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  • The Group of Seven, or simply G7, is a group of the world's most advanced economies.

  • To make things a little complicated, it has eight members ...but only seven are actually

  • countries.

  • They are: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US and the UK.

  • The European Union is the eighth member.

  • In the past the group has been known as the G6 and the G8, but they're seven since Russia

  • was suspended last year in response to the annexation of Crimea.

  • So what do they do?

  • Every year the leaders of the G7 nations hold a summit, to talk about the big issues of

  • the day.

  • This year that includes the situation in Ukraine, the environment, Greece, the Fifa corruption

  • scandal and the so-called Transatlantic

  • Trade and Investment Partnership, a major trade deal between the European Union and

  • the United States...

  • That's a lot to talk about in two days.. and of course, the leaders need to find the time to enjoy their surroundings!

  • This year's Summit is taking place at a former winter Olympics venue at the foot of Germany's

  • highest mountain, the Zugspitze.

  • Every year the summit attracts of big protests.

  • It's a mix of anti-capitalist protestors, who don't want to see a transatlantic trade

  • deal go ahead, and anti-war demonstrators.

  • The Germans have deployed no fewer than 17,000 police to guard the Summit venue.

  • And they will be busy.

  • The protests have largely been peaceful but there were some scuffles before the politicians

  • even arrived.

  • So what would make for a succesful summit?

  • Well with an agenda packed with such complex issues, it can be difficult to pinpoint tangible

  • results.

  • But for host Angela Merkel, it could set the groundwork for a broad agreement on limiting

  • climate change.

  • US President Obama will use the summit to help strengthen ties with Europe

  • - his relationship with the German Chancellor still recovering from the news last year that

  • the US National Security Agency had tapped her phone.

  • And Prime Minister David Cameron will be take the opportunity to put pressure on the European

  • Union to speed up the trade partnership with the

  • US.

The Group of Seven, or simply G7, is a group of the world's most advanced economies.

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