sentence I don't understand

renate   Tue Aug 15, 2006 11:42 am GMT
thus,whereas Soviet steel output in1941 was almost equal to Germany's,it was considerablly less than half that of Germanyand the rest of the Continent

form <a global history>
renate   Wed Aug 16, 2006 1:08 am GMT
thanks brennus
But what i don't know is why "almost equal"and "less than half " both exist
renate   Wed Aug 16, 2006 8:26 am GMT
thanks again BRENNUS
Johnathan Mark   Wed Aug 16, 2006 10:11 pm GMT
This is 1941 Europe--Germany was the rest of the continent (minus Iberia, Sweden, and Switzerland)