation under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte's army until World War II. After these occupations, when the calendar showed 1814-1815, changes occurred in the European map and the old principalities entered into a new formation. The Austro-Hungarian Empire and Prussia both wanted to keep Germans within their domains, and in this competitive environment, Prussia emerged victorious. Germany won the Franco-German War in 1870-1871, and King Wilhelm I of Prussia was proclaimed German Emperor. In the following years, after World War I and World War II occurred, German reunification was restored on 3 October 1990 between the Federal Republic of Germany and East Germany.

Germany Makes a Difference with Modern Economy

Germany, considered one of the world's most developed countries, continues to advance economically year after year. In particular, thanks to its advanced infrastructure, roads and railways occupy an important place in daily life. For this reason, considerable advances and technologies are used in the transportation sector, making automobiles, railway cars, racing cars and land vehicles the pillars of the economy. Since Germany does not have significant underground resources, the mining industry is based on coal and potassium salt extraction. In these basins, 200 tons of coal are extracted annually. However, when we focus on the modern economy, we can see that engineering plays a very important role. 42% of the world's pressure equipment is manufactured in Germany. More than 1 million people work as Electronic Engineers in important companies that have gained prestige worldwide.

Strong Trade Relations with Turkey

Looking at Turkey-Germany import-export products, among the products Germany exports are railway cars, automobiles and land vehicles, while among the products it imports are components and parts for land vehicles, petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals as well as other gaseous hydrocarbons. In 2017, our exports to Germany reached USD 15.1 million. Our imports amounted to USD 21.3 million, while the trade volume between the two countries stands at USD 36.4 billion. Compared to previous years from 2017, there is a 3.1% increase. In recent years, there are 7,110 German capital companies in our country, and Germany leads among foreign capital companies. Looking at the Central Bank's data, Germany ranks 5th in Turkey with USD 9 billion 155 million in direct investment during the 2002-2017 period. Looking at the total Turkish investments in Germany during the same period, we can see levels of USD 2 billion 260 million.

Germany in 7 Points

1. Germany, a country of poets, philosophers and artists, has 300 city and state theatres, 130 professional orchestras, more than 25,000 libraries, over 5,700 museums and 630 art galleries with internationally significant collections.2. Oktoberfest, the world's largest folk festival, takes place in Munich, the capital of Bavaria, Germany. 3. With 1,700 bridges, it has managed to surpass Venice. 4. It is home to world-renowned inventions including the automobile, prefabricated houses, jellybeans and even the spiral notebook. 5. The Zoologischer Garten, located in Berlin and the world's largest zoo, is situated in Germany. 6. With 102 Nobel Prizes in chemistry, physics, literature and peace, it is the country with the most Nobel Prizes in the world. 7. Germany is the world's largest automobile manufacturer.

Prepared by: Çağla Köksal

Sources http://tarihlervekulturler.blogcu.com/almanyanin-kurulusu-vetarihi/5009126 http://www.orangesmile.com/gezirehberi/almanya/ekonomisi.htm http://www.mfa.gov.tr/almanya-ekonomisi.tr.mfa https://www.hotcourses-turkey.com