FACTBOX: Recent U.S.-German relations

(Reuters) - President George W. Bush will welcome German Chancellor Angela Merkel to his Texas ranch on Friday where they will seek to show unity on Iran even as Tehran defies the West over its nuclear program.

Following are some facts about recent U.S.-German relations.

* German Chancellor Angela Merkel has worked hard to mend ties with Washington after her predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder, clashed with President George W. Bush over the U.S.-led Iraq war. Schroeder was a prominent critic of the invasion of Iraq.

* Merkel staged a wild boar barbecue for Bush in eastern Germany in 2006 before they headed to a Group of Eight meeting in St. Petersburg, where Bush was caught on camera giving the German chancellor a quick back rub.

* Merkel, who came from a different party than her predecessor, moved swiftly to mend ties with Washington when she took power in 2005, forging a close bond with Bush.

* Merkel and Bush speak via secure video conference every two to three weeks.

* Schroeder accused Bush in October of "careless ranting" about a possible World War Three. Now a business executive, he has no formal role in the party but is still influential. On October 17, Bush warned that a nuclear-armed Iran could lead to World War Three as he tried to shore up international opposition to Tehran amid Russian skepticism over its nuclear ambitions.

(Writing by Paul Grant; Editing by Peter Cooney)