Question 51
Who is the head of state of the Federal Republic of Germany?
German original: Wer ist das Staatsoberhaupt der Bundesrepublik Deutschland?. In the test, all questions are asked in German.
Answer options
- the Federal Chancellor (female) / the Federal Chancellor
- the Federal President (female) / the Federal President — Correct answer
- the President of the Bundesrat (female) / the President of the Bundesrat
- the President of the Bundestag (female) / the President of the Bundestag
Explanation
The head of state of the Federal Republic is the Federal President. The role is primarily representative; executive power rests with the Chancellor.
Key terms in this question
- Germany — Germany is a country in central Europe with a parliamentary democracy. It is a member of the European Union and its capital is Berlin.
- Federal Republic — The Federal Republic of Germany is the official name of the German state. It consists of 16 federal states and is a democratic republic.
- State — A state is an organized community with a defined territory, a population, and a government that creates and enforces laws.
- Head of State — The head of state is the highest official representative of a country, who represents it internationally. In Germany, the Federal President (Bundespräsident) holds this role.
- Federal state — A federal state is one of the 16 regions that together form Germany. Each state has its own government, parliament, and areas of responsibility.
- the Federal Government / the Federation — The Federation refers to the central level of government in Germany, as opposed to the individual federal states (Länder). It is responsible for matters that affect the whole country, such as foreign policy or national defense.
- Republic — A republic is a form of government in which political power belongs to the people, who elect representatives to govern the country. There is no monarch; the head of state is usually an elected president or similar figure.
- German — German is the official language of Germany, Austria, and part of Switzerland. It is the native language of approximately 100 million people.