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Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The territory of Germany covers 357,021 square kilometers and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With over 82 million inhabitants, it has the largest population of any member state of the European Union and is home to the third-largest number of international migrants worldwide.
A region named Germania inhabited by several Germanic peoples has been known and documented before 100 AD. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire that lasted until 1806. During the 16th century, northern Germany became the centre of the Protestant Reformation. As a modern nation-state, the country was first unified amidst the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. In 1949, after World War II, Germany was divided into two separate statesEast Germany and West Germanyalong the lines of Allied occupation. The two states were reunified in 1990. West Germany was a founding member of the European Community in 1957, which became the European Union in 1993. It is part of the borderless Schengen zone and adopted the European currency, the euro, in 1999.
Germany is a federal parliamentary republic of sixteen states. The capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, G8 and OECD. It is a major economic power with the world's third largest economy by nominal GDP and the fifth largest in purchasing power parity. It is the largest exporter and second largest importer of goods. In absolute terms, Germany allocates the second biggest annual budget of development aid in the world, while its military expenditure ranked sixth. The country has developed a high standard of living and established a comprehensive system of social security. It holds a key position in European affairs and maintains a multitude of close partnerships on a global level. Germany is recognised as a scientific and technological leader in several fields.
Germany Profile
Area: 357,114 sq. km. (137,846 sq. mi.); about the size of Montana.
Cities (2007): Capital--Berlin (population about 3.41 million). Other cities--Hamburg (1.77 million), Munich (1.31 million), Cologne (1 million), Frankfurt (671,000), Essen (567,000), Dortmund (581,000), Stuttgart (602,000), Dusseldorf (586,000), Bremen (548,000), Hanover (521,000).
Terrain: Low plain in the north; high plains, hills, and basins in the center and east; mountainous alpine region in the south.
Climate: Temperate; cooler and rainier than much of the United States.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--German(s).
Population (January 1, 2010 estimate): 82,329,758.
Population growth rate (% per annum, 2010 est.): -0.053%.
Urban population (2008): 74%.
Ethnic groups (2010): German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish); Danish minority in the north, Sorbian (Slavic) minority in the east.
Religions: Protestant 34%; Roman Catholic 34%; Muslim 3.7%; unaffiliated or other 28.3%.
Language: German.
Education: Years compulsory--10; attendance--100%; literacy--99%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2010)--3.99/1,000; life expectancy (2010)--women 82.42 years, men 76.26 years.
Persons employed (second quarter 2010): 40.3 million.
Type: Federal republic.
Founded: 1949 (Basic Law, i.e., Constitution, promulgated on May 23, 1949). On October 3, 1990, the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic unified in accordance with Article 23 of the F.R.G. Basic Law.
Branches: Executive--president (titular chief of state), chancellor (executive head of government); legislative--bicameral parliament; judicial--independent, Federal Constitutional Court.
Administrative divisions: 16 Laender (states).
Major political parties: Social Democratic Party (SPD); Christian Democratic Union (CDU); Christian Social Union (CSU); Alliance 90/Greens; Free Democratic Party (FDP); The Left (Die Linke).
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
GDP (2010 nom.): $3.5 trillion.
Annual growth rate: (2011 est.) 2.6%; (2010) 3.6%; (2009) -4.7%.
Per capita GDP (2010 nom.): $40,631.
Inflation rate: (April 2011) 2.4%; (2010) 1.1%.
Unemployment rate: (April 2011) 7.1%; (2010) 6.7%.
Agriculture (0.9% of GDP in 2010): Products--corn, wheat, potatoes, sugar, beets, barley, hops, viticulture, forestry, fisheries.
Industry (26.8% of GDP in 2010): Types--car-making; mechanical, electrical, and precision engineering; chemicals; environmental technology; optics; medical technology; biotech and genetic engineering; nanotechnology; aerospace; logistics.
Trade (2010): Exports--$1.28 trillion (959.5 billion euros): machinery, motor vehicles, electrical products, chemicals and pharmaceutical products. Major markets--France, U.S., Netherlands. Imports--$1.079 trillion (806.16 billion euros): machinery, electrical products, petroleum products, motor vehicles. Major suppliers--China, Netherlands, France, U.S.
Germany People
Most inhabitants of Germany are ethnic German. There are, however, more than 7 million foreign residents, many of whom are the families and descendents of so-called "guest workers" (foreign workers, mostly from Turkey, invited to Germany in the 1950s and 1960s to fill labor shortages) who remained in Germany. Germany has a sizable ethnic Turkish population (2.4% at the beginning of 2010). Germany is also a prime destination for political and economic refugees from many developing countries. An ethnic Danish minority lives in the north, and a small Slavic minority known as the Sorbs lives in eastern Germany. Due to restrictive German citizenship laws, most "foreigners" do not hold German citizenship even when born and raised in Germany. However, since the German Government undertook citizenship and immigration law reforms in 2002, more foreign residents have had the ability to naturalize.
Germany has one of the world's highest levels of education, technological development, and economic productivity. Since the end of World War II, the number of youths entering universities has more than tripled, and the trade and technical schools of the Federal Republic of Germany (F.R.G.) are among the world's best. Germany is a broadly middle class society. A generous social welfare system provides for universal medical care, unemployment compensation, and other social needs. Millions of Germans travel abroad each year. It is estimated that the population of Germany will decline from the current 82 million people to around 77 million people by 2050. Due to this demographic change, the available workforce aged 20-64 will shrink by more than six million by 2030, resulting in a marked shortage of skilled workers. In the absence of appropriate and timely policy action, demographic change threatens to become a constraining factor for prosperity and growth.
With unification on October 3, 1990, Germany began the major task of bringing the standard of living of Germans in the former German Democratic Republic (G.D.R.) up to that of western Germany. This has been a lengthy and difficult process due to the relative inefficiency of industrial enterprises in the former G.D.R., difficulties in resolving property ownership in eastern Germany, and the inadequate infrastructure and environmental damage that resulted from years of mismanagement under communist rule.
Economic uncertainty in eastern Germany is often cited as one factor contributing to extremist violence, primarily from the political right. Confusion about the causes of the current hardships and a need to place blame has found expression in harassment and violence by some Germans directed toward foreigners, particularly non-Europeans. The vast majority of Germans condemn such violence.
Germany History
Two of Germany's most famous writers, Goethe and Schiller, identified the central aspect of most of Germany's history with their poetic lament, "Germany? But where is it? I cannot find that country." Until 1871, there was no "Germany." Instead, Europe's German-speaking territories were divided into several hundred kingdoms, principalities, duchies, bishoprics, fiefdoms and independent cities and towns.
Finding the answer to "the German question"--what form of statehood for the German speaking lands would arise, and which form could provide central Europe with peace and stability--has defined most of German history. This history of many independent polities has found continuity in the F.R.G.'s federal structure. It is also the basis for the decentralized nature of German political, economic, and cultural life that lasts to this day.
The Holy Roman Empire
Between 962 and the beginning of the 19th century, the German territories were loosely organized into the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. The initially non-hereditary Emperor, elected by the many princes, dukes, and bishops of the constituent lands and confirmed by the Pope, nominally governed over a vast territory, but had very limited ability to intervene in the affairs of the hundreds of entities that made up the Empire, many of which would often wage war against each other. The Empire was never able to develop into a centralized state.
Beginning in 1517 with Martin Luther's posting of his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Castle church, the German-speaking territories bore the brunt of the pan-European struggles unleashed by the Reformation. The leaders of the German kingdoms and principalities chose sides, leading to a split of the Empire into Protestant and Catholic regions, with the Protestant strongholds mostly in the North and East, the Catholic in the South and West. The split along confessional lines also laid the groundwork for the later development of the most powerful German states--Prussia and Austria--as the Prussian Hohenzollern line adopted Protestantism and the Hapsburgs remained Catholic.
The tension culminated in the 30 Years War (1618-1648), a combination of wars within the Empire and between outside European states that were fought on German land. These wars, which ended in a rough stalemate, devastated the German people and economy, definitively strengthened the rule of the various German rulers at the cost of the (Habsburg) Emperor (though Habsburg Austria remained the dominant single German entity within the Empire), and established the continued presence of both Catholics and Protestants in German territories.
The Rise of Prussia
The 18th and 19th centuries were marked by the rise of Prussia as the second powerful, dominant state in the German-speaking territories alongside Austria, and Austrian-Prussian rivalry became the dominant political factor in German affairs. Successive Prussian kings succeeded in modernizing, centralizing, and expanding the Prussian state, creating a modern bureaucracy and the Continent's strongest military. Despite Prussia's emphasis on militarism and authority, Prussia also became a center of the German Enlightenment and was known for its religious tolerance, with its western regions being predominantly Catholic and Jews being granted complete legal equality by 1812. After humiliating losses to Napoleon's armies, Prussia embarked on a series of administrative, military, economic, and education reforms that eventually succeeded in turning Prussia into the Continent's strongest state.
Following Napoleon's defeat, the 1814-1815 Congress of Vienna replaced the Holy Roman Empire with the German Confederation, made up of 38 independent states. A loose confederation, this construct had no common citizenship, legal system, or administrative or executive organs. It did, however, provide for a Federal Diet that met in Frankfurt--a Congress of deputies of the constituent states who would meet to discuss issues affecting the Confederation as a whole.
The Path to Unification: The Customs Union and the 1848 Revolutions
Prussia led a group of 18 German states that formed the German Customs Union in 1834, and the Prussian Thaler eventually became the common currency used in this region. The Customs Union greatly enhanced economic efficiency, and paved the way for Germany to become a single economic unit during the 19th century's period of rapid industrialization. Austria chose to remain outside the German Customs Union, preferring instead to form its own customs union with the Hapsburg territories--a further step down the path of a unified Germany that did not include Austria.
France's 1848 February Revolution that overthrew King Louis Phillipe sparked a series of popular uprisings throughout the German states. Panicking local leaders provided several political, social, and economic concessions to the demonstrators, including agreeing to a national assembly that would discuss the constitutional form of a united Germany, individual rights, and economic order. The assembly rapidly devolved into competing factions; meanwhile, the conservative leaders of the German states reconstituted their power. When the assembly finally determined that there should be a united, federal Germany (excluding Austria) with universal male suffrage, organized as a constitutional monarchy under an Emperor--and offered that emperor title to the King of Prussia--there was no longer any interest or political reason (least of all in absolutist, powerful Prussia) for the leaders to listen. The Prussian monarch rejected the assembly's offer, and the assembly was forcefully disbanded without achieving any of the stated goals of the 1848 revolutionaries.
Nevertheless, the 1848 Revolutions did leave a lasting legacy. The factions of the ill-fated national assembly went on to develop into political parties. Certain economic and social reforms, such as the final abolition of feudal property structures, remained. The idea of German unity was firmly established. And the revolutionaries' colors--black, red, and gold--became firmly ensconced as the colors of German democratic and liberal aspirations.
Unification and Imperial Germany
German nationalism developed into an important unifying and sometimes liberalizing force during this time, though it became increasingly marked by an exclusionary, racially-based definition of nationhood that included anti-Semitic tendencies. However, eventual unification of Germany was essentially the result of Prussian expansionism rather than the victory of nationalist sentiment. Prussia's economic growth outstripped Austria's during the latter half of the 19th century and Prussia-controlled Germany became one of Europe's industrial powerhouses. Under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Prussia defeated Austria (1866) and France (1870) in wars that paved the way for the formation of the German Empire under Emperor Wilhelm I in 1871. Germany became a federal state, with foreign and military policy determined at the national level, but most other policies remained the purview of the states.
Internally, Bismarck waged a struggle against Catholicism, which he viewed as an agent of Austria (ironically, this anti-Catholic move--which eventually failed--actually ended up consolidating a lasting political role for Germany's Catholics), and tried to both co-opt and repress the emerging socialist movement by passing the age's most progressive social insurance and worker protection legislation while clamping down on Socialist activities. Externally, Bismarck then moved to consolidate the stability of the new Empire, launching a string of diplomatic initiatives to form a complex web of alliances with other European powers to ensure that Germany did not become surrounded by hostile powers and avoid Germany's involvement in further wars.
However, Emperor William II disagreed vehemently with Bismarck, sacking him in 1890. Wilhelm II had ambitious aspirations for Germany, including acquisition of overseas colonies. His dynamic expansion of military power and confrontational foreign policies contributed to tensions on the continent. The fragile European balance of power, which Bismarck had helped to create, broke down in 1914. World War I and its aftermath, including the Treaty of Versailles, ended the German Empire.
The Weimar Republic and Fascism's Rise and Defeat
The postwar Weimar Republic (1919-33) was established as a broadly democratic state, but the government was severely handicapped and eventually doomed by economic problems and the rise of the political extremes. The dozens of political parties represented in the federal parliament never allowed stable government formation, creating political chaos. (This lesson led to the decision by the creators of the F.R.G. to limit parliamentary representation to parties that garner at least 5% of the vote.) The hyperinflation of 1923, the world depression that began in 1929, and the social unrest stemming from resentment toward the conditions of the Versailles Treaty worked to destroy the Weimar government.
The National Socialist (Nazi) Party, led by Adolf Hitler, stressed nationalist and racist themes while promising to put the unemployed back to work. The party blamed many of Germany's ills on the alleged influence of Jewish and non-German ethnic groups. The party also gained support in response to fears of growing communist strength. In the 1932 elections, the Nazis won a third of the vote. In a fragmented party structure, this gave the Nazis a powerful parliamentary caucus, and Hitler was asked to form a government. He quickly declined. The Republic eroded and Hitler had himself nominated as Reich Chancellor in January 1933. After President Paul von Hindenburg died in 1934, Hitler assumed that office as well.
Once in power, Hitler and his party first undermined and then abolished democratic institutions and opposition parties. The Nazi leadership immediately jailed many Jewish citizens and opposition figures and withdrew their political rights. Hitler's Nuremburg Laws subsequently deprived all of Germany's Jews of their political rights and also of their economic assets and professional licenses, foreshadowing the systematic plundering of Jewish assets throughout Nazi-occupied territory. The Nazis implemented a program of genocide, at first through incarceration and forced labor and then by establishing death camps. In a catastrophe generally known as the Holocaust or Shoah, roughly six million European Jews from Germany and Nazi-occupied countries were murdered in these death camps and in the killing fields set up behind military lines on the Eastern Front. Hitler's henchmen also carried out a campaign of ethnic extermination against Europe's Roma/Sinti and murdered thousands of homosexuals, mentally disabled people, and opposition figures.
Nazi revanchism and expansionism led to World War II, which resulted in the destruction of Germany's political and economic infrastructures and led to its division.
After Germany's unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945, the United States, the United Kingdom, the U.S.S.R. and, later, France occupied the country and assumed responsibility for its administration. The commanders in chief exercised supreme authority in their respective zones and acted in concert on questions affecting the whole country.
The United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union agreed at Potsdam in August 1945 to treat Germany as a single economic unit with some central administrative departments in a decentralized framework. However, Soviet policy turned increasingly toward dominating the part of Europe where Soviet armies were present, including eastern Germany. In 1948, the Soviets, in an attempt to abrogate agreements for Four-Power control of the city, blockaded Berlin. Until May 1949, the Allied-occupied part of Berlin was kept supplied only by an Allied airlift. The "Berlin airlift" succeeded in forcing the Soviets to accept, for the time being, the Allied role and the continuation of freedom in a portion of the city, West Berlin.
Political Developments in West Germany
The United States and the United Kingdom moved to establish a nucleus for a future German government by creating a central Economic Council for their two zones. The program later provided for a constituent assembly, an occupation statute governing relations between the Allies and the German authorities, and the political and economic merger of the French with the British and American zones. The western portion of the country became the Federal Republic of Germany.
On May 23, 1949, the Basic Law, which came to be known as the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany, was promulgated. Konrad Adenauer became the first federal Chancellor on September 20, 1949. The next day, the occupation statute came into force, granting powers of self-government with certain exceptions.
As part of an ongoing commitment to deal with its historic responsibility, the Federal Republic of Germany took upon itself a leading role in the field of Holocaust education and support for research into this dark period of history. It has also paid out nearly 63 billion Euros as a measure of compensation to Jewish survivors and heirs of the Holocaust and other victims of Nazism, such as forced laborers from many European countries.
The F.R.G. quickly progressed toward fuller sovereignty and association with its European neighbors and the Atlantic community. The London and Paris agreements of 1954 restored full sovereignty (with some exceptions) to the F.R.G. in May 1955 and opened the way for German membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Western European Union (WEU).
The three Western Allies retained occupation powers in Berlin and certain responsibilities for Germany as a whole, including responsibility for the determination of Germany's eastern borders. Under the new arrangements, the Allies stationed troops within the F.R.G. for NATO defense, pursuant to stationing and status-of-forces agreements. With the exception of 45,000 French troops, Allied forces were under NATO's joint defense command. (France withdrew from NATO's military command structure in 1966.)
Political life in the F.R.G. was remarkably stable and orderly. After Adenauer's chancellorship (1949-63), Ludwig Erhard (1963-66) and Kurt Georg Kiesinger (1966-69) served as Chancellor. Between 1949 and 1966 the united caucus of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU), either alone or with the smaller Free Democratic Party (FDP), formed the government. Kiesinger's 1966-69 "Grand Coalition" included the F.R.G.'s two largest parties, CDU/CSU and the Social Democratic Party (SPD). After the 1969 election, the SPD, headed by Willy Brandt, formed a coalition government with the FDP. Brandt resigned in May 1974, after a senior member of his staff was uncovered as an East German spy.
Helmut Schmidt (SPD) succeeded Brandt, serving as Chancellor from 1974 to 1982. Hans-Dietrich Genscher, a leading FDP official, became Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister, a position he would hold until 1992.
In October 1982, the FDP joined forces with the CDU/CSU to make CDU Chairman Helmut Kohl the Chancellor. Following national elections in March 1983, Kohl emerged in firm control of both the government and the CDU. He served until the CDU's election defeat in 1998. In 1983, a new political party, the Greens, entered the Bundestag for the first time.
Political Developments in East Germany
In the Soviet zone, the Communist Party forced the Social Democratic Party to merge in 1946 to form the Socialist Unity Party (SED). Under Soviet direction, a constitution was drafted on May 30, 1949, and adopted on October 7 when the German Democratic Republic was proclaimed. On October 11, 1949, a SED government under Wilhelm Pieck was established. The Soviet Union and its East European allies immediately recognized the G.D.R. The United States and most other countries did not recognize the G.D.R. until a series of agreements in 1972-73.
The G.D.R. established the structures of a single-party, centralized, communist state. On July 23, 1952, the G.D.R. abolished the traditional Laender and established 14 Bezirke (districts). Formally, there existed a "National Front"--an umbrella organization nominally consisting of the SED, four other political parties controlled and directed by the SED, and the four principal mass organizations (youth, trade unions, women, and culture). However, control was clearly and solely in the hands of the SED. Balloting in G.D.R. elections was not secret. On July 17, 1953, East Germans revolted against totalitarian rule. The F.R.G. marked the bloody revolt by making the date the West German National Day, which remained until reunification.
Inter-German Relations
During the 1950s, East Germans fled to the West by the millions. The Soviets made the inner German border increasingly tight, but Berlin's Four-Power status countered such restrictions. Berlin thus became an escape point for even greater numbers of East Germans. On August 13, 1961, the G.D.R. began building a wall through the center of Berlin, slowing down the flood of refugees and dividing the city. The Berlin Wall became the symbol of the East's political debility and the division of Europe.
In 1969, Chancellor Brandt announced that the F.R.G. would remain firmly rooted in the Atlantic Alliance but would intensify efforts to improve relations with Eastern Europe and the G.D.R. The F.R.G. commenced this "Ostpolitik" by negotiating nonaggression treaties with the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Hungary. Based upon Brandt's policies, in 1971 the Four Powers concluded a Quadripartite Agreement on Berlin to address practical questions the division posed, without prejudice to each party's view of the city's Four Power status.
The F.R.G.'s relations with the G.D.R. posed particularly difficult questions. Though anxious to relieve serious hardships for divided families and to reduce friction, the F.R.G. under Brandt was intent on holding to its concept of "two German states in one German nation." Relations improved, however, and in September 1973, the F.R.G. and the G.D.R. were admitted to the United Nations. The two Germanys exchanged permanent representatives in 1974, and, in 1987, G.D.R. head of state Erich Honecker paid an official visit to the F.R.G.
Shortly after World War II, Berlin became the seat of the Allied Control Council, which was to have governed Germany as a whole until the conclusion of a peace settlement. In 1948, however, the Soviets refused to participate any longer in the quadripartite administration of Germany. They also refused to continue the joint administration of Berlin and drove the government elected by the people of Berlin out of its seat in the Soviet sector and installed a communist regime in its place. From then until unification, the Western Allies continued to exercise supreme authority--effective only in their sectors--through the Allied Kommandatura. To the degree compatible with the city's special status, however, they turned over control and management of city affairs to the Berlin Senat (executive) and House of Representatives, governing bodies established by constitutional process and chosen by free elections. The Allies and German authorities in the F.R.G. and West Berlin never recognized the communist city regime in East Berlin or G.D.R. authority there.
During the years of Berlin's isolation--176 kilometers (110 mi.) inside the former G.D.R.--the Western Allies encouraged a close relationship between the Government of West Berlin and that of the F.R.G. Representatives of the city participated as non-voting members in the F.R.G. parliament; appropriate West German agencies, such as the supreme administrative court, had their permanent seats in the city; and the governing mayor of Berlin took his turn as President of the Bundesrat. In addition, the Allies carefully consulted with the F.R.G. and Berlin Governments on foreign policy questions involving unification and the status of Berlin.
Between 1948 and 1990, major events such as fairs and festivals took place in West Berlin, and the F.R.G. encouraged investment in commerce by special concessionary tax legislation. The results of such efforts, combined with effective city administration and the Berliners' energy and spirit, were encouraging. Berlin's morale remained high, and its industrial production considerably surpassed its prewar level.
German Unification
During the summer of 1989, rapid changes took place in the G.D.R. Pressures for political opening throughout Eastern Europe had not seemed to affect the G.D.R. regime. However, Hungary ended its border restrictions with Austria, and a growing flood of East Germans began to take advantage of this route to West Germany. Thousands of East Germans also tried to reach the West by staging sit-ins at F.R.G. diplomatic facilities in other East European capitals. The exodus generated demands within the G.D.R. for political change, and mass demonstrations in several cities--particularly in Leipzig--continued to grow. On October 7, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev visited Berlin to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the G.D.R. and urged the East German leadership to pursue reform.
On October 18, Erich Honecker resigned and was replaced by Egon Krenz. The exodus continued unabated, and pressure for political reform mounted. Finally, on November 9, the G.D.R. allowed East Germans to travel freely. Thousands poured through the Berlin Wall into the western sectors of Berlin. The Wall was opened.
On November 28, F.R.G. Chancellor Kohl outlined a 10-point plan for the peaceful unification of the two Germanys. In December, the G.D.R. Volkskammer eliminated the SED's monopoly on power. The SED changed its name to the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), and numerous political groups and parties formed. The communist system had been eliminated. A new Prime Minister, Hans Modrow, headed a caretaker government that shared power with the new, democratically oriented parties.
In early February 1990, Chancellor Kohl rejected the Modrow government's proposal for a unified, neutral Germany. Kohl affirmed that a unified Germany must be a member of NATO. Finally, on March 18, the first free elections were held in the G.D.R., and Lothar de Maiziere (CDU) formed a government under a policy of expeditious unification with the F.R.G. The freely elected representatives of the Volkskammer held their first session on April 5, and the G.D.R. peacefully evolved from a communist to a democratically elected government.
Four Power Control Ends
In 1990, as a necessary step for German unification and in parallel with internal German developments, the two German states and the Four Powers--the United States, U.K., France, and the Soviet Union--negotiated to end Four Power reserved rights for Berlin and Germany as a whole. These "Two-plus-Four" negotiations were mandated at the Ottawa Open Skies conference on February 13, 1990. The six foreign ministers met four times in the ensuing months in Bonn (May 5), Berlin (June 22), Paris (July 17), and Moscow (September 12). The Polish Foreign Minister participated in the part of the Paris meeting that dealt with the Polish-German borders.
Of key importance was overcoming Soviet objections to a united Germany's membership in NATO. The Alliance was already responding to the changing circumstances, and, in NATO, issued the London Declaration on a transformed NATO. On July 16, after a bilateral meeting, Gorbachev and Kohl announced an agreement in principle to permit a united Germany in NATO. This cleared the way for the signing of the "Treaty on the Final Settlement With Respect to Germany" in Moscow on September 12. In addition to terminating Four Power rights, the treaty mandated the withdrawal of all Soviet forces from Germany by the end of 1994. This made it clear that the current borders were final and definitive, and specified the right of a united Germany to belong to NATO. It also provided for the continued presence of British, French, and American troops in Berlin during the interim period of the Soviet withdrawal. In the treaty, the Germans renounced nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and stated their intention to reduce German armed forces to 370,000 within 3 to 4 years after the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, signed in Paris on November 19, 1990, entered into force.
German unification could then proceed. In accordance with Article 23 of the F.R.G.'s Basic Law, the five Laender (which had been reestablished in the G.D.R.) acceded to the F.R.G. on October 3, 1990. The F.R.G. proclaimed October 3 as its new national day. On December 2, 1990, all-German elections were held for the first time since 1933.
The Final Settlement Treaty ended Berlin's special status as a separate area under Four Power control. Under the terms of the treaty between the F.R.G. and the G.D.R., Berlin became the capital of a unified Germany. The Bundestag voted in June 1991 to make Berlin the seat of government. The Government of Germany asked the Allies to maintain a military presence in Berlin until the complete withdrawal of the Western Group of Forces (ex-Soviet) from the territory of the former G.D.R. The Russian withdrawal was completed August 31, 1994. On September 8, 1994, ceremonies marked the final departure of Western Allied troops from Berlin.
In 1999, the formal seat of the federal government moved from Bonn to Berlin. Berlin also is one of the Federal Republic's 16 Laender.
Germany Politics
The government is parliamentary, and a democratic constitution emphasizes the protection of individual liberty and division of powers in a federal structure. The chancellor (prime minister) heads the executive branch of the federal government. The duties of the president (chief of state) are largely ceremonial; the chancellor exercises executive power. The Bundestag (lower, principal chamber of the parliament) elects the chancellor. The president normally is elected every 5 years on May 23 by the Federal Assembly, a body convoked only for this purpose, comprising the entire Bundestag and an equal number of state delegates. President Christian Wulff (Christian Democratic Union - CDU) was elected on June 30, 2010.
The Bundestag, which serves a 4-year term, consists of at least twice the number of electoral districts in the country (299). When parties' directly elected seats exceed their proportional representation, they may receive additional seats. The number of seats in the Bundestag was reduced to 598 for the 2002 elections. The Bundesrat (upper chamber or Federal Council) consists of 69 members who are delegates of the 16 Laender (states). The legislature has powers of exclusive jurisdiction and concurrent jurisdiction with the Laender in areas specified in the Basic Law. The Bundestag has primary legislative authority. The Bundesrat must concur on legislation concerning revenue shared by federal and state governments and those imposing responsibilities on the states.
Germany has an independent federal judiciary consisting of a constitutional court, a high court of justice, and courts with jurisdiction in administrative, financial, labor, and social matters. The highest court is the Bundesverfassungsgericht (Federal Constitutional Court), which ensures a uniform interpretation of constitutional provisions and protects the fundamental rights of the individual citizen as defined in the Basic Law.
Political Parties
Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU). An important aspect of postwar German politics was the emergence of a moderate, ecumenical Christian party--the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)--operating in alliance with a related Bavarian party, the Christian Social Union (CSU). Although each party maintains its own structure, the two form a common caucus in the Bundestag and do not run opposing campaigns. The CDU/CSU has adherents among Catholics, Protestants, rural interests, and members of all economic classes. It is generally conservative on economic and social policy and more identified with the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. Angela Merkel, Germany's current Chancellor, is the leader of the CDU and Horst Seehofer leads the Christian Social Union. The CDU/CSU currently holds 237 seats in the Bundestag.
Social Democratic Party (SPD). The SPD is one of the oldest organized political parties in the world. It originally advocated Marxist principles, but in the 1959 Godesberg Program abandoned the concept of a "class party" while continuing to stress social welfare programs. Under the leadership of Gerhard Schroeder, the SPD-Greens government implemented in 2003 the centrist Agenda 2010 reforms, designed to modernize the country's social system and labor market. The SPD elected Franz Muentefering as chairperson on October 18, 2008 replacing Kurt Beck, who had resigned in September 2008. The SPD also chose Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to lead the party against incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU in the September 27, 2009 national parliamentary elections. Following the SPD's poor showing in the federal election of 2009, Franz Muentefering resigned from the position of party chairman of the SPD. Sigmar Gabriel was nominated as his successor and was elected as party chairman on November 13, 2009. Steinmeier became SPD Bundestag caucus leader. The SPD has a powerful base in the bigger cities and industrialized states. Currently, 146 seats in the Bundestag are held by the SPD.
Free Democratic Party (FDP). The FDP has traditionally been composed mainly of middle and upper class Protestants who consider themselves heirs to the European liberal tradition. It supports free trade and reducing the role of the state in economic policy. It is libertarian on social issues. The party has participated in all but three postwar federal governments but was in opposition from 1998-2009. After its strong showing in the September 2009 elections, the FDP joined with the CDU/CSU to form the current government coalition. Guido Westerwelle, Germany's current Foreign Minister, is the leader of the Free Democratic Party. The FDP currently holds 93 seats in the Bundestag.
The Left. The PDS (composed largely of former East German communists) and the WASG (composed of western leftists) merged in June 2007 to form a party now called "The Left ." The party's foreign policy is largely shaped by its rigid opposition to foreign military deployments. On domestic policy, the party opposes economic and social reforms, such as Hartz IV, which aim to increase free markets and reduce unemployment benefits. The Left party proposes to replace the free market system with a return to socialist principles. The Left party is currently lead by Gesine Loetzsch and Klaus Ernst and holds 76 seats in the Bundestag.
Alliance 90/Greens. In the late 1970s, environmentalists organized politically as the Greens. Opposition to nuclear power, military power, and certain aspects of highly industrialized society were principal campaign issues. In the December 1990 all-German elections, the Greens merged with the Eastern German Alliance 90, a loose grouping of civil rights activists with diverse political views. The Greens joined a federal government for the first time in 1998, forming a coalition with the SPD. Alliance 90/Greens are currently lead by Claudia Roth and Cem Oezdemir. Currently, 68 seats in the Bundestag are held by the Greens.
Other parties. Because of the instability caused by the need for multi-party coalitions in the Weimar Republic, Germany's Basic Law today requires that parties reach 5% of the vote to win seats in the Bundestag. In addition to those parties that won representation in the Bundestag in 2009, a variety of minor parties won a cumulative 6% of the vote, up from 2.7% in 2005. Several other parties were on the ballot in one or more states but did not qualify for representation in the federal Bundestag.
2005 and 2009 Federal Elections
The 2005 federal elections were held after Chancellor Schroeder asked for a Bundestag "vote of confidence" on the SPD-Greens coalition. The July 1, 2005, confidence motion failed, and President Koehler called for elections to be held on September 18, 2005, a year earlier than planned. The results of the 2005 Bundestag elections were as follows: CDU/CSU 35.2% (226 seats); SPD 34.2% (222 seats); FDP 9.8% (61 seats); LP/PDS 8.7% (54 seats); Greens 8.1% (51 seats). After several weeks of negotiations, the CDU/CSU and SPD agreed to form a "grand coalition" under the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Angela Merkel and the new cabinet were sworn in on November 22, 2005.
Bundestag elections were held again on September 27, 2009. The results were as follows: CDU/CSU 33.8% (239 seats); SPD 23% (146 seats); FDP 14.6% (93 seats); LP 11.9% (76 seats); Greens 10.7% (68 seats). The CDU/CSU received a slightly lower proportion than in the previous election, with the Bavarian CSU receiving its lowest vote share in decades. In contrast, their preferred coalition partner, the liberal FDP, gained nearly 5% points to give it 14.6% of the vote, the best result of its history. The big loser of the election was the SPD, which received its worst result ever in a federal election, receiving only 23% of the total party vote and suffering the biggest percentage loss of any party in German federal election history in 60 years. The two other parties represented in the Bundestag, The Left party and the Greens, both made large gains and received the highest vote share of their respective histories. For the first time, The Left party won constituency seats outside its traditional stronghold of East Berlin. As a result of the losses by the SPD and the gains by the FDP, the alliance of the CDU/CSU and FDP received an outright majority of seats. The Christian Democratic Union, the Christian Social Union of Bavaria, and the Free Democratic Party were able to form a center-right government, with Angela Merkel continuing as Chancellor.
Principal Government Officials
President--Christian Wulff (CDU)
President of the Bundestag--Norbert Lammert (CDU)
Chancellor--Angela Merkel (CDU)
Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economics and Technology--Philipp Roesler (FDP)
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Guido Westerwelle (FDP)
Minister of Defense--Thomas de Maiziere (CDU)
Minister of Finance--Wolfgang Schaeuble (CDU)
Minister of Interior--Hans-Peter Friedrich (CSU)
Minister of Labor and Social Affairs--Ursula von der Leyen (CDU)
Germany maintains an Embassy in the United States at 2300 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037 (tel. 202-298-4000). Consulates general are located in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. Germany has honorary consuls in more than 30 U.S. cities.
Germany Economy
The German economy--the fifth-largest in the world in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms and Europe's largest--is a leading exporter of machinery, vehicles, chemicals, and household equipment and benefits from a highly skilled labor force. Like its Western European neighbors, Germany faces significant demographic challenges to sustained long-term growth. Low fertility rates and declining net immigration are increasing pressure on the country's social welfare system and have compelled the government to undertake structural reforms. The modernization and integration of the eastern German economy--where unemployment can exceed 20% in some municipalities--continues to be a costly and long-term process, with total transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $3 trillion so far.
In 2010, gross domestic product grew by 3.6%, and the German economy experienced its strongest rate of growth since reunification. The country's export-dependent economy is growing more quickly than the Eurozone average. It is expected to grow by 2.6% in 2011, with exports to emerging markets playing an increasingly important role. Domestic demand is becoming a more prominent driver of growth. The German labor market also showed a strong performance in 2010, with the unemployment rate dropping to 6.7%. Economists attribute the decrease in unemployment to the extensive use of government-sponsored "short-time" (Kurzarbeit) work programs, as well as to structural reforms implemented under the government of former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
The European Union (EU) gave Germany until 2013 to get its consolidated budget deficit below 3% of GDP, and the government's 4-year fiscal consolidation program worth approximately €80 billion (U.S. $109.6 billion) is intended to meet deficit targets. Germany's deficit decreased from 3.7% of GDP in 2010, declining to 2.7% of GDP during the first part of 2011. Thanks to a faster than anticipated recovery following 2009's economic contraction, the deficit is expected to be as low as 2.5% of GDP by the end of 2011.
In May 2011, Chancellor Merkel announced Germany's plan to phase out nuclear energy power by 2022. It is expected that this policy will further accelerate the growth of the renewable energies sector.
Germany Foreign Relations
Germany continues to emphasize close ties with the United States, membership in NATO, and the "deepening" of integration among current members of the EU. The Federal Republic of Germany took part in all of the joint postwar efforts aimed at closer political, economic, and defense cooperation among the countries of Western Europe. Germany has been a large net contributor to the EU budget. Germany also is a strong supporter of the United Nations and of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). In October 2010, Germany was elected to a 2-year term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council beginning in January 2011.
During the postwar era, the Federal Republic of Germany also sought to improve its relationship with the countries of Eastern Europe, first establishing trade agreements and, subsequently, diplomatic relations. With unification, German relations with the new democracies in central and Eastern Europe intensified. On November 14, 1990, Germany and Poland signed a treaty confirming the Oder-Neisse border. They also concluded a cooperation treaty on June 17, 1991. Germany concluded four treaties with the Soviet Union covering the overall bilateral relationship, economic relations, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the territory of the former G.D.R., and German support for those troops. Russia accepted obligations under these treaties as successor to the Soviet Union. Germany continues to be active economically in the states of central and Eastern Europe and to actively support the development of democratic institutions, bilaterally and through the EU.
Germany Additionalal Political Information
U.S.-German relations have been a focal point of American involvement in Europe since the end of World War II. Germany stands at the center of European affairs and is a key partner in U.S. relations with Europeans in NATO and the European Union.
German-American ties extend back to the colonial era. More than 7 million Germans have immigrated over the last 3 centuries, and today nearly a quarter of U.S. citizens claim German ancestry. In recognition of this heritage and the importance of modern-day U.S.-German ties, the U.S. President annually has proclaimed October 6, the date the first German immigrants arrived in 1623, to be "German-American Day."
U.S. policy toward Germany remains the preservation and consolidation of a close and vital relationship with Germany, not only as friends and trading partners, but also as allies sharing common institutions. During the 45 years in which Germany was divided, the U.S. role in Berlin and the large American military presence in West Germany served as symbols of the U.S. commitment to preserving peace and security in Europe. Since German unification, the U.S. commitment to these goals has not changed. The U.S. made significant reductions in its troop levels in Germany after the Cold War ended, and, on July 12, 1994, President Bill Clinton "cased the colors" at the Berlin Brigade's deactivation ceremony. The U.S., however, continues to recognize that the security and prosperity of the United States and Germany significantly depend on each other.
As allies in NATO, the United States and Germany work side by side to maintain peace and freedom. This unity and resolve made possible the successful conclusion of the 1987 U.S.-U.S.S.R. Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), the Two-plus-Four process--which led to the Final Settlement Treaty--and the November 1990 Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty. The two allies have extended their diplomatic cooperation into military cooperation by maintaining peacekeeping efforts in the Balkans and working together to encourage the evolution of open and democratic states throughout central and eastern Europe.
Germany has been an integral part of the UN-mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan since its establishment in 2002. Germany is the third-largest troop contributor with 5,000-plus troops and commands the entire ISAF northern region, which encompasses one-fourth of the country. Germany also leads two Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) and operates the main logistics base that supports all forces in the region, including 5,000 U.S. troops. Germany runs one of the largest police training programs in the country and actively trains and mentors the Afghan National Army. Germany deployed AWACs air crews to Afghanistan in April 2011 to free up other allies' resources and personnel for NATO operations in Libya.
The Bundeswehr is in the process of transforming itself from a purely territorial defense force, as it was during the Cold War, into an expeditionary force capable of deploying up to 10,000 soldiers at a time. U.S. and German troops work together effectively in NATO and UN operations worldwide due in part to the joint training and capacity-building performed at U.S. military installations in Germany. With over 1,000 troops on the ground, Germany is the largest contributor to international peacekeeping operations in Kosovo. German and American maritime forces are also deployed to combat piracy off the Horn of Africa.
Following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC, Germany has been a reliable U.S. ally in efforts against terrorism. As two of the world's leading trading nations, the United States and Germany share a common, deep-seated commitment to an open and expanding world economy. Personal ties between the United States and Germany extend beyond immigration to include intensive foreign exchange programs, booming tourism in both directions, and the presence in Germany of large numbers of American military personnel and their dependents.
The United States and Germany have built a solid foundation of bilateral cooperation in a relationship that has changed significantly over 6 decades. The historic unification of Germany and the role the United States played in that process have served to strengthen ties between the two countries.
German-American political, economic, and security relationships continue to be based on close consultation and coordination at the most senior levels. High-level visits take place frequently, and the United States and Germany cooperate actively in international forums.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Ambassador--Philip D. Murphy
Deputy Chief of Mission--Greg T. Delawie
Minister-Counselor for Commercial Affairs--John Fogarasi
Minister-Counselor for Consular Affairs--James D. Fellows
Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs--Seth D. Winnick
Minister-Counselor for Management--Kaara N. Ettesvold
Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs--George A. Glass
Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs--Bruce Armstrong
Chief, Office of Defense Cooperation--Col. Timothy R. Malinski (Acting: Deputy Chief Chris Charveron)
Defense Attache--Col. James B. Brown
Consuls General
Consulate General, Dusseldorf--Janice G. Weiner
Consulate General, Frankfurt--Edward M. Alford
Consulate General, Hamburg--Inmi K. Patterson
Consulate General, Leipzig--Katherine A. Brucker
Consulate General, Munich--Conrad R. Tribble
The U.S. Embassy in Germany is located at Pariser Platz 2, 14191 Berlin. The mailing address is PSC 120, Box 1000, APO AE 09265, Clayallee 170, 14195 Berlin; telephone: [49] (030) 8305-0; fax: [49] (030) 8305-1215; web site: http://germany.usembassy.gov/. There are Consulates General in Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, and Munich.
|1. Thuringia
2. Schleswig-Holstein
3. Saxony-Anhalt
4. Saxony
5. Saarland
|6. Rhineland-Palatinate
7. North Rhine-Westphalia
8. Lower Saxony
9. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
10. Hesse
|11. Hamburg City
12. Bremen
13. Brandenburg
14. Land Berlin
15. Bavaria
16. Baden-Wuerttemberg
|1. Berlin 3,426,354
2. Hamburg 1,739,117
3. Muenchen 1,260,391
4. Koeln 963,395
5. Frankfurt am Main 650,000
6. Essen 593,085
7. Stuttgart 589,793
8. Dortmund 588,462
9. Dusseldorf 573,057
10. Bremen 546,501
11. Hannover 515,140
12. Leipzig 504,971
13. Duisburg 504,358
14. Nuremberg 499,237
15. Dresden 486,854
16. Wandsbek 411,422
17. Bochum 385,729
18. Bochum-Hordel 380,000
19. Wuppertal 360,797
20. Berlin Pankow 356,019
21. Bielefeld 331,906
22. Berlin Mitte 329,078
23. Berlin Wilmersdorf 317,190
24. Bonn 313,125
25. Mannheim 307,960
26. Berlin Steglitz Zehlendorf 290,506
27. Marienthal 287,101
28. Karlsruhe 283,799
29. Wiesbaden 272,432
30. Muenster 270,184
31. Gelsenkirchen 270,028
32. Aachen 265,208
33. Monchengladbach 261,742
|34. Augsburg 259,196
35. Eimsbuettel 251,907
36. Altona 250,192
37. Chemnitz 247,220
38. Braunschweig 244,715
39. Berlin Reinickendorf 241,756
40. Halle Neustadt 240,000
41. Krefeld 237,984
42. Halle 234,107
43. Kiel 232,758
44. Magdeburg 229,826
45. Neue Neustadt 226,851
46. Berlin Spandau 223,862
47. Oberhausen 219,176
48. Freiburg 215,966
49. Luebeck 212,207
50. Erfurt 203,254
51. Harburg 202,571
52. Hagen 198,972
53. Rostock 198,293
54. Kassel 194,501
55. Hamm 185,327
56. Mainz 184,997
57. Saarbrucken 181,227
58. Herne 172,108
59. Muelheim an der Ruhr 171,000
60. Osnabruck 166,462
61. Solingen 164,359
62. Ludwigshafen am Rhein 163,196
63. Leverkusen 162,738
64. Oldenburg 159,218
65. Neuss 152,457
66. Potsdam 145,292
|67. Koeln-Muelheim 144,625
68. Heidelberg 143,345
69. Paderborn 142,161
70. Darmstadt 140,385
71. Wuerzburg 133,731
72. Regensburg 129,151
73. Wolfsburg 123,064
74. Recklinghausen 122,438
75. Gottingen 122,149
76. Heilbronn 120,733
77. Ingolstadt 120,658
78. Ulm 120,451
79. Bottrop 119,909
80. Bergedorf 119,665
81. Pforzheim 119,313
82. Offenbach 119,192
83. Bremerhaven 117,446
84. Remscheid 117,118
85. Berlin Schoeneberg 116,286
86. Reutlingen 112,627
87. Furth 112,025
88. Koeln-Nippes 110,140
89. Moers 107,816
90. Koblenz 107,319
91. Siegen 107,242
92. Bergisch Gladbach 106,184
93. Jena 104,712
94. Gera 104,659
95. Hildesheim 103,052
96. Erlangen 102,675
97. Koeln Rodenkirchen 101,421
98. Witten 101,247
99. Trier 100,129
100. Zwickau 98,796


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gifts received
I have been spoiled lately and have to share the loveliness with you all. My sister Merrilee made me this adorable baby quilt, similar to this one she made last year for our nice, but instead of sewing a herringbone pattern she did a zigzag pattern for the quilting. I love it so much! To me hand made gifts are some of the most touching and memorable. I have received quite a few handmade baby quilts throughout motherhood.I come from a crafty family so you an imagine how many baby blankets, quilts, and afghans the four of them have all together. I honestly cherish all of them though! As do my children, they sleep with each one.
Another thoughtful gift I received recently was a pretty blue circle skirt made by Dana Willard! I was so surprised when she sent me an email asking me for my address. I later received a lovely little package with a cute card and everything! She is such a sweet blog friend and I hope to meet her in person some day so I can give her a huge hug! Thanks Dana! :)
With home school, baby laundry, and two kids in diapers, it makes even finding time to make dinner hard, so blogging has slowed . But you needn't fear, I am still creating and crafting I just need to make time for taking nice photos and sitting at the computer. My sisters and mom came to see me and threw me a cute little shower. I am getting that post ready so check back soon .Our life is full these days, mostly full of love from family, and love for our sweet little Evangeline!

subset: commoncrawl


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Chances are, if you're reading this now, you've been wracking your brain over how to get that pesky combo box to accept your database information. Today, I have a solution for you. I'm going to demonstrate how you can make this happen.
We'll start by assuming we have a table called 'users'. We're using MySQL, and we want a dropdown box containing all of our users from our users table, by name. So, we'll go step by step. I'll assume for the purposes of this tutorial that, prior to this code, the database connection has already been established. The first thing we'll want to do is to run our query to get the information into a result resource. Since we want to display their user names in the dropdown box, we can speed up the operation and use up less memory by pulling only the field that we need.
// Connect to your database $pdo = new PDO("mysql:host=$hostname;dbname=mysql", $username, $password); $pdo->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION); // Write out our query. $query = "SELECT username FROM users"; // Execute it, or let it throw an error message if there's a problem. $stmt = $pdo->query( $query );
Fast forward to where we'll actually be doing the HTML for the dropdown box. As you're probably aware, the dropdown box is a select element, and each choice is an option sub-element inside of the select. We can use string concatenation to build our dropdown box, and use the echo construct to output it afterward. We'll name our dropdown box 'users', in keeping with its contents.
$dropdown = "<select name='users'>"; foreach ($stmt as $row) { $dropdown .= "\r\n<option value='{$row['username']}'>{$row['username']}</option>"; } $dropdown .= "\r\n</select>"; echo $dropdown;
You'll notice that our dropdown box is output containing option elements for all of our users. To control that, make the dropdown box part of a form, and do a select statement based on the value of 'usernames', after it has been cleaned and validated (gotta watch out for spoofed pages), and you can make this a select box that control what information gets passed to the form for modifying information on users in your database.
I hope you find this helpful.
This post has been edited by Dormilich: 03 February 2015 - 10:33 AM
Reason for edit:: Updated to PDO


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- Stocks To Watch
FedEx: Should We Talk About the Weather?
- Order Reprints
- Print Article
When is an earnings miss not a miss? When it's the weather's fault, as was the case for FedEx (FDX) today.
FedEx reported a profit of $1.23 a share during its third quarter, well below forecasts for $1.45. FedEx, however, blamed the weather for its miss and said its fourth quarter should come in at around $2.38.
Shares of FedEx are little changed at $138.54 at 11:120 a.m., as is United Parcel Service (UPS) at $97.43. Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) has fallen 0.5% to $7.49, Arkansas Best (ABFS) has dropped 0.4% to $36.40 and Con-way (CNW) is off 0.6% at $40.52. Expect United Parcel Service to blame the weather, too, when it reports its financial results next month.
Cowen's Helane Becker and Conor Cunningham buy FedEx's weather excuse:
The investment community has historically looked past weak results from FedEx as the outlook shows that the consensus needs to trend modestly higher. We believe the shares will open mixed this morning and then trend higher as management gives its usual optimistic outlook for the company due to 1) their profit improvement plan, 2) modestly improving economy, and 3) share repurchase efforts.
Citigroup's Christian Wetherbee concurs:
Capex is...coming down modestly by $200 million to $3.8 billion and management reiterated progress toward its $1.6 billion in total Express profit improvement. Ultimately, weather should not be the focus, with the solid forward guidance a significantly more important indicator of management's progress toward Express improvement. In addition, the company bought back more shares than expected. As such, we reiterate our Buy.
Shares of FedEx have dropped 3.7% so far this year, while United Parcel Service has fallen 7.3%, Air Transport Services Group has declined 8%, Arkansas Best has gained 8.2% and Con-way has risen 0.2%.


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Even at low levels, psychological distress was significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality from several causes, researchers found.
A meta-analysis of 10 British cohort studies showed that the risk of all-cause mortality in adults with the lowest level of psychological distress -- termed subclinically symptomatic -- was significantly higher than that of asymptomatic adults at an age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio of 1.20 (95% CI 1.13 to 1.27), Tom Russ, MRCPsych, of the National Health Service Scotland, and colleagues wrote online in BMJ.
Action Points
- This study investigated the association between psychological distress and mortality by examining data from large cohort studies.
- Note that the study found that an increased risk of mortality from several major causes exists in a dose-response pattern associated with psychological distress -- including subclinical, lower levels of psychological distress which are below the threshold that would lead to a diagnosis of depression or anxiety or require specific treatment.
The study measured the association of psychological distress with death by any cause, cardiovascular death, cancer death, and deaths from external causes using data from the Health Survey for England. The survey included data from 1994 to 2004 on 68,222 adults ages 35 or older, mean age 60 years, who were free of cardiovascular disease and cancer, and who lived in a private household in England at baseline.
Participants had measures of psychological distress taken at a household visit using a 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) -- a unidimensional scale of psychological distress that includes symptom measures for anxiety, depression, social dysfunction, and loss of confidence.
Those surveyed were grouped into one of four categories based on their score: asymptomatic, subclinically symptomatic, symptomatic, and highly symptomatic.
Results were adjusted for age, sex, social class, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, physical activity, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and diabetes at baseline. The participants were followed for a mean 8.2 years.
"All participants with any psychological distress, even those with low GHQ-12 scores (and therefore considered subclinically symptomatic), were at an increased risk of mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and external causes," Russ and co-authors wrote.
This association was significantly predictive at all symptomatic levels when adjusted for all covariates, except at the lowest levels of external-cause deaths, which had a positive trend for the association. By cause of death, fully adjusted hazard ratios for patients labeled subclinically symptomatic and for those with one standard deviation disadvantage in the GHQ-12 scores included:
- All causes: subclinically 1.16 (95% CI 1.13 to 1.27), one deviation 1.16 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.20, P<0.001)
- Cardiovascular disease: subclinically 1.25 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.44, P<0.001), one deviation 1.17 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.22, P<0.001)
- External cause: subclinically 1.23 (95% CI 0.90 to 1.70, P=0.001), one deviation 1.32 (95% CI 1.13 to 1.55, P=0.001)
Although low and average levels of psychological distress were not predictive of cancer deaths, there was a significant association in highly symptomatic adults at an age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio of 1.09 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.13, P<0.001), but this trend lost significance when adjusted individually and fully for all covariates.
The authors noted that the association of all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities and the trend for deaths by external causes with subclinical levels of psychological distress was of particular importance because those lower levels of distress "would not usually come to the attention of mental health services."
"Further research is required to investigate whether treating psychological distress, including overt depression or different aspects of distress, could have an ameliorating effect on the increased mortality demonstrated here," Russ and colleagues concluded.
Several mechanisms may directly tie psychological distress to cardiovascular and other potentially fatal events, said Glyn Lewis, PhD, of the University of Bristol in England, in an accompanying editorial.
He hypothesized that cardiovascular deaths could be tied to stress response involving the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and the autonomic system and that changes in inflammatory cytokines could also cause cardiovascular stress.
Lewis noted that cognitive behavioral therapy could help modify patients' interpretation of stressors even in those not meeting diagnostic levels of psychological distress, but that "there is currently no evidence that these methods can be disseminated to the population at large to help people reduce perceived stress."
Russ and co-authors noted a number of limitations with their study, including a lack of clinical diagnosis from the GHQ-12, a large number of data missing from participants, and potential confounding from hidden somatic illness.
The study was funded by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Council, Economic and Social Research Council, and the U.K. Medical Research Council.
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Editorialist Lewis declared no conflicts of interest.
Primary Source
Source Reference: Russ TC, et al "Association between psychological distress and mortality: individual participant pooled analysis of 10 prospective cohort studies" BMJ 2012; 345: e4933; DOI: 10.1136/bmj.e4933.
Secondary Source
Source Reference: Lewis G "Psychological distress and death from cardiovascular disease" BMJ 2012; 345: e5177; DOI: 10.1136/bmj.e5177.


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Lake Race Results
By Missy Martinette|September 9th, 2019|Editorial, Sports & Toys|Comments Off on Lake Race Results
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About the Author: Missy Martinette
Missy Martinette is the sole Owner/Publisher of award winning L O PROFILE Magazine at the Lake of the Ozarks operating under Studio M Publishing, LLC. She is the mother of two children, Mira born in 1999, and Jace born in 2003. Her dedication is not only to her children but her Community through service, promotion, and support. She was born in Columbia, MO, grew up in Kansas City MO, and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Missouri. She has owned Studio M graphics since 1987 and has resided at the Lake of the Ozarks since 1987.
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Thank you for supporting your local farmers' market. The final market for the season in Beaver will be on Saturday, December 18, 2010. Have a safe and wonderful holiday season. Hope to see everyone next year.
Beaver County Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association sponsor 3 OPEN-AIR FARMERS MARKET with 35 Beaver County growers who actively participate in the markets selling their own grown vegetables and fruit. We have great pride because what we sell is what we grow. Our motto, LOCAL GROWERS-SELLING FRESH began in 2003 to try to get across to the customers we grow what we sell. We have a large variety of fresh produce. Onions, lettuce, rhubarb, swiss chard, asparagus in the spring. Tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, egg plant, zuchinni, garlic, berries, leeks, beets, corn, peaches, plums, honey, apples, potatoes in the summer. Potatoes, winter squash, lettuce, cabbage, pumpkins, turnips, parsnips, greens, apples, dried flower arrangements, fresh pine arrangements, wreaths, swags, sprays weather permitting till the Saturday before Christmas.
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I came out of a fascinating session at the WEF led by the Boston Consulting Group and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) titled "Driving Towards Implementation Accelerating Infrastructure along the North-South Corridor". This effort was a response to the challenge issued by President Zuma and several leaders at last year's WEF that the time for talk was over and it's now time for action! Several prominent public and private sector leaders were brought together to discuss the results of the North-South Corridor initiative , the on-going implementation challenges they were experiencing, and potential solutions to be explored.
The North-South Corridor was selected as a pilot due to the current enabling environment that allowed for the various countries to work together on a joint initiative. It began with a high-level assessment of projects that could operationalize the North-South corridor. Prioritization was key as all the projects could not be implemented at the same time. The projects needed to demonstrate that they would integrate the African continent and ensure connectivity. They also needed to display additional characteristics such as rapid implementation and bankability by the private sector. Different highway, bridge and railroad projects where thus prioritized, selected and rolled out in this manner. Several key lessons learned emerged as the speakers and audience members discussed the on-going challenges and proposed solutions that could be implemented.
The need for co-ordination emerged as a major challenge, particularly co-ordination between the various pre-existing government agencies and the newly formed bilateral groups. The initiatives are cross-regional and are led by bilateral groups with similar visions. However to implement the projects meant interactions with pre-existing institutions present in each country – The ministry of public road and transportation for instance. Each bilateral country has their own pre-existing ministry with their own visions and processes which were not designed to be 'regional' in nature. Hence co-ordination between bilateral teams and national institutions presented a challenge. A proposed solution was to bring all stakeholders to the table up-front and clarify roles and responsibilities. Another solution was to consider forming SPV's that are bilateral in nature and are permitted to implement cross-regionally.
Bankability and the role of the private sector:
Bankability in this context refers to the ability for projects to be structured in such a way that it can attract private sector financing. This is currently a challenge as not enough projects are seen as attractive by the private sector. The issue of bankability also led to the question of the role of the private sector. Could the profit-driven private sector be brought in early into projects that may not result in early or sizeable dividends? The answer was yes as long as roles and responsibilities where clarified upfront, and the expectations on ROI and timing were clearly defined.
In order for projects to be bankable for the private sector, they needed to demonstrate key characteristics such as transparency, consistency, accountability and measurability. The private sector is largely driven by ROI objectives which vary from the public sector development impact objectives with its inherent multiplier effect. (ROI however contribute to taxable income and jobs for countries).
Due to these objectives, the private sectors role in the upfront financial leadership of these projects is quite limited. However there are roles that the private sector can play particularly in providing technical and capacity leadership. By bringing the private sector early in the discussions, the private sector can use their technical skill-sets to help structure projects that they can finance down the road – thus ensuring bankability!
Sovereignty Barriers:
For true regional Public Private Partnerships (PPP) to work, it will be important for individual governments to compromise on their sovereignty. Consistency across the regions involved will need to be established so that procurement rules can be carried consistently across borders. Governments particularly have a role to play in terms of leadership with Rwanda's President Kagame serving as an ideal example. Where there is decisive leadership then the society can move forward. This leadership is needed if the acceleration of infrastructure in Africa objectives is to be achieved.
As Euvin Naidoo – a partner at BCG and the session co-ordinator rightfully pointed out, "Trust = Speed". For the acceleration of these cross regional projects to take place, a greater level of trust must exist amongst the various stakeholders. One way to establish this is communication; bring everyone to the table to harsh out the issues upfront. Not only does this allow for everyone's voice to be heard in the establishment of the ideal PPP structure, but it also builds greater accountability and trust in the process, which ultimately will speed up the cross-regional dialogue and project implementation.
I will end with this Chinese quote that one of the leaders mentioned and which for me embodies the true spirit of the collaboration required for successful regional infrastructure integration – "It doesn't matter if the cat is black or white, as long as it catches the mouse".


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Our Church is an Elim Pentecostal Church
Address :: London Road, Bowers Gifford, Pitsea,
Basildon, Essex, SS13 2DA
Telephone :: 01268 553423
Map :: Follow this link to see a Map of the Location.
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It is fantastic to be able to share with you the tremendous truth that Jesus is alive. We can tell you this, not just
because the Bible says so, but because we experience it every day in our lives and every time we meet together as a
fellowship of God's people.
That's right! This same Jesus who died for our sins to bring us back to God, is alive today. This same Jesus still saves and
transforms ruined lives today. This same Jesus still heals and delivers from crushing and overbearing situations. Come and
find out for yourself!


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Fern Print 11 x 14
Fern Print 11 x 14
This is an archival print created from an original watercolor from my Hosueplant series. Printed on professional matte paper with pigment based archival inks and hand signed.
The print size is 11" x 14" and comes with backing for safe shipping and a plastic sleeve to keep it clean. Fits in a standard sized frame making it easy and affordable to get it up on your wall to enjoy.
All prints are printed and packaged with love by me in my Portland home studio. Thank you for supporting my small business!
FREE domestic shipping on prints!
Prints are shipped FREE first class mail within 1-3 days of receiving order. For faster shipping contact me and for International choose from shipping options.
All images copyright Rachel Ann Austin


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The GT Yellow 49cc Pocket Bike is the ultimate kid or adult ride! Great for driveway and parking lot fun, cruise around cones and speed through trails with ease. Comes standard with front & rear disc brakes and large 11 inch pneumatic street tires.
Motor: 49cc 2-Stroke, Air Cooled, EPA Approved
Engine Start: Pull Start
Gas Tank: 1.2 liters
Cruising Range: 20 miles per tank
Fuel/Oil: Unleaded / 2-stroke Oil 32:1
Transmission: Centrifugal (chain drive)
Pocket Bike Size: L=39in, W=20in, H=23in
Seat Height: 18in
Recommended Age: 13+
Max Rider Weight: 170 lbs
Frame: Rigid Steel
Tires: 90/65-6.5 Pneumatic (11 inch)
Brakes: 1 disc front, 1 disc rear
Throttle: Variable twist-grip
Seat: Padded (single rider)
Handlebars: Angle Adjustable, Not Height
Assembly Required: Yes
Box Size: 40x14x26 inches
Box Weight: 57 lbs
Product decoration and specifications subject to change without notice.
Warranty: 30 days parts replacement
Quantity In Stock:


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- We offer FREE shipping in Australia and New Zealand on orders over $99 and delivery will take 2-5 business days. You can also choose an express delivery service for just $9.95.
- International shipping is also available for a flat rate of $25 and will take 10-14 business days for delivery.
- There is also a 30 day money back guarantee. If for some reason you change your mind there is no problem returning the item for a full refund.
- To return an item simply send back the item with the original invoice and tick the item/s you wish to return. Please post returns to PO BOX 3159, Redfern NSW 2016.
Click here for full Terms and Conditions
- Sterling Silver can be easily cleaned and polished using a simple cleaning cloth to keep your piece looking as new as the first day you take it home! To keep it safe from harm also make sure you store your Najo jewellery in a soft pouch or jewellery box.
- The nature of sterling silver is that it will tarnish and discolour over time. Exposure to moisture, humidity, acidity from skin, and exposure to such things as soaps and perfumes can all cause the silver to discolour.
- Regular cleaning though with a silver polishing cloth, and occasionally a metal cleaner or silver foam will keep your piece looking beautiful for years to come.
- Stainless steel jewellery can be easily cleaned with warm soapy water or a soft cloth.
- For more detailed care instructions for oxidised pieces, stone set, mixed metals and other specific finishes click on the links below.
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Photo Challenge: Rule of Trees
Their mission...to grow.
Trees are an essential part of our environment. From food to fragrances and shade to the air we breath, trees have a countless number of uses essential to our daily lives.
For this photo challenge you are free to submit any type or style of photo you want. The only requirement is that there must be a tree featured somewhere in the photo.
RSS for photos in Photo Challenge: Rule of Trees


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The career revival of Kirsten Dunst continues apace with news that she's joining Chloe Moretz for a gritty road movie full of guns, cocaine and rape.
Dunst will star alongside Moretz in "Hick," an adaptation of the Andrea Portes novel, producer Christian Taylor told The Playlist. The film is being directed by Scorsese protege Derrick Martini, who made his directorial debut with 2008's "Lymelife."
In describing the film about a young runaway encountering all sorts of horrors, Taylor mentioned Diablo Cody, "The Wizard of Oz," Danny Boyle, "Paper Moon," "Badlands" and Jodi Foster's early roles.
Here's what Publisher's Weekly had to say about the novel:
Young Luli knows losers — her "aging Brigitte Bardot" mother, Tammy, and her father, Nick, go at each other every night at the Alibi, the watering hole in hometown Palmyra, Neb. Tammy runs away one morning, and Nick soon follows, leaving Luli alone at home with the Smith and Wesson .45 her Uncle Nipper gave her. Pistol in tow, she hitches rides heading west to Vegas. A crooked man named Eddie picks her up briefly before throwing her out of the car. Next comes cocaine-snorting grifter Glenda, who enlists Luli as an accessory to a robbery that goes awry. Glenda takes Luli under her wing. The two cross paths again with Eddie, who rapes Luli and ties her up in a secluded motel. Glenda comes to her rescue, but the confrontation with Eddie ends badly. Luli's flippant narration makes for a love-it or hate-it read.
Lest there be any confusion, Moretz will play Luli, Dunst will be Glenda and Farrell would've been Eddie. Moretz is determined to freak out every adult on Earth by taking on every age-inappropriate part Hollywood has to offer--we couldn't be happier.
It's good to see Dunst getting her career back on track. After a promising start that balanced the arty with the commercial, she hit a rough patch in 2004 with "Wimbledon" (which was almost good--no, really), "Elizabethtown" (from which Cameron Crowe is only now recovering) and "Marie Antoinette" (from which Sofia Coppola is only now recovering).
Now she's got "All Good Things" coming out on Friday, a an uneven thriller in which she gives a very good performance. And she's recently finished shooting "Melacolia" with Lars Von Trier, "Upside Down" with Juan Diego Solanas and has a part in the upcoming "On the Road" adapation.


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GOP's Deficit Plan Upsets Conservatives
Conservatives took aim at House Speaker John Boehner's deficit-reduction proposal in the fiscal cliff talks, a dispute only aggravated by Mr. Boehner's decision to remove some conservatives from prized committees. Gerald Seib reports. Photo: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the ... good morning welcome to the New Saab I'm Ralf Winkler ... Don't NB House Speaker John painter in the fiscal cliff talks the Obama administration is in and feeling moody and well either a concert of Republicans on bond and painters right flank ... the latest on Fiscal Cliff Talks returned to Jerry Sithe Wall Street Journal's Washington bureau chief Jerry good morning ... that morning ... so ... the White House immediately rejected ... I've been as planned yesterday but conservatives tend to raise tax revenues eight hundred billion dollars ... but the Conservatives ... they are happy either ... noting that illustrates that the box that speaker brainer Zen and has been in action for years now as we go through this succession of deficit reduction talks with the ... White House was one point six trillion dollars in revenues ... mostly by raising tax rates on the wealthiest Americans that's a nonstarter for Republicans they say ... so speaker Bayer comes back to the counterproposal passes muster up new data or billion dollars without raising anybody's rates ... getting the money just through closing loopholes and changing exemptions and that's for the bank ... so as revenue is that no rates and conservatives are saying that's not good enough for us we go one any additional tax revenues from any source ... how would you raise rates are not and ... so speaker Bayer got a problem ... as this present Obama by extension the course ... and as the clear how this gets resolved in a while one of things that I think is a certainty is that if there's a deal ... some conservative Republicans are almost certain to certainly a vote against it because it will have to involve some tax revenues if not ... raiding the sticky for speaker Bayer is to get a deal that wins a majority of the Republicans in the House votes ... so that he can say essentially I carried my caucus with me into a deal with present Obama okay now what's the BGC was an ever Guinea get ... a lot of his his right flank you're never gonna vote for for anything that the reasons significant tax revenue ... still my my question I guess is where does he go from here I mean it seems like if if if that the parties fraction maybe he's he may be moving forward towards getting a copper mines ... well I'm a sucker ready when goes here to be honest ... you know there is that ... there's an idea on the table and and it embodies that she thinks speaker brainer says usually do in this ... conversation set ... to raise revenues and to shoot for target of eight billion dollars in additional revenues over the next ten years ... aam ... that that's ... he sees as his sealing the White House that they think that the floor to get started so that this speaker banner has to go beyond that in some way ... then obviously he was more conservative so I think it's a big deal that he presented this week is compromise proposal to the floor he can win a majority of House Republicans to support that ... there was you know to be some ... outliers who said no we're not accept anything like that was the voice you heard yesterday ... the question is yes go beyond that they probably will to get a deal with the White House ... every other people fall away and ask us to be a difficult situation and the truth is nobody knows for sure ... underlining the fact we just flashed on screen ... the polling data that shows that if a fiscal cliff if if we go over a people really are going to blame the Republicans not the president ... and that just ... really shows that he's he's me in an even smaller boxes if you will ... be and I've bought a piano was stopped ... is it that it almost makes sense to go over the class ... right at that point to tell it to tax its attacks decreased know I'm no matter how you slice it ... well the the the day that I see many more sense for Democrats the Republicans because as you know Daddy and Republicans will acknowledges that they're more likely to be blamed then the Democrats are in the country goes off the web so ... they're going to be the bad guys in that in that drama ... I'm not for everybody the country ever seen but for probably a majority the country every poll that shows that so that's their first province of the prom is ... that Pres Obama has a fair manner leverage up keyed off the cliff because he Agatha negotiated tax ... cut with Republicans which is nice using the didn't negotiate ... tax increases is what we're trying to do now ... of the wild card out there is that sometime next year February or March ... the country bumps up again and I guess that debt ceiling limit the president asking Congress ... to give him permission to borrow more money ... a law to Republicans I think in the back their minds think ... well that's when we regained some leverage in this situation between now and then ... were losing game then maybe we won't be so much okay


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Using Cardio Exercise to Maximize Fitness
As you progress with a cardio fitness program and get the hang of the exercise thing, you may find that you want more of a challenge. Instead of being satisfied with a boost in energy and a decrease in heart-disease risk, you may want to test yourself in a 5K run or a weeklong hiking tour.
Be sure to increase your training gradually; don't go longer, more often, and harder all at once. Otherwise, you increase your chances of injuring yourself. In other words, it's not a great idea to do three 20-minute workouts one week and then jump to three 45-minute workouts the next. It's more sensible to increase the time of just one of your workouts to 25 minutes and keep the others at 20.
The best approach is to increase no more than 10 percent each week. So, if you walk 150 minutes one week, walk no more than 165 minutes the next.
Treat getting into good cardiovascular shape like a really important ongoing project. You may struggle through the first session, maybe even the first five to ten. But if you stick with it three times a week for at least six weeks, you'll start to notice dramatic changes. At that point, you'll recover much more quickly from your workouts. Instead of going home and crashing on the couch, you may feel ready to go bowling or out for a walk.
Keep the following cardio exercise guidelines in mind:
How often you need to do cardio for maximum fitness: Five days a week is a good goal to shoot for. Most people feel best with two days off a week; everyone should take at least one day of complete rest each week.
How long your workouts should last for maximum fitness: Depending on your sport and your goal, you probably need to mix in at least a couple long workouts — an hour or more — per week. Just make sure you don't increase the length of your workouts by more than 10 percent a week; otherwise, your risk of injury shoots pretty high.
How hard you need to push for maximum fitness: Even when you're training to get in your best shape ever, you don't want to go all-out every day. (In fact, only serious athletes peaking for an event should ever go all-out — and even then, only once or twice a week.) Your target heart-rate zone includes a large range of intensity levels. On some days, stay near the bottom of the range and go for a longer workout; on other days, push harder and go for a shorter workout.


text: Seller: our-organicsglutenfree (1,002) 99.1%, Location: Ormeau, Queensland, Ships to: AU, Item: 264493840914 Just Gluten Free Organic Quinoa Flour 3kg Organic Quinoa flour 3kg Just Gluten Free ingredients:certified organic quinoa grain white ground sizes: 500g,3kg Country of Origin: South America This product may contain traces of treenuts, peanuts, soy or dairy. PLEASE SEE ALLERGEN STATEMENT FOR MORE DETAILS SHIPPING RETURNS PAYMENT 0 to 3.2kg 3.2kg to 6.2kg 6.2kg to 9kg 9.1kg to 12kg 12.1kg to 20kg RETURN/REFUND POLICYYour satisfaction is most important to us. However, we do realize that problems occur. In the event you are not satisfied with an item purchased at our online store, you may return it for a credit of the product cost we accept pay pal ABOUT OUR COMPANY Welcome to Our Organics & Gluten Free certified organic OFC #0503 online health food store.We supply organic, natural and wholefood products with more than 600 health food products in our range.We deliver Australia wide using Australia Post If you can't see what you are looking for send us an email and we are happy to try and stock your favourite product PLEASENOTE: ALTHOUGH OUR PRODUCTS COME UNDER THE LABEL OF OUR ORGANICS OR JUST GLUTEN FREE THEY ARE THE SAME PROUCT AS WILLOWVALE ORGANICS AND THE GLUTEN FREE CO JUST A DIFFERENT LABEL © Copyright 2017 Condition: Brand New, Brand: JUST GLUTEN FREE, MPN: Does not apply, Product: Flour


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We've been closely watching e-bike components maturing since the very first prototypes. Our first thought was, if we're going to do this we need to build what we would call a proper bike not a 'concept' piece for the show halls but a working, useable mountain bike for the terrain we ride. The E.P.O. program was born.
Working with Shimano we based our design around the E-8000 pedal assist drive. We like so many features of this unit. Standard MTB pedal Q-factor, zero drag and most importantly the fact that we do not have to compromise our geometry. The Alpine 6 E rides much like a standard Alpine 6, with extra 'Vroooom' on the ascents. We added 20mm to the wheelbase to keep the front down when climbing under power and to give more stability at speed.
The resulting bikes have been a revelation. Every test rider has come back raving about their experience on the bike and how it will bring a major new way of thinking for the sport.
We just love where e-biking is going and we think the Alpine 6 E is a benchmark in that progression. We think you will too.
|Frame :
|6061-T6 Monocoque UK Formed Custom Aluminium Tubing. Wheel Size: 27.5 Rear wheel travel: 160
|Fork :
|RockShox Yari RC 170mm 27.5
|Rear Shock :
|RockShox Monarch Plus R DB 216x63
|Heatset :
|Cane Creek 49mm For Tapered Steerer
|Rear Axle :
|Bolt Type Allen Key Head (Boost 148mm Hub)
|Wheelset :
|Joytech front + Hope Pro 4 rear, Kore Realm 3.0 27.5
|Tyres :
|Maxxis DHR II 2.4 Exo TR 27.5
|Crankset :
|Shimano E8050 34t Ring
|Chain Device :
|Rear Mech :
|Shimano SLX 11spd Shadow Plus
|Cassette :
|Shimano SLX 11-46t 11spd
|Shifters :
|Shimano SLX 11spd
|Bottom Bracket :
|Shimano E8000 DU Integrated
|Chain :
|Shimano HG-X 11
|Brakes :
|Shimano MT500 203/203
|Stem :
|Kore Cubix 35mm x M35
|Handlebar :
|Kore Durox M35 780mm
|Grips :
|Strange 130 Single Lock-On Black
|Seatpost :
|Kore Dropper 150mm
|Saddle :
|Kore Conex
|Seat Clamp:
|Strange QR