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AT A GLANCE
AT A GLANCE
Federal Republic ∙ Crests & Symbols ∙ Demographics ∙
Geography & Climate ∙ Parliament & Parties ∙ Political System ∙
Federal Government ∙ Famous Germans
FEDERAL REPUBLIC
Germany is a federation. The federation and
states were founded: Brandenburg, Meck-
the 16 Länder (states) each have areas of re-
lenburg-West Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-
sponsibility of their own. Responsibility for
Anhalt, and Thuringia. With 17.6 million in-
internal security, schools, universities, cul-
habitants, North Rhine-Westphalia is the
ture, and municipal administration lies with
most populous state, while its 70,550 square
the states. The administrative authorities of
kilometres make Bavaria the largest in
the states enforce not only their own laws,
terms of surface area; with 3,838 inhabit-
but also those of the federation. Through
ants per square kilometre Berlin, the capital,
their representatives in the Bundesrat the
is the most densely populated. There is one
governments of the states are directly in-
peculiarity: the three city states. Their terri-
volved in the federation’s legislation.
tory is restricted in each case to a major city,
namely Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg. With
Federalism in Germany is more than just a
419 square kilometres and 657,000 inhabit-
system of federal states; it represents the
ants, Bremen is the smallest state. Econom-
country’s decentral cultural and economic
ically speaking, Baden-Wurttemberg is one
structure and is deeply rooted in tradition.
of the strongest regions in Europe. After the
Over and above their political function, the
Second World War, Saarland was a partly
states are also a reflection of pronounced
sovereign state and a French protectorate,
regional identities. The strong position of
and was only integrated in the former terri-
the states was established in the Basic Law in
tory of the Federal Republic as the tenth
1949; on reunification in 1990, five new
state on 1 January 1957.