• Angela Merkel, born in 1954, became Germany's first woman Chancellor when her political party, the Christian Democratic Union won the 2005 German Elections. In her past she the "Women and Youth Minister", and a minister of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in Germany.

• Fast Facts:

  1. Birth name: Angela Dorothea Kasner
  2. Born: July 17, 1954, in Hamburg, Germany
  3. Party: CDU
  4. Assumed office: November 22, 2005
  5. Preceded by: Gerhard Schroder
  6. Alma Mater: University of Leipzig
  7. Profession: Physicist
  8. Spouse: Joachim Sauer
  9. Member of Free German Youth

• Political Background

  In 1998, Merkel became the Secretary-General of the CDU. On April 10, 2000, Merkel was named the first woman chair of her party, replacing Wolfgang Schauble. She was sworn in as Chancellor on November 22, 2005. Her goal was to reduce the unemployment rates in Germany, and to improve the country's economy.

• Significance

  Merkel was a staunch supporter of the U.S.'s invasion of Iraq. In both 2006, and 2007, Merkel was named one of the world's 100 most powerful women by Forbes magazine. In 2008, she was awarded the Karlspreis, for her commitment to unifying Europe.

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