France–Germany relations of the further integration of the EU. They are sometimes described as the "twin engine" or "core countries" pushing for moves. A tram straddling the Franco-German border, across the river Rhine from Strasbourg to Kehl, was inaugurated on the 28th of April 2017 symbolising the strength of relation between the two countries. Both France and Germany track their history back to the time of Charlemagne, whose vast empire included most of the area of both modern-day France and Germany – as well as the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, and northern Italy. The death of Charlemagne's son Louis the
Economy of Germany BMW, Deutsche Telekom, Bayer, BASF, Munich Re and SAP. Germany is the world's top location for trade fairs. Around two thirds of the world's leading trade fairs take place in Germany. The largest annual international trade fairs and congresses are held in several German cities such as Hanover, Frankfurt, Cologne, Leipzig and Düsseldorf. The Industrial Revolution in Germany got underway approximately a century later than in England, France, and Belgium, partly because Germany only became a unified country in 1871. The establishment of the Deutscher Zollverein (German Customs Union) in 1834 and the expansion of railway systems were the main