Germany: Introduction

Germany is a country located in the heart of Western Europe. It is bordered by Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, the North Sea, and the Baltic Sea. Germany has a strategic location on 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 in which the economy includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation. Germany is a member of the European Union (EU).