Germany
General Data :
OFFICIAL NAME
|
Federal Republic of Germany
|
CAPITAL
|
Berlin
|
AREA
|
357,000
square kilometers
|
POPULATION (2001)
|
82 million
|
LANGUAGE
|
German (official)
|
NATIONAL HOLIDAY
|
3 October
|
POLITICAL SYSTEM
|
Parliamentary Republic
|
HEAD OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT.
|
President Johannes Rau
Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder
|
MAIN CITIES
|
Berlin (3.4 million), Hamburg (1.6
million), Munich (1.2 million), Cologne (1 million), and Frankfurt
(0.6 million)
|
CURRENCY
|
Euro
|
Politics:
Germany is a
parliamentary federative republic formed by 16 states
(Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg,
Hesse, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia,
Rhineland Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt,
Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringia). Germany’s legislative power is
vested in the Bundesrat (Federal Council formed by the state
president-ministers) and in the Bundestag (Federal Parliament formed by
about 600 deputies, who are elected by district and proportional vote
for 4-year terms). The head of State is the President of the Republic,
who is elected by indirect vote for a 5-year term. The head of
Government is the Federal Chancellor, who is chosen by the party or
coalition with the highest number of seats in the Bundestag. Judicial
power is vested in the Federal Constitutional Court headquartered in
Karlsruhe.
In the 1998
elections, Social-democrat Gerhard Schröder defeated Christian-democrat
Helmut Kohl – who had been in power since 1982 – and formed a coalition
government with the Green Party of the now Federal Vice-Chancellor and
Minister of External Relations, Joschka Fisher. In addition to SPD
(Social-Democrat Party), CDU (Christian-Democrat Union), and the Greens,
other parties of political relevance are the FDP (the central-wing
Liberal Democratic Party), and the PDS (the former communist Democratic
Socialism Party). In Bavaria the Christian-democracy is represented by
CSU (Christian-Social Union). The next elections are scheduled for the
second semester of 2002.
Brazil-Germany relations (main points):
· Brazilian
and German governments maintain a frequent and intense dialogue at the
most different levels, with emphasis on the regular contacts between
President Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. The
two countries have coordinated their positions in forums such as the
United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and the G-20. · Germany
is Brazil’s main economic partner in Europe. It is among the five major
sources of direct foreign investment in Brazil (together with the United
States, Spain, France, and the Netherlands) and is one of our three most
important commercial partners (next to the US and Argentina). · The
two countries promote, on a yearly basis, an important meeting between
Brazilian and German governmental authorities and business leaders (the
Brazil-Germany Economic Meeting) to follow up on, coordinate, and
stimulate bilateral economic relations. · Brazil and Germany develop
intense bilateral cooperation in fields such as the environment, science
and technology, and training and upgrading of human resources. The many
projects jointly implemented by the two countries have provided concrete
contributions to the benefit of the population in both countries. ·
It is estimated that about 12 million Brazilians descend from German
immigrants who have settled in Brazil in the past 180 years. Germany was
the fourth biggest source of European immigration to Brazil, next to
Portugal, Italy and Spain. · In the field of regional integration,
Brazil and Germany are among the main promoters of negotiations between
Mercosur and the European Union, aimed at the creation of a free-trade
area. The two countries have the largest economies in their respective
blocs.
Brazil-Germany Trade (in US$ million FOB):
|
1995
|
1996
|
1997
|
1998
|
1999
|
2000
|
2001*
|
Exports
|
2.158
|
2.082
|
2.607
|
3.005
|
2.544
|
2.525
|
1.937
|
Imports
|
4.720
|
4.617
|
5.132
|
5.239
|
4.713
|
4.420
|
3.709
|
Balance
|
|
|
|
|
-2.169
|
-1.895
|
-1.771
|
*janeiro a setembro; fonte: MDIC
Stock of German investments in Brazil (in US$ million) and %
over the general total:
1970
|
%
|
1985
|
%
|
1995
|
%
|
450
|
13,2
|
7.100
|
25,4
|
8.500
|
17,0
|
1997
|
%
|
1999
|
%
|
2001
|
%
|
9.300
|
11,9
|
10.900
|
8,1
|
12.500
|
6,8
|
Source: DE-I (estimation based on data
provided by the Central Bank and Chambers of Commerce)
Main German companies in Brazil:
Volkswagen, DaimlerChrysler, Siemens, BASF, Bayer, Bosch, and Aventis.
Source: Valor 100.
Main events in bilateral relations (1995-2001) :
July 1995
|
Brazilian External Relations Minister
Luiz Felipe Lampreia visits Germany
|
September 1995
|
Brazilian President Fernando Henrique
Cardoso visits Germany
|
November 1995
|
German President Roman Herzog visits
Brazil
|
November 1995
|
Brazil-Germany Economic Meeting (São
Paulo/Brazil)
|
June 1996
|
Brazilian External Relations Minister
Luiz Felipe Lampreia visits Germany.
|
September 1996
|
German Chancellor Helmut Kohl visits
Brazil
|
October 1996
|
Brazil-Germany Economic Meeting
(Dresden/Germany)
|
November 1996
|
Saxony’s Minister-President Kurt
Biedenkopf visits Brazil
|
February 1997
|
Brazilian Vice President Marco Macie1
visits Germany
|
March 1997
|
Bavaria’s Minister-President Edmund
Stoiber visits Brazil
|
September 1997.
|
Brazil-Germany Economic Meeting (Rio
de Janeiro/Brazil)
|
June 1998
|
Brazil-Germany Economic Meeting
(Munich/Germany)
|
November 1998.
|
Brazilian External Relations Minister
Luiz Felipe Lampreia visits Germany
|
April 1999
|
Brazilian President Fernando Henrique
Cardoso visits Germany
|
June 1999
|
Brazilian President Fernando Henrique
Cardoso visits Germany
|
June 1999
|
German Justice Minister Herta
Däubler-Gmelin visits Brazil
|
June 1999
|
German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder
attends the I Latin America/Caribbean-European Union Summit (Rio de
Janeiro/Brazil).
|
November 1999
|
Brazil-Germany Economic Meeting (Belo
Horizonte/Brazil)
|
May 2000
|
German Minister of Economic
Cooperation and Development Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul visits Brazil
|
May/June 2000
|
Brazilian President Fernando Henrique
Cardoso visits Germany (Hannover 2000 and Berlin meeting)
|
October 2000
|
Brazilian President Fernando Henrique
Cardoso visits Germany
|
October 2000
|
Brazil-Germany Economic Meeting
(Potsdam/Germany)
|
March 2001
|
Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse
visits Brazil
|
October 2001
|
German Finance Minister Hans Eichel
visits Brazil
|
November 2001
|
Brazil-Germany Economic Meeting
(Curitiba/Brazil)
|
Main bilateral agreements:
1996 - Technical Cooperation Framework Agreement (in
force) 1996 - Framework Agreement on Cooperation in Scientific
Research and Technological Development (in force) 1995 - Agreement
on the Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments (under
ratification by the Brazilian party) 1983 - Maritime Transportation
Agreement (in force) 1975 - Cooperation Agreement on the Peaceful Use
of Nuclear Energy (in force) 1975 - Agreement to Avoid Double
Taxation (in force) 1974 - Agreement Establishing the Economic
Cooperation Commission (in force) 1973 - Space Research Agreement (in
force) 1969 - Cultural Agreement (in force) 1964 - Regular Air
Transportation Agreement (in force) 1827 – Trade and Navigation
Treaties between the Brazilian Empire and the Kingdom of
Prussia and between the Brazilian Empire and the Free and
Hanseatic Cities of Lübeck, Bremen, and Hamburg (no
longer in force).
Links:
German
Government:
http://www.regierung.de German Ministry of External Relations:
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de Deutsche Welle: http://www.dwelle.de
Brazil-Germany Chamber of Commerce and Industry:
http://www.ahkbrasil.com Brazilian Embassy in Germany:
http://www.brasilianische-botschaft.de German Embassy in Brazil:
http://www.embaixada-alemanha.org.br
|