BERLIN, July 17. /ITAR-TASS/.

Angela Merkel (Angela Dorothea Kasner) was born on July 17, 1954 in Hamburg, Germany. She was born to a family of a Lutheran pastor and a teacher.

Merkel finished school with honors. At school, she learned to speak Russian fluently.

Then, she  went on to study physics at Leipzig university. She worked as a researcher at the Academy of Sciences in Berlin-Adlershof till 1990. There, she received her doctorate degree.

Angela Merkel got involved in politics in late 1980’s. After the Kohl Government was defeated at the 1998 election, Merkel was appointed Secretary-General of the CDU. Her popularity grew considerably.

After winning elections in November 2005, Angela Merkel has been Chancellor of Germany.  Her ratings in Germany have remained high during her office. In 2007 the was backed by 76% of German population, which makes a record for a chancellor.

Angela Merkel has repeatedly been named world’s most powerful woman.