The greatest and most prosperous commercial nation in the old world
after Great Britain is Germany. Its population is 52,000,000, as
against France's 38,500,000; and while France's population is scarcely
increasing at all, Germany's population is increasing the most rapidly
of any in Europe. Since the Franco-Prussian war France has gained in
population only a little over 2,000,000, while Germany in the same
time has gained 12,000,000. In the middle of the present century the
populations of Germany and France were equal, being each about
35,000,000. Since that date Germany's population has increased by
about fifty per cent. and France's by only about ten per cent.
Similarly, the commerce of Germany not only greatly exceeds that of
France, but is growing much faster than that of France. The total
exports and imports of Germany, exclusive of bullion, now foot up to
nearly $2,000,000,000 a year. The total exports and imports of France,
exclusive of bullion, foot up to only $1,500,000,000 a year. The total
commerce of Germany is therefore about one third more than that of
France. At the close of the Franco-Prussian war the total commerce of
France considerably exceeded that of Germany.