Sea Island Summit

Member Nations

United States

France

•Germany

About Gerhard Schröder

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder Born on 7 April 1944 in Mossenburg/Lippe,
Protestant, married

1951 - 1958 Primary and secondary schooling

1959 - 1961 Apprenticeship as retail sales assistant

1962 - 1964 Evening school, obtaining secondary school leaving certificate

1964 - 1966 Adult education college, obtaining Abitur (university entrance qualification)

1966 - 1971 Law studies at Göttingen University, first state examination

1972 - 1976 Practical training in legal work; second state examination; admitted to practise as lawyer

1978 - 1990 Independent lawyer in Hanover

1963 - Joins the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)

1978 -1980 Federal Chairman of the Young Socialists in the SPD

Since 1986 Member of the SPD party executive

Since 1989 Member of the SPD Presidium

1980 - 1986 Member of the German Bundestag

1986 - 1990 Chairman of the SPD parliamentary group in the Landtag of Lower Saxony

1990 - 1998 Minister-President of Lower Saxony

1994 - 1998 Chairman of the Lower Saxony SPD association

Since 27 October 1998 Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany

Germany

The Federal Republic of Germany is an original member of the G8. Germany first hosted the G8 summit in 1978 in Bonn, Germany. The last time Germany hosted the summit was 1999 in Cologne, Germany. They have hosted the G8 summit a total of four times; Bonn 1978, Bonn 1985, Munich 1992, Cologne 1999. Germany will host the summit again in 2007.

His Excellency Gerhard Schröder the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. Chancellor Schröder was first elected to office in 1998.

Official Name: Federal Republic of Germany

Geography
Area: 357,000 sq. km. (137,821 sq. mi.); about the size of Montana.
Cities: Capital--Berlin (population about 3.4 million). Other cities--Hamburg (1.7 million), Munich (1.2 million), Cologne (964,000), Frankfurt (644,000), Essen (603,000), Dortmund (592,000), Stuttgart (582,000), Dusseldorf (568,000), Bremen (543,000), Hanover (516,000).
Terrain: Low plain in the north; high plains, hills, and basins in the center and east; mountainous alpine region in the south.
Climate: Temperate; cooler and rainier than much of the United States.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--German(s).
Population (2001 est.): 83 million.
Ethnic groups: Primarily German; Danish minority in the north, Sorbian (Slavic) minority in the east; 7.3 million foreign residents.
Religions: Protestants (27.9 million) slightly outnumber Roman Catholics (27.3 million); approximately 3.2 million Muslims.
Language: German.
Education: Years compulsory--10; attendance--100%; literacy--99%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (1998 est.)--5.0/1,000; life expectancy (1999 est.)--women 80 years, men 74 years.
Persons employed (2001 avg.): 38.8 million; unemployed (2001 avg.): 3.9 million--9.1% of labor force.

Government
Type: Federal republic.
Founded: 1949 (Basic Law, i.e., Constitution, promulgated on May 23, 1949). On October 3, 1990, the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic unified in accordance with Article 23 of the F.R.G. Basic Law.
Branches: Executive--president (titular chief of state), chancellor (executive head of government); legislative--bicameral parliament; judicial--independent, Federal Constitutional Court.
Administrative divisions: 16 Laender (states).
Major political parties: Social Democratic Party (SPD); Christian Democratic Union (CDU); Christian Social Union (CSU); Alliance 90/Greens; Free Democratic Party (FDP); Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS).
Suffrage: Universal at 18.

Economy
GDP (2001): $1.8 trillion.
Annual growth rate (2001): 0.6%; forecast (2003): 0.5%.
Per capita income: $22,900.
Inflation rate (consumer prices, 2001): 2.5%.
Natural resources: Iron, hard coal, lignite, potash, natural gas.
Agriculture (accounts for 1% of GDP): Products--corn, wheat, potatoes, sugar, beets, barley, hops, viticulture, forestry, fisheries.
Industry (34% of GDP): Types--iron and steel, coal, chemicals, electrical products, ships, vehicles, construction.
Trade (2001): Exports--$628 billion: chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel products, manufactured goods, electrical products. Major markets--France, U.S., and U.K. Imports--$594 billion: food, petroleum products, manufactured goods, electrical products, motor vehicles, apparel. Major suppliers--France, U.S., Netherlands.