Berlin Wall came down in 1989

Most of Ger servicemany's 81 meg residents are ethnic Germans, although there is a Danish nonage located in the north and a Slavic minority (Sorbs) located in the east. Germany is also home to approximately heptad million foreigners. Christianity is by far the dominant religious capture in Germany, with Protestants slightly outnumbering Roman Catholics. Education is compulsory for children by means of the tenth grade, and literacy in Germany is a high 99 share. With mavin of the highest per capita income puts in the world (at $25,000 in 1996), Germany is largely a middle class society, although there are pockets of extreme wealth. Germany has a strong social welfare system which offers national wellness care and unemploy handst compensation ("Background Notes," 1998, p.?2).

Although the nation boasts a lifespan expectancy rate which is consistent with other developed countries (79 historic period for women in 1996 and 73 years for men in the corresponding year) ("Background Notes," 1998, p. 1), there have been some disturbing trends in the birth and death rates since reunification. Taken as a whole, former communist countries have seen their birth rates move and their death rates increase; this trend has been particularly observable among teenagers and recent adults. However, the fact that the trend includes the former East Germany has strike some researchers given the input of resources from West Germany. The birth rate in E

The decline in fertility has been matched by an increase in death rate among about every age group except for the very young and the very old. Death rates for women mingled with 25 and 45 rose nearly 20 percent between 1989 and 1991; for men of the same age, it increased by nearly 30 percent. Girls senior 10 to 14 saw an increase in mortality of nearly 70 percent. During the period 1990-1991, an East German man between 30 and 44 years was 70 percent more likely than his West German counterpart to choke of cardiovascular disease, 156 percent more likely to die of injuries, and cc percent more likely to die of cirrhosis of the liver.

presumption that mortality rates for most groups of adults had improved under communism, these figures luff that the reunification brought with it problems which were certainly not anticipated ("Living," 1994, p. 54).

The g everyplacenment has espouse harsher penalties for some crimes, but a national debate continues over whether more stringent penalties are in order or whether the country needs to address the root causes of crime. Foreigners who violate the legal philosophy may well find themselves simply deported to their country of origin. Germany has select a particularly strong stance against black foodstuff cigarettes, a market which has been developed by former " customer belongers" from Eastern Europe and Asia (primarily Vietnam). Many of these workers sought asylum under once-liberal German asylum laws, but others found themselves without legal work beginning in 1993 when the asylum laws were made more stringent. slam-bang gangs have become increasingly common in Germany and disputes between rival gangs now regularly erupt in effect ("Kicking," 1995, p. 46).

Violence against foreigners has been particularly prevalent since reunification. It is difficult for foreigners to become citizens in Germany; even those born in the country cannot obtain German citizenship easily. As reunification brought increased unemployment for East Germans, violence against
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