The Economist Intelligence Unit's central forecast is that the coalition between the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) and the Social-democratic Party (SPD), will last for the full legislative term (until 2009). The general government deficit is likely to move into surplus from 2008. German GDP growth is now slowing, but is expected to average 2.7% in 2007, before slowing to 2.1% in 2008 and rising back to 2.3% in 2009. Inflation this year has been pushed over 2% by a 3-percentage-point increase in value-added tax at the start of the year. We forecast that it will fall to 1.8% in 2008 and 2009. |
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| Key Reports Available for Germany |
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| Land area | | 356,970 sq km, of which 55% is agricultural land and 29% forest | | Population | | 82.6m (2007) | | Main cities | | Population in '000 (mid-2003) | | Berlin (capital): 3,389 | | Hamburg: 1,734 | | Munich (Munchen): 1,248 | | Cologne (Koln): 966 | | Frankfurt am Main: 643 | | Dortmund: 590 | | Climate | | Temperate | | Weather in Frankfurt (altitude 125 metres) | | Hottest month, July, 15-20°C (average daily minimum and maximum); coldest month, January, minus 1-3°C; driest month, February, 40 mm (average monthly rainfall); wettest month, June, 70 mm | | Language | | German | | Weights and measures | | Metric system | | Currency | | Euro (€=100 cents), which was introduced on January 1st 1999 and against which the D-mark (DM=100 pfennig) was permanently fixed at DM1.95583:€1. Euro notes and coins were introduced in January 2002 | | Average exchange rates in 2007: US$1.37:€1 | | Exchange rates on September 22nd 2008: US$1.48:€1 | | Time | | 1 hour ahead of GMT in winter, 2 hours ahead in summer | | Fiscal year | | January-December | | Public holidays | | January 1st, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May 1st, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Corpus Christi, October 3rd (Reunification Day), December 25th and 26th; additional public holidays apply for various states | | SOURCE: Country Profile |
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