by Oliver Gray

Created on: February 15, 2011

Germany is a very ‘new’ country, it was formed in November 1989 when East and West Germany joined (end of the cold war). From there Germany has made astonishingly fast progress – socially, environmentally and economically.

Social:

Germany is a ‘developed’ country, this means that its social system is better than most of the rest of the world. Education is compulsory for everyone for 10 years. Its mortality rates are low, infant mortality = 3.99 per 1, 000 births and life expectancy is high, women’s are 82 years and men 76.

Economic:

The German economy has grown rapidly and is now easily the biggest, beating both the UK and France; the economy is worth around $3.339 trillion (2009) compared to the British economy worth just $2.003 trillion. Its main exports are cars, chemicals, steel and iron manufacturing and manufactured goods.

Environment:

Germany has a mainly temperate climate but is slightly rainy, not to dissimilar to the U.K.

Social:

Kenya is still a ‘developing’ country but its education system is very good compared to others in its region. Attendance is a high 92% and is free for 8 years. These figures represent a good future socially but at the moment only 74% of adults are literate compared to 99% in Germany. Health has not caught up and is not developing as fast as education but from where it has come in such a small space of time is still impressive. Infant mortality is 57.4 per 1000 births (almost 15 times as high as German rates) and the life expectancy of an adult is only 55 years; but as the improved education begins to take effect (students growing up) this will improve with more doctors and nurses and the skill level going up. In terms of freedom and stability, Kenya is now mostly democratic although in the 2007 presidential elections there was a lot of violence because of suspected corruption. In 2008 this was sorted out in a power sharing agreement and the re-writing of the constitution has started to make the country fully democratic and fairer. There is a free media and free speech now though.

Economic:

Kenya is one of the more successful countries in Africa all round now, in East Africa it is the transport and commerce hub and the country’s economy is the largest. Around the time Germany was formed, the economy changed however where in Germany the economy soared, in Kenya inflation rose to 100% and the GDP shrank. This period of underperformance continued until the late 1990s. Kenya’s main income is through horticulture - $947 million, tea - $928 million and $807 million (all 2009). It has other industries such as the yarn but Asian competition is very high and low manufacturing costs there mean a loss of investment in Kenya to create jobs and a skilled workforce.

Environment:

Kenya’s environment is completely different to that of Germany’s and it does pose quite a lot of difficulties. It suffers from problems such as desertification and drought in the North and North-East. These natural (although humans can worsen the effects) disasters are a problem as it costs money to repair damage, makes the country less attractive for investment and therefore slows economic growth and does not benefit social progress in any way. Central and Southern parts of Kenya have a more tropical climate.

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