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 in terms of territory. The entire federation is divided into 16 subjects. 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
This includes:
- Earth-cities.
- Free Hanseatic cities.
- Free states within a country.
- Earth.
Let's consider all the 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 has been a separate entity in Germany and the largest city in the country. Berlin is the largest city in continental Europe and the second largest city in the European Union after London.
Free Hanseatic Cities
Bremen. Who hasn't heard of the Bremen Town Musicians? This is a free Hanseatic city onnorthwest of the country, Germany's smallest state by territory. Consists of two cities: Bremerhaven and Bremen
Hamburg. This land has the status of a free Hanseatic city - the second largest settlement in Germany. Located at the point where the Elbe flows into the North Sea, it is one of the largest ports in Europe
Free states within a country
The Free State of Bavaria is Germany's largest state. One of the most famous festivals - "Oktoberfest" takes place 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. It is famous for its university, one of the oldest in the country. The graduates of this university were the first printer Johannes Gutenberg and the famous reformist theologian Martin Luther.
Earth
- Baden-Württemberg is a land in the South-West of the country. The capital is Stuttgart. It is the world's cradle of the premium automotive industry. It is here that companies such as Porsche and Mercedes-Benz are headquartered.
- Hessen. The most central state of Germany. The capital is Wiesbaden, but the largest city is Frankfurt am Main. This is one of the world's economic capitals, a major financial center: here is the Frankfurtexchange, 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 on the territory of 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 states of Germany. The capital is Hannover. Lower Saxony is the second largest subject of the country. In the southeast are the Harz mountains, which attract a huge number of tourists.
- Mecklenburg - Vorpommern. The most economically underdeveloped region of Germany. At the time when the country was divided into the FRG 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 B altic Sea, the economy here 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 on its western neighbors - Luxembourg and France. Has a very long, interesting history, several times passed from Germany to France and back.
- Rhineland-Palatinate. The capital is Mainz. It is located in the southwest of the country, bordering 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 Düsseldorf, but the largest city is Cologne. On herterritory was the ancient core of Western civilization. The capital of the medieval Franco-German state was Aachen, which is also located on this territory. And in Cologne you can find masterpieces of Gothic architecture. And here is the famous Ruhr coal basin, where the industrial power of the country is concentrated.
- Saxony-Anh alt. The capital is Magdeburg. Located in the eastern part of the country. After the reunification of Germany, the economy here fell sharply and unemployment rose. Now the region is in a state of development. The most interesting thing is that it was on this territory that the future Russian Empress Catherine the Great was born.
- Schleswig-Holstein. The northernmost state of Germany, the capital is Kiel. This region borders Denmark. Throughout the Middle Ages and the New Age, Germany and its northern neighbor had many disputes about this territory.
As you can see, every region of Germany is a historical treasure trove. Wherever even the most avid traveler goes, you can find interesting and unique places everywhere. Cologne, Frankfurt, Erfurt, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Magdeburg, Hannover - in each of the cities in the historical regions of Germany you can spend time with benefit and enjoy the architecture, culture, atmosphere.
