| As a federal parliamentary republic, Germany has a Chancellor with executive power who is head of government much like the Prime Minister of other states. In Germany, there is also a head of state, the President, who has largely representative powers. The Parliament is made up of the Bundestag (Federal Diet) elected through direct elections, and the Bundersrat (Federal Council) consisting of representatives of the sixteen federal states. Germany has Europe’s largest economy and is a major producer of chemicals, vehicles, household equipment, and machinery. With a highly-skilled work force, Germany had a nominal GDP of US $3,237,000 in 2009. Germany is also a top producer of solar power technology and wind energy |