Federal Republic of Germany. – Agriculture. In western Germany the attempt to make agriculture more rational by increasing the average size of farms continued, bringing the total from one million in the 1970s to 700,000 at the end of the following decade; in the meantime, however, the number of farmers also decreased, which today barely exceeds 1.2 million units (4% of the active population). The average area of arable land per farm, out of a total of 7.2 million ha, is therefore currently greater than 10 ha. The result is very relevant, considering that in the same period the uncultivated and unproductive land area also increased (due to the decrease in farmers), from 16% to 22% of the total territory. This tendency to increase the average surfaces, combined with a strong push for rational mechanization, has led to the achievement of unthinkable results in agriculture for what was the most industrialized territory of the most industrial European country. At the same time, the action of the German representatives in the EEC should be noted, who have been able to protect the products for which the territory had the best vocations, at the same time directing the activity of farmers towards those sectors that allow the greatest profits. The result, which is undoubtedly negative from a European point of view, sees Germany Ovest produce large quantities of notoriously surplus products to be stored in some way in community warehouses, particularly in the livestock sector. At the same time, the action of the German representatives in the EEC should be noted, who have been able to protect the products for which the territory had the best vocations, at the same time directing the activity of farmers towards those sectors that allow the greatest profits. The result, which is undoubtedly negative from a European point of view, sees Germany Ovest produce large quantities of notoriously surplus products to be stored in some way in community warehouses, particularly in the livestock sector. At the same time, the action of the German representatives in the EEC should be noted, who have been able to protect the products for which the territory had the best vocations, at the same time directing the activity of farmers towards those sectors that allow the greatest profits. The result, which is undoubtedly negative from a European point of view, sees Germany Ovest produce large quantities of notoriously surplus products to be stored in some way in community warehouses, particularly in the livestock sector.
Over half of the cultivated area is divided between wheat and barley, absolutely prevalent throughout the southern part; the production of barley is less than 100 million q, while that of wheat exceeds them, which has brought Germany to the absolutely new condition of exporter of cereals. The increase in maize production (about 16 million q) is matched by decreases in rye (which fell below 18 million q and limited to the northern regions) and oats (about 15.5). The crop of potatoes is in sharp decline (78 million q), while still maintaining the primacy in Western Europe, while that of beet is on the rise (over 3 million t of sugar; in second place after France). The production of hops is also increasing, linked to that of barley for beer, and rapeseed predominates among the oilseeds; tobacco is reduced to a few areas in Baden and the Palatinate. After a short period of stagnation, wine production rose to over 11 million hl, while improving quality: white wines from the southern river valleys (Moselle, Main and Neckar, as well as the Rhine) are increasingly sold on international markets. The fruit and vegetable sector retains its continental records relating to cabbages, apples, cherries, plums.
The zootechnical patrimony has registered substantial increases and cattle are close to 15 million, while pigs exceed 22.5; after a long period of decline, sheep are on the increase today and, most surprisingly in today’s world, horses. On the other hand, the number of poultry animals decreases and, at the same time, the production of eggs. Two thirds of the meat production (about 54 million q) is of pork origin; even if this type of diet is traditional, the data makes it clear that most of the cattle are destined for the production of milk, butter and cheeses. We are, as in the case of wheat, in the EEC surplus production sector. On the subject of production of protein foods, however, the sharp decrease in fishing activity should be noted: for the coastal one, the flotilla decreased by one fifth, while ocean-going fishing vessels dropped from 110 units in the 1970s to 15 in the late 1980s (and subsidized by the government). Bremen and Cuxhaven are the main fishing ports, but the catch, already down to 180,000 tonnes, is still decreasing. From the woods (about 7.4 million ha, over half of which are state-owned) 35 million m are obtained3 of lumber.
Mining and energy production. Two productions, such as those of potassium salts (2.7 million t) and sodium (7.2), maintain their respective records for Western Europe, however they are not very relevant on a world level, and even less do the production of lead, zinc, iron. The most important mining production is still that of hard coal, with 71.5 million t of anthracite and 110 of lignite, but the evolution over time is certainly not positive: if lignite records a slight decrease, for anthracite the decline was over 20% in a dozen years. The main basin remains that of the Ruhr, also favored by the quality, excellent for iron and steel uses, and by the developed network of connections by water; further north are the main deposits of lignite, generally superficial, which makes the extraction quite easy. The government plan provides for an environmental reorganization of the exploited fields and, as a rule, the bottom of the extensive excavations is partly waterproofed to accommodate stretches of water, reforesting the banks. The North Sea hydrocarbon fields did not meet the forecasts of the 1970s, which were obviously too optimistic, especially for oil; the production of this does not reach 4 million t, that of methane has dropped below 15 billion m The North Sea hydrocarbon fields did not meet the forecasts of the 1970s, which were obviously too optimistic, especially for oil; the production of this does not reach 4 million t, that of methane has dropped below 15 billion m The North Sea hydrocarbon fields did not meet the forecasts of the 1970s, which were obviously too optimistic, especially for oil; the production of this does not reach 4 million t, that of methane has dropped below 15 billion m3: the main production area is that of the mouth of the Ems. The import of hydrocarbons therefore remains essential; an important role is played by the Mediterranean oil pipelines (from Marseille to Karlsruhe and from Genoa and Trieste to Ingolstadt), which have contributed to decongest the axis of the Rhine.
The ” green ” ecological groups, increasingly widespread in European parliaments, initially developed precisely in opposition to nuclear power plants: the government pursues a program for their realization, trying to guarantee maximum safety. The major power plants, such as Biblis and Gudremmingen, have become famous for their environmental protests. The plants in operation are already 21 (and 4 under construction), with a power 3 times higher than that of water (less and less used) and a production 8 times higher (one third of total electricity). The figure is no small feat, considering that the per capita energy consumption of the Germans is the highest in Europe. Munich is home to one of the most advanced research centers in the field of nuclear fusion, the Max Planck Institute.
Industrial activities. Continuing a tradition that is now more than a century old, Germany is always represented at the highest levels in all the productions of large industry; despite the high degree of automation of production processes, the secondary sector still involves 40% of the active population. While there have been no changes in practice as regards production, there have been changes in the distribution of activities (and consequently of income) among the various Länder. It has already been noted that the northern cities are experiencing more pronounced population decreases than the southern ones, and the oil pipelines from the Mediterranean also testify to a growing activity in Bavaria. Unemployment is present today in many traditionally ” strong ” coal areas of the central area (Mittelgebirge), given that in the 1980s the international price of hydrocarbons was stable, if not decreasing. A symbol of these problems and their possible solution is a project by the city of Cologne which aims to install an ultra-modern technopolis in the area of an old railway industry: the same territory would pass from secondary use to even the most advanced Quaternary. The worldwide steel crisis has strongly affected the Ruhr and the cities of the Middle Rhine, while the large carbon-chemical area on the Main-Rhine confluence is forced to make fewer reconversions. The constant progress of automobile production in the second half of the 1980s led to the economic prosperity of the traditionally poor region between the Neckar and the Alps; the forecasts in the sector for the next decade, however, are not too favorable. To a lesser extent this also applies to the electrical and electronics industries, located mainly in Bavaria. The productions that have been established for decades (radios, televisions, high-fidelity instruments) are accompanied by those of electronic computers, radars and all such instruments, with the highest levels of precision and reliability recognized by all. Although unable to organize a traditional type army (but the lack of military spending is undoubtedly one of the factors of the great post-war recovery), the country produces, especially in the southern section, everything necessary for the most perfected weapon systems.
According to ANSWERRESUME, the regional imbalance sees the terms of the last century reversed: the southern area is clearly the most lively, the Center-North is in crisis. This is demonstrated by the Länderfinanzausgleich, i.e. the financial compensation between the various Länder: for some years now, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Hesse have contributed to the consolidation of the budgets of North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and the other regions from which they had received contributions for decades. The crisis situation of the Zonenrandgebiet, the area bordering the eastern sector, remained unchanged until reunification. Similarly, the Land was in crisisWest Berlin, as evidenced by the negative record relative to the decrease in residents; the built-up area covers six tenths of the territory, less than 2% is cultivated and the prohibition against damaging the green is absolute.
Communications. The railway network has been reduced by about a tenth and measures about 30,100 km, while the road network has had a certain increase, from 165,000 to 173,600 km; the motorways extend 8,721 km, for a vehicle fleet of over 34 million. There are only 2 million trucks, given the considerable traffic carried out by barges in inland waters. Frankfurt, home of Lufthansa (national airline), is one of the major European airport hubs for intercontinental communications. The commercial fleet counts approximately 1180 ships, with a total tonnage of 4.3 million tons.
