Germany: Introduction

Germany is a country located in the heart of Western Europe. It is bordered by Denmark, Poland, Czechia, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, the North Sea, and the Baltic Sea. Germany has a strategic location on the North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea. The government system is a federal republic; the chief of state is the president, and the head of government is the chancellor. Germany has a mixed economic system which includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation. Germany is a member of the European Union (EU).