Germany, home to over 80 million people, is the most populous nation in the European Union.
German is the official language, spoken by over 99% of the population. There are several dialects in the different regions of the country.
Germany is a federal parliamentary representative democratic republic. The president is the head of state and invested primarily with representative responsibilities and powers, elected by federal convention. The second-highest official is the President of the Bundestag, who is elected by theBundestag and responsible for overseeing the daily sessions of the body. The third-highest official and the head of government is the Chancellor, who the head of government and exercises executive power, similar to the role of a Prime Minister in other parliamentary democracies.
Approximately 63% of the population adheres to Christianity. The second largest religion is Islam with an estimated 5%. There are a number of other religions also represented. About 30% of the population, mostly in the former East Germany, claim to be non-religious.
The currency is the Euro.