FACTBOX: What is the G8?

(Reuters) - Leaders of the world's major powers were gathering on Germany's Baltic coast on Wednesday for their annual G8 summit.

Germany has assumed the G8 Presidency for 2007 having already done so in 1978, 1985, 1992 and 1999.

Here are some key facts on G8 and who will attend.

* WHAT IS THE G8?

-- The G8 Group is an unofficial forum of the heads of the leading industrialized democracies: The G8 members are Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, the United States, Canada (since 1976) and Russia (since 1998). The European Commission has also been represented in all the sessions since the Ottawa Summit in 1981.

-- The first summit in France in 1975 was called to settle a dispute over currencies, but G7 meetings were soon expanded into an opportunity for world leaders to discuss broad economic policy matters.

* RUSSIA:

-- Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia gradually became increasingly involved in the G8 process between 1993 and 1998. The Group of Eight was finally constituted at the Birmingham Summit in 1998: Russia was now a member.

-- At Kananaskis in 2002, the Heads of State and Government decided that Russia should assume the G8 Presidency for the first time in 2006. The first summit under a Russian presidency was held in St. Petersburg in July 2006.

* WHAT DOES THE GROUP DO?

-- The G8 meets to deal with the major economic and political issues facing members' domestic societies and the international community as a whole.

-- Questions of macroeconomic management, international trade, and relations with developing countries, East-West economic relations, energy, and terrorism have also been of recurrent concern.

-- More recently, employment and the Internet, the environment, crime and drugs, and a host of political-security issues ranging from human rights through regional security to arms control have been discussed.

* PARTICIPANTS:

-- The heads of state or government of the G8 countries will take part. Chancellor Angela Merkel has also invited Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa to take part in the so-called Outreach Meetings in Heiligendamm.

-- An outreach program intends to involve ministers from Africa in the G8 Summit. Five founder members of the NEPAD Group -- Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa -- will attend as will African Union president Ghana.

Sources: Reuters/G8 Website.