Germany

Germany is a parliamentary federal republic of sixteen states (Bundesländer).

The capital city and seat of government is Berlin.

The country was first unified as a nation-state amidst the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. After World War II Germany was divided, and it became reunified in 1990.

It is a founding member of the European Union, and with over 82 million people it has the largest population among the EU member states.

The German political system operates under a framework laid out in the 1949 constitutional document known as the Grundgesetz ("Basic Law").

The Chancellor is the head of government and exercises executive power, similar to the role of a Prime Minister.

The Bundeskanzleramt has been the seat of the German Chancellor since 2001.

Since 1949, the party system has been dominated by the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party of Germany although smaller parties, such as the liberal Free Democratic Party (which has had members in the Bundestag since 1949) and the Alliance '90/The Greens (which has controlled seats in parliament since 1983) have also played important roles.

The German head of state is the President of Germany, elected by the Bundesversammlung ("federal convention"), an institution consisting of the members of the Bundestag and an equal number of state delegates.

The second highest official in the German order of precedence is the President of the Bundestag, who is elected by the Bundestag itself. He or she is responsible for overseeing the daily sessions of the body.

The third-highest official and the head of government is the Chancellor. He or she is nominated by the President of Germany and elected by the Bundestag. If necessary, he or she can be removed by a constructive motion of no confidence by the Bundestag, where "constructive" implies that the Bundestag needs to elect a successor.