Germany

**Germany** is a country in Europe. Formed by the unification of the German states in the late-19th century, Germany eventually became a major power in Europe and a founding member of the League of Nations.

## History

During the Arrival, at least three Arks crash-landed in various areas around the German Confederation. Following Britain's example, Prussia, the most powerful of the German states, integrated the colonists into their society as a labor force.

## Demographics

The city of Berlin is the capital of Germany.

### Population

With a population over 85 Million, Germany is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia. It is also home to one of the largest non-human populations in Europe, mostly through immigration from France and Britain.

### Language

German is the official and predominant spoken language in Germany.

### Religion

Upon its establishment in the late-1860's, Germany was about two-thirds Protestant and one-third Roman Catholic, with a notable Jewish minority.

Since the 1880's, several non-human religions gained significant following among humans.

### Education

Responsibility for educational supervision in Germany is primarily organized within the individual federal states. Optional kindergarten education is provided for all children between three and six years old, after which school attendance is compulsory for at least nine years. Primary education usually lasts for four to six years. Secondary education includes three traditional types of schools focused on different academic levels: the Gymnasium enrolls the most gifted children and prepares students for university studies; the Realschule for intermediate students lasts six years and the Hauptschule prepares pupils for vocational education. The Gesamtschule unifies all secondary education.

A system of apprenticeship called Duale Ausbildung leads to a skilled qualification which is almost comparable to an academic degree. It allows students in vocational training to learn in a company as well as in a state-run trade school. This model is well regarded and reproduced all around the world.

Most of the German universities are public institutions, and students traditionally study without fee payment.

### Health

Germany's system of hospices, called spitals, dates from medieval times, and today, Germany has the world's oldest universal health care system, dating from Bismarck's social legislation of the 1880s. Since the 1880s, reforms and provisions have ensured a balanced health care system. Currently the population is covered by a health insurance plan provided by statute, with criteria allowing some groups to opt for a private health insurance contract.

## Government and politics

Germany is a federal parliamentary monarchy with the Emperor as its head of state and the Chancellor as its head of government. The title of Emperor is mostly ceremonial, with little to no political power.

Most executive political power is exercised by the Chancellor and the Council of Ministers, while legislative power is exercised by the *Bundestag* and the *Bundesrat*. The *Bundestag* is directly elected by the German people, while the *Bundesrat* represents the governments of the regional states (*Länder*).