Editing Pirates of the Baltic Sea (section)

===Germany===

With a population of over 83 million and a strong economy, Germany is in the pair of the two most powerful nations around the Baltic Sea, along with Russia. Germany’s capital and largest city is Berlin, its financial centre is Frankfurt, and the largest urban area is the Ruhr. But all three of these are situated far inland and are hardly ever visited by the Buccaneers unless they are deep undercover. Germany is no friend to the Buccaneers, and German ports and cities are not safe for them.

Germany has a highly skilled labour force, a low level of corruption, and a high level of innovation. It is the world's third largest exporter of goods, and has the largest economy in Europe, which is also the world's fourth-largest. The top 10 exports of Germany are vehicles, machinery, chemical goods, electronic products, electrical equipment, pharmaceuticals, transport equipment, basic metals, food products, and rubber and plastics.

Of the world's 500 largest stock-market-listed companies, 29 are headquartered in Germany, and Germany largely supports the corporate embargo of Åland. However, the German government has a long-standing policy of noninterference in all corporate affairs outside German territories. That means that while German Navy will ruthlessly pursue identified Buccaneer vessels in German waters and may come after them even in the Corporate Economic Zone, they respect the territories of other nations and will never continue pursuit in the territorial waters of other Baltic Sea states.

====Hamburg====

Known as Germany's "Gateway to the World" The Port of Hamburg is on the river Elbe in Hamburg, Germany, 110 kilometres (68 miles) from its mouth on the North Sea. The mouth has a wall with a lock system, a smaller version of the Danish Seawall, that protects Elbe and Hamburg from the higher sea level of the Atlantic. 

Hamburg is difficult for the Buccaneers to reach unless they can access the German canals and rivers. It is the third-busiest port in Europe and Germany's largest seaport by volume. The Port of Hamburg is also one of Hamburg's largest attractions, both as a living, industrial and logistic center but also as a backdrop for modern culture and the port's history. Among these are various museum ships, musical theaters, bars, restaurants and hotels - and even a floating boat church.

The fact that trade and traffic from Hamburg continues unimpeded is a big reason why the German government considers Ålandic Buccaneers and the Raiders of Thule to be largely problems for the corporations.

====Rostock====

With over 200 000 inhabitants, Rostock is the third largest city on the German Baltic coast after Kiel and Lübeck. Rostock was the largest coastal and most important port city in East Germany. The Port of Rostock is the largest port on the German Baltic coast.
The city is home to the oldest and largest university in the Baltic Sea area and one of the oldest universities in the world, the University of Rostock.

The economy of the city is mainly characterized by maritime industries (especially shipbuilding), high-tech industries (IT, biotechnology/life sciences, medical engineering), the University of Rostock, tourism and the service sector.

Despite the dangers of visiting German Ports, some Buccaneer hackers and engineers sometimes sneak in in order to gain access to the datastores of the university’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Marine Technology, and to the shipyards. Some of the best ships in the Baltic Sea are made in Rostock, and Buccaneer crews who wish to have the best and most advanced upgrades for their vessels will have to brave the German authorities and gain access to Rostock.

====Lübeck====

With around 220 000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast. The city lies on the mouth of the River Trave, which flows into the Bay of Lübeck. The Elbe–Lübeck Canal, which connects the Baltic to the Elbe River at Lauenburg, also crosses the city. The city is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, and is the southwesternmost city on the Baltic, as well as the closest point of access to the Baltic from Hamburg. The port of Lübeck is the second-largest German Baltic port after the port of Rostock.

Lübeck’s importance to the Buccaneers lies in the fact that any Buccaneer crew that needs for some reason to gain access to Hamburg or to Elbe and the German inland will need to pass through the city. And just like with the other German ports, this has its risks.

====Kiel====

Kiel has a population of 250 000 and due to its geographic location in the southeast of the Jutland peninsula on the southwestern shore of the Baltic Sea, has become one of Germany's major maritime centres. Kiel has also been one of the traditional homes of the German Navy's Baltic fleet, and continues to be a major high-tech shipbuilding centre. Kiel is an important sea transport hub, thanks to its location on the Kiel Fjord, and the busiest artificial waterway in the world, Kiel Canal, connecting Baltic Sea with the North Sea.

While Kiel is a leading centre of German high-tech military and civil shipbuilding, the strong presence of German Navy means that most Buccaneers in search of advanced ship upgrades will visit Rostock instead, although daring exceptions have happened. Most of the time when Buccaneers need to brave the German authorities at Kiel, it is to gain access to the canal.

====Navy====

German Navy is one of the least friendly to Buccaneers in the Baltic. Its primary mission is not just the protection of Germany's territorial waters and maritime infrastructure, but also that of sea lines of communication. The German Navy also participates in anti-piracy operations, and they do not consider the Buccaneers much different from the Raiders of Thule.

German Navy is also the largest and most advanced of the fleets in the Baltic Sea. In total, there are about 65 commissioned ships in the German Navy, including; 10 frigates, 5 corvettes, 2 minesweepers, 10 minehunters, 6 submarines, 11 replenishment ships and 20 miscellaneous auxiliary vessels. The total displacement of the navy is 220,000 tonnes.

German frigates have the highest displacement of any class of frigate worldwide, and one of the specialties they are designed for is asymmetric threat control at sea – making them a particular threat to irregular fleets like the Buccaneers. The frigates carry gunships, and in addition to missiles, their 127 mm guns have a range of more than 100 kilometers (62 miles). And they are just as dangerous up close with both autocannon and machine gun turrets and even non-lethal weapon system for capturing hostile crews. The frigates are capable of using their gunships and weaponry to harass a smaller, faster ship until the frigate catches up.

German corvettes have similarities to frigates. Although their guns do not have as much range, they do have missiles and they are faster than the frigates. And they all carry two unmanned aerial vehicles for remote sensing.

German submarines are another class of nightmare. The submarines can operate at high speed or switch to the AIP system for silent slow cruising, staying submerged for up to three weeks with little exhaust heat. The system is also vibration-free, extremely quiet and virtually undetectable.

Buccaneer wisdom on German Navy: “If you see one of their drones in air, drop whatever you are doing and run – and hope that you are fast enough that you won’t see the ships!”