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Germany
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Thailand
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Map
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Background
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As Europe's largest economy and most populous nation, Germany remains
a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations.
European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars
in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the
victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in
1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in
1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German
Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western
economic and security organizations, the EC, which became the EU, and NATO,
while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact.
The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German unification
in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring Eastern
productivity and wages up to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany
and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency,
the euro. |
A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known
as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to
have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932
led to a constitutional monarchy. Thailand is currently facing armed violence
in its three Muslim-majority southernmost provinces. |
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Area
[km²]
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Total
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Land
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Water
|
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357.021
|
349,223
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7,798
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Total
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Land
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Water
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514,000
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511,770
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2,230
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| Climate |
temperate and marine; cool,
cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm, tropical foehn wind; high
relative humidity |
tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy
southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November
to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid tropical; rainy, warm,
cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon
(November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid |
| Terrain |
lowlands in north, uplands
in center, Bavarian Alps in south |
central plain; Khorat Plateau
in the east; mountains elsewhere |
| Highest Mountan |
Zugspitze 2,962 m |
Doi Inthanon 2,576 m |
| Natural resources |
iron ore, coal, potash, timber,
lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel |
tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten,
tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite |
| Environment |
current issues: emissions from
coal-burning utilities and industries and lead emissions from vehicle exhausts
(the result of continued use of leaded fuels) contribute to air pollution;
acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests;
pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from
rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste disposal ; government established
a mechanism for ending the use of nuclear power over the next 15 years;
government working to meet EU commitment to identify nature preservation
areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive |
air pollution from vehicle
emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation;
soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting |
| Population |
82,431.390 |
65,444,371 |
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Age
structure
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0-14 years
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15-64 years
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over 65 years
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14.4%
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66,7%
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18,9%
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0-14 years
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15-64 years
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over 65 years
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23.9%
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68.6%
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7.5%
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| Population change rate |
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Growth rate
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Birth rate
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Death rate
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0.0%
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0.833%
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1,.06%
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Growth rate
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Birth rate
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Death rate
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0.87%
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1.57%
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0.7%
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Infant
mortality |
0.416% |
2,048% |
| Life expectancy at birth
[Years] |
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Total
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Male
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Female
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78.65
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75.66
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81.81
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Total
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Male
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Female
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71.57
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69.39
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73.88
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| Ethnic groups |
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German
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Turkish
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Other
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91,5%
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2,4%
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6,1%
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Thai
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Chinese
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Other
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75%
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14%
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11%
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| Religions |
Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic
34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3% |
Buddhism 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%,
Christianity 0.7%, other 0.1% |
| Languages |
German |
Thai, English (secondary language
of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects |
| Country name |
Federal Republic of Germany
|
Kingdom of Thailand |
| Capital |
Berlin (the shift from Bonn
to Berlin will take place over a period of years, with Bonn retaining many
administrative functions and several ministries even after parliament moves
in 1999 ) |
Bangkok |
| Goverment type |
federal republic
|
constitutional
monarchy |
| Adminstrative divisions |
16 states (Laender, singular—Land)
Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern,
Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,
Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen,
Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen
|
76 provinces (changwat, singular
and plural)
Amnat Charoen, Ang Thong,
Buriram, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai,
Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin, Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi,
Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep Mahanakhon (Bangkok), Lampang, Lamphun, Loei,
Lop Buri, Mae Hong Son, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon
Pathom, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat,
Nan, Narathiwat, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani,
Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phetchaburi, Phichit,
Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phrae, Phuket, Prachin Buri, Prachuap
Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Roi Et, Sa Kaeo, Sakon Nakhon,
Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Sara Buri, Satun, Sing Buri,
Sisaket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang,
Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon
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| Independence since |
18 January 1871 (German Empire
unification); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later,
France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG
or West Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US,
and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed
7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; unification of West Germany
and East Germany took place 3 October 1990; all four powers formally relinquished
rights 15 March 1991 |
1238 (traditional founding
date; never colonized)
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| Economy overview |
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Agriculture
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Industry
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Services
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1 %
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31 %
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68 %
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| Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy
- the fifth largest in the world - has become one of the slowest growing
economies in the euro zone. A quick turnaround is not in the offing
in the foreseeable future. Growth in 2001-03 fell short of 1%, rising
to 1.7% in 2004. The modernization and integration of the eastern
German economy continues to be a costly long-term process, with annual
transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $70 billion. Germany's
aging population, combined with high unemployment, has pushed social
security outlays to a level exceeding contributions from workers.
Structural rigidities in the labor market - including strict regulations
on laying off workers and the setting of wages on a national basis
- have made unemployment a chronic problem. Corporate restructuring
and growing capital markets are setting the foundations that could
allow Germany to meet the long-term challenges of European economic
integration and globalization, particularly if labor market rigidities
are further addressed. In the short run, however, the fall in government
revenues and the rise in expenditures have raised the deficit above
the EU's 3% debt limit. |
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Agriculture
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Industry
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Services
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9 %
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44.3 %
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46.7 %
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| Thailand has a well developed infrastructure, a free-enterprise
economy, and welcomes foreign investment. Thailand has fully recovered
from the 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis and was one of East Asia's
best performers in 2002-04. Increased consumption and investment spending
and strong export growth pushed GDP growth up to 6.9% in 2003 and
6.1% in 2004 despite a sluggish global economy. The highly popular
government's expansionist policy, including major support of village
economic development, has raised concerns about fiscal discipline
and the health of financial institutions. Bangkok has pursued preferential
trade agreements with a variety of partners in an effort to boost
exports and maintain high growth, and in 2004 began negotiations on
a Free Trade Agreement with the US. In late December 2004, a major
tsunami took 8,500 lives in Thailand and caused massive destruction
of property in the southern provinces of Krabi, Phangnga, and Phuket.
|
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| Labor |
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Total
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Agriculture
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Industry
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Services
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Unemployment
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42.63 M
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2.8 %
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33.4 %
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63.8 %
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10.6 %
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Total
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Agriculture
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Industry
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Services
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Unemployment
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36.43 M
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49 %
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14 %
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37 %
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1.5 %
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| GDP (official exchange rate) |
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Total
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Per capita
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Real growth
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Inflation
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$ 2,890 B
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$ 31,400
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2.2 %
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1.7 %
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Total
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Per capita
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Real growth
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Inflation
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$ 197 B
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$ 9,100
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4.8 %
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5.1 %
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| Industries |
among the world's largest and
most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals,
machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages; shipbuilding;
textiles |
tourism; textiles and garments,
agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, light manufacturing,
such as jewelry; electric appliances and components, computers and parts,
integrated circuits, furniture, plastics; world's second-largest tungsten
producer and third-largest tin producer |
| Agriculture products |
western—potatoes, wheat, barley,
sugar beets, fruit, cabbages; cattle, pigs, poultry; eastern—wheat, rye,
barley, potatoes, sugar beets, fruit; pork, beef, chickens, milk, hides
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rice, cassava (tapioca), rubber,
corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans |
| Exports |
machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures, foodstuffs,
textiles |
textiles and footwear, fishery products, rice, rubber, jewelry, automobiles,
computers and electrical appliances |
| Exports-Partners |
France 10.3%, US 8.8%, UK 8.3%, Italy 7.2%, Netherlands 6.2%, Belgium
5.6%, Austria 5.4%, Spain 5% (2004) |
US 15.9%, Japan 13.9%, China 7.3%, Singapore 7.2%, Malaysia 5.4%, Hong
Kong 5.1% (2004) |
| Imports |
machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals |
capital goods, intermediate goods and raw materials, consumer goods, fuels |
| Imports-Partners |
France 9%, Netherlands 8.3%, US 7%, Italy 6.1%, UK 5.9%, China 5.6%,
Belgium 4.9%, Austria 4.2% (2004) |
Japan 23.6%, China 8.6%, US 7.6%, Malaysia 5.8%, Singapore 4.4%, Taiwan
4.1% (2004) |
| Currency |
1 Euto = 100 Cent |
1 baht (B) = 100 satang |
| Transportation resources
[km] |
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Highways
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Railways
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Waterways
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230,735
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46.142
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7.300
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Highways
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Railways
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Waterways
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57.403
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4.071
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4.000
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| Ports and harbors |
Berlin, Bonn, Brake, Bremen,
Bremerhaven, Cologne, Dresden, Duisburg, Emden, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Kiel,
Lubeck, Magdeburg, Mannheim, Rostock, Stuttgart |
Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Pattani,
Phuket, Sattahip, Si Racha, Songkhla |
| Airports |
331 (with Runways over 3047m:
13) |
56 (with Runways over 3047m:
7) |
| Disputes international |
none |
separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim southern provinces
prompt border closures and controls with Malaysia to stem terrorist activities.
Significant differences remain with Burma over boundary alignment and the
handling of ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities;
Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary with missing boundary
markers. Ethnic Karens from Burma flee into Thailand to escape fighting
between Karen rebels and Burmese troops resulting in Thailand sheltering
about 118,000 Burmese refugees in 2004 |
| Drugs |
source of precursor chemicals
for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for and consumer
of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and European-produced
synthetic drugs |
a minor producer of opium,
heroin, and marijuana; illicit transit point for heroin en route to the
international drug market from Burma and Laos; eradication efforts have
reduced the area of cannabis cultivation and shifted some production to
neighboring countries; opium poppy cultivation has been reduced by eradication
efforts; also a drug money-laundering center; minor role in amphetamine
production for regional consumption; increasing indigenous abuse of methamphetamine |
|
International
Crisis Group
documents
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