This will give a political overview of Germany's politics
Capital City
Berlin
Date of indpendce
18 January 1871
Chef of State
President Joachim GAUCK (since 23 March 2012)
Description of Executive Branch
president indirectly elected for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term) by a Federal Convention consisting of the 630-member Federal Parliament (Bundestag) and 630 delegates indirectly elected by the state parliaments; election last held on 19 February 2012 (next to be held by June 2017); chancellor indirectly elected by absolute majority by the Federal Parliament for a 4-year term; Federal Parliament vote for chancellor last held on 17 December 2013 (next to be held following the September 2017 general election)
Description of Judicial Branch
Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges including the court president, vice-presidents, presiding judges, and other judges, and organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels; Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)
U.S. Ambassador to Germany
Ambassador John B. EMERSON (since 26 August 2013)
U.S. Embassy in Germany
Pariser Platz 2
Location of U.S. consulates in Germany
Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich
Type of Goverment
Federal Republic
National Holidays
Unity Day, 3 October (1990)
Head of Goverment
Chancellor Angela MERKEL (since 22 November 2005)
Description of Legislative Branch
Bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Federal Council or Bundesrat (69 seats; members appointed by each of the 16 state governments or landtags) and the Federal Diet or Bundestag (631 seats - total seats can vary each electoral term; approximately one-half of members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and approximately one-half directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms)
Suffrage
18 and older; universal
German Ambassador to the U.S.
Ambassador Hans Peter WITTIG (since 21 May 2014)
German Embassy in the U.S.
4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
Location of German consulates in the U.S.
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
National Symobls
Golden eagle; national colors: black, red, yellow
Current International Dispuits
None
German Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold; these colors have played an important role in German history and can be traced back to the medieval banner of the Holy Roman Emperor - a black eagle with red claws and beak on a gold field.