Germany is a federal republic in western Europe. It is the second largest country in terms of population in Europe after Russia and the eighth largest in territory. The whole federation is divided into 16 entities. The regions in Germany are called Land, which can be translated as "land." All lands have the same legal status and partial sovereignty.
List of German regions
These include:
- Earth cities.
- Free Hanseatic cities.
- Free states within the country.
- Of the earth.
Let's consider all points in more detail.
Earth cities
Several cities are historically considered separate regions of Germany. Berlin is the most famous region. It used to be the capital of Brandenburg, but since 1920 it is a separate entity in Germany and the largest city in the country. Berlin is the largest city in continental Europe and second after London in the European Union.
Free Hanseatic cities
- Bremen Who has not heard of the Bremen Town Musicians? This is a free Hanseatic city in the north-west of the country, Germany's smallest land in the territory. It consists of two cities: Bremerhaven and Bremen.
- Hamburg This land bears the status of a free Hanseatic city - the second largest settlement in Germany. It is located at the place where the Elba River flows into the North Sea, therefore it is one of the largest ports in Europe.
Free states within a country
- The free state of Bavaria is Germany's largest land. One of the most famous festivals - "Oktoberfest" is held in the capital of this land - Munich.
- Saxony is one of the most eastern regions of the country. The capital is Dresden. Most of the world-famous German philosophers were from Saxony.
- Thuringia. Located in the eastern part of Germany, the capital is Erfurt. He is famous for his university, one of the oldest in the country. The graduates of this university were the first book printer Johann Gutenberg and the famous reformer theologian Martin Luther.
Of the earth
- Baden-Württemberg - land in the south-west of the country. The capital is Stuttgart. This is the world's cradle of premium automotive industry. This is where the headquarters of companies such as Porsche and Mercedes-Benz are located.
- Hesse. The most central land in Germany. The capital is Wiesbaden, but Frankfurt is the largest city. This is one of the world economic capitals, a major financial center: here is the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the European Central Bank and the headquarters of the 5 largest banks in Germany.
- Brandenburg Located in the east of the country. The capital is Potsdam. It is in Brandenburg that Berlin is located, but it is not part of the land. Historically, this is the territory of Prussia, and the land is a kind of "core" of the country.
- Lower Saxony is one of the Northern lands of Germany. The capital is Hanover. Lower Saxony is the second largest entity in the country. In the southeast are the Harz Mountains, which attract a huge number of tourists.
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The most economically undeveloped region of Germany. At a time when the country was divided into Germany and the GDR, the land was part of the GDR. A large number of industrial facilities were built here, but after the unification of the country, the land fell into decay. Despite the fact that the region has access to the Baltic Sea, the economy is not in the best condition. Fishing is one of the main activities.
- Saar. The capital is Saarbrücken. One of the country's small lands, bordering its western neighbors - Luxembourg and France. It has a very long, interesting history, several times passed from Germany to France and vice versa.
- Rhineland-Palatinate. The capital is Mainz. Located in the south-west of the country, it borders on France, Luxembourg and Belgium. It is one of the cultural centers of the country, several objects are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. For example, Speyer Cathedral and Roman Trier.
- North Rhine-Westphalia. The capital is Dusseldorf, but the largest city is Cologne. On its territory was the ancient core of Western civilization. The capital of the medieval Franco-German state was Aachen, which is also located in this territory. And in Cologne you can find masterpieces of Gothic architecture. And here is the famous Ruhr coal basin, where the country's industrial power is concentrated.
- Saxony-Anhalt. The capital is Magdeburg. Located in the eastern part of the country. After the unification of Germany, the economy fell sharply and unemployment increased. Now the region is in a state of development. The most interesting thing is that it was in this territory that the future Russian Empress Catherine the Great was born.
- Schleswig-Holstein. The northernmost land in Germany, the capital is Kiel. This region borders on Denmark. Throughout the Middle Ages and the New Age, Germany and the northern neighbor had a lot of debate about this territory.
As you can see, every region of Germany is a historical treasury. Wherever even the most avid traveler goes, you can always find interesting and unique places. Cologne, Frankfurt, Erfurt, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Magdeburg, Hanover - in each of the cities in the historical regions of Germany you can spend time with benefit and enjoy the architecture, culture, atmosphere.