Guardian East December Issue | Page 4

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT Germany Of?cially the Federal Republic of Germany, it is a federal parliamentary republic in western-central Europe. The country consists of 16 states. With 80.3 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state in the European Union. It was a founding member of the European Community in 1957, which became the EU in 1993. President: Joachim Gauck German Chancellor: Angela Merkel Independence: 1815 Capital: Berlin Currency: Euro Of?cial languages: German Germany’s military, the Bundeswehr, is organized into Heer (Army), Marine (Navy), Luftwaffe (Air Force), Bundeswehr Joint Medical Service and Streitkräftebasis (Joint Support Service) branches. The role of the Bundeswehr is described in the Constitution of Germany as absolutely defensive only. PG 4