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North Rhine - Westphalia (usually shortened to NRW, official short form NW) is the westernmost and - in terms of population and economic output - the largest Federal State
States of Germany

Germany is a federation consisting of sixteen states, known in German language as L?nder . Since Land is the literal German word for "country", the term Bundesl?nder is commonly used colloquially, as it is more specific, though technically incorrect within the corpus of German law....
 of Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
. North Rhine - Westphalia has over 18 million inhabitants, contributes about 22% of Germany's gross domestic product
Gross domestic product

File:GDP nominal per capita world map IMF 2008.pngThe gross domestic product or gross domestic income is one of the measures of national income and output for a given country's economy....
 and comprises a land area of 34,083 km² (13,158 square miles). North Rhine - Westphalia is situated in the western part of Germany and shares borders with Belgium
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
 and the Netherlands
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
.






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North Rhine - Westphalia (usually shortened to NRW, official short form NW) is the westernmost and - in terms of population and economic output - the largest Federal State
States of Germany

Germany is a federation consisting of sixteen states, known in German language as L?nder . Since Land is the literal German word for "country", the term Bundesl?nder is commonly used colloquially, as it is more specific, though technically incorrect within the corpus of German law....
 of Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
. North Rhine - Westphalia has over 18 million inhabitants, contributes about 22% of Germany's gross domestic product
Gross domestic product

File:GDP nominal per capita world map IMF 2008.pngThe gross domestic product or gross domestic income is one of the measures of national income and output for a given country's economy....
 and comprises a land area of 34,083 km² (13,158 square miles). North Rhine - Westphalia is situated in the western part of Germany and shares borders with Belgium
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
 and the Netherlands
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
. It has borders with the German states of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony

Lower Saxony lies in northern Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen States of Germany of Germany. In rural areas Low German is still spoken, but the number of speakers is declining....
 to the north and northeast, Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate

Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 States of Germany of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz....
 to the southwest and Hesse
Hesse

Hesse is a States of Germany of Germany with an area of 21,110 km? and just over six million inhabitants. The state capital is Wiesbaden. Hesse's largest city is nearby Frankfurt am Main....
 to the southeast.

The capital city is Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf

D?sseldorf is the capital city of the Germany state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is an economic centre of Germany. The city is situated on the River Rhine and has a high population density - the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area has over 10 million inhabitants alone....
, and the largest city is Cologne
Cologne

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants....
 (Köln). Other major cities are Dortmund
Dortmund

Dortmund is a city in Germany, located in the States of Germany of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 587,830 makes it the largest city in the region, 7th-largest in Germany, and 34th-largest in the European Union....
, Essen
Essen

Essen is a city in the center of the Ruhr Area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Located on the Ruhr River, its population of approximately 579,000 makes it the 7th- or 8th-largest-city in Germany....
, Duisburg
Duisburg

Duisburg is a Germany city in the western part of the Ruhr Area in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is an independent metropolitan borough within D?sseldorf ....
, Oberhausen
Oberhausen

Oberhausen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area, 35 km to the north of D?sseldorf on the banks of the river Emscher...
, Aachen
Aachen

is a historic spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the westernmost city of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, 65 km west of Cologne....
, Bielefeld
Bielefeld

Bielefeld is a district-free town in the Regierungsbezirk Detmold in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located at on both the western and eastern slopes of the Teutoburg Forest....
, Bonn
Bonn

Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the Capital of Germany West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, Bochum
Bochum

Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and surrounded by the cities of Essen, Germany, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen....
, Bottrop
Bottrop

is a city in west central Germany, on the Rhine-Herne Canal, in North Rhine-Westphalia. Located in the Ruhr area, Bottrop adjoins Essen, Germany, Oberhausen, Gladbeck and Dorsten....
, Bergisch Gladbach
Bergisch Gladbach

is a city and capital of the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis , in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany....
, Mönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach

M?nchengladbach is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine half way between D?sseldorf and the Netherlands border....
, Mülheim
Mülheim

M?lheim an der Ruhr, also called "City on the River", is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area between Duisburg and Essen, Germany, bordering to the south of the City of Oberhausen and 30 km to the north-east of D?sseldorf....
, Münster
Münster

M?nster is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region and it is also capital of the government region M?nster ....
, Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen

Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c....
, Krefeld
Krefeld

Krefeld , also known as Crefeld until 1929, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located southwest of the Ruhr area, its center just a few kilometres to the west of the River Rhine; the borough of Uerdingen is situated directly on the Rhine....
, Hagen
Hagen

Hagen is the 37th-largest city in Germany, located in the States of Germany of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the eastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne, Volme and Ennepe meet the river Ruhr....
, Hamm
Hamm

Hamm is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany. It is located on the Lippe River, in the northeastern part of the Ruhr area. As of December 2003 its population was 180,849....
, Herne
Herne, Germany

Herne is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area directly between the cities of Bochum and Gelsenkirchen....
, Iserlohn
Iserlohn

Iserlohn is a city in the M?rkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city by population and area within the district and the Sauerland region....
, Leverkusen
Leverkusen

Leverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the eastern bank of the Rhine, half way between Cologne and D?sseldorf....
, Neuss
Neuss

Neuss is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the west bank of the Rhine opposite D?sseldorf, and owes its success to its location at the crossing of historic and modern trade routes....
, Paderborn
Paderborn

Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn . The name of the city derives from the river Pader River, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St....
, Recklinghausen
Recklinghausen

Recklinghausen is a city in the Ruhr Area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Recklinghausen is the northernmost city in the Ruhr-Area and borders the more rural M?nsterland....
, Remscheid
Remscheid

Remscheid is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is, after Wuppertal and Solingen, the third largest municipality in Bergisches Land, being located on the northern edge of the region, on south side of the Ruhr area....
, Siegen
Siegen

Siegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of the North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate.It is a Gro?e kreisangeh?rige Stadt ....
, Solingen
Solingen

Solingen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Berg , south of the Ruhr area, and with a 2005 population of 162,685 is the second largest city in the Bergisches Land....
, Witten
Witten

Witten is a university city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the home of the Witten/Herdecke University, the first private university in Germany....
 and Wuppertal
Wuppertal

||-||}Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the Wupper river south of the Ruhr area. Population 361,333 ....
.

Geography

The state is centred on the sprawling Rhine-Ruhr
Rhine-Ruhr

The Rhine-Ruhr Area in Germany is one of the largest metropolitan areas in Europe, with about 11,800,000 inhabitants. It lies completely within the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia and spreads from the Dortmund-Essen-Duisburg Megalopolis in the north, to the urban areas of the cities of M?nchengladbach, D?sseldorf , Wuppertal, Cologn...
 urbanised region, which contains the cities of Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf

D?sseldorf is the capital city of the Germany state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is an economic centre of Germany. The city is situated on the River Rhine and has a high population density - the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area has over 10 million inhabitants alone....
, Bonn
Bonn

Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the Capital of Germany West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
 and Cologne
Cologne

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants....
 as well as the Ruhr Area
Ruhr Area

The Ruhr Area, is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km? and a population of some 5.3 million, it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany....
 industrial complex. The Ruhr area consists of, among others, the cities of Dortmund
Dortmund

Dortmund is a city in Germany, located in the States of Germany of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 587,830 makes it the largest city in the region, 7th-largest in Germany, and 34th-largest in the European Union....
, Essen
Essen

Essen is a city in the center of the Ruhr Area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Located on the Ruhr River, its population of approximately 579,000 makes it the 7th- or 8th-largest-city in Germany....
, Duisburg
Duisburg

Duisburg is a Germany city in the western part of the Ruhr Area in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is an independent metropolitan borough within D?sseldorf ....
, Bochum
Bochum

Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and surrounded by the cities of Essen, Germany, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen....
, Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen

Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c....
 and Oberhausen
Oberhausen

Oberhausen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area, 35 km to the north of D?sseldorf on the banks of the river Emscher...
.

The state's area covers a maximum distance of 291 km from north to south, and 266 km from east to west.

The total length of the state's borders is 1,645 km. The following countries and states have a border with North Rhine-Westphalia:
  • Belgium
    Belgium

    * A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
     (99 km)
  • The Netherlands (387 km)
  • Lower Saxony
    Lower Saxony

    Lower Saxony lies in northern Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen States of Germany of Germany. In rural areas Low German is still spoken, but the number of speakers is declining....
     (583 km)
  • Hessen (269 km)
  • Rhineland Palatinate (307 km)


For many people North Rhine - Westphalia is synonymous with industrial areas and agglomerating cities. But the largest part of the state is used for agriculture
Agriculture

Agriculture refers to the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of civilization, with the animal husbandry of domestication animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more Population density and Social stratification societies....
 (almost 52%), forests cover 25%. The southern parts of the Teutoburg Forest
Teutoburg Forest

The Teutoburg Forest is a range of low, forested mountains in the Germany states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia which was believed to be the scene of Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in AD 9....
 are located in the northeast. In the southwest, Nordrhein-Westfalen shares in a small part of the Eifel
Eifel

The Eifel is a low mountain range in western Germany. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia and northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate....
, located on the borders with Belgium and Rheinland-Pfalz. The southeast is occupied by the sparsely populated regions of Sauerland
Sauerland

The Sauerland is a rural, hilly area spreading across most of the south-eastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, in parts heavily forested and, apart from the major valleys, sparsely inhabited....
 and Siegerland
Siegerland

The Siegerland is a region of Germany covering the old district of Siegen and the upper part of the district of Altenkirchen, belonging to the Rhineland-Palatinate adjoining it to the west....
. The northwestern areas of the state are part of the Northern European Lowlands
Northern European Lowlands

The North European Plain is a Geomorphology region in Europe. It consists of the low plain between the Central European Highlands to the south and the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to the north....
.

The most important rivers that run at least partially through North Rhine - Westphalia include: Rhine
Rhine

File:Swiss Grand Canyon.jpgThe Rhine is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe, at , with an average discharge of more than ....
, Ruhr
Ruhr

The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany , a right tributary of the Rhine....
, Ems, Lippe
Lippe River

The Lippe is a river in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Rhine and 255 km in length.The source is located at the edge of the Teutoburg Forest in Bad Lippspringe close to the city of Paderborn....
 and Weser. The Pader, which runs only through the city of Paderborn
Paderborn

Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn . The name of the city derives from the river Pader River, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St....
, is considered the shortest river
River

A river is a natural stream of water, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, or another stream. In some cases a river flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water....
 in Germany.

Subdivisions

See also List of places in North Rhine-Westphalia
List of places in North Rhine-Westphalia

This is a list of geographical features in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany....
.

The state consists of five administrative regions
Regierungsbezirk

A Regierungsbezirk is a type of government region of Germany, a subdivision of certain federal states . It is responsible for the districts , either List of German rural districts or urban districts: cities which constitute a district in their own right ....
 (Regierungsbezirke), divided into 31 districts (Kreise) and 23 urban districts (kreisfreie Städte). In total, North Rhine-Westphalia has 396 municipalities (1997), including the urban districts, which are municipalities by themselves. The districts of North Rhine - Westphalia:


North Rhine W Map


# Aachen
Aachen (district)

The district of Aachen is a Kreis in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Heinsberg , D?ren , Euskirchen , district-free Aachen , and also the province Limburg and the Li?ge ....

# Borken
Borken (district)

Borken is a Kreis in the northwestern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany in the Region M?nsterland. Neighboring districts are Bentheim, Steinfurt , Coesfeld , Recklinghausen , Wesel , Cleves , and the Netherlands provinces Gelderland and Overijssel....

# Coesfeld
Coesfeld (district)

Coesfeld is a Kreis in the northwestern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, west of the city of M?nster. Neighboring districts are Steinfurt , district-free M?nster, Warendorf , district-free Hamm, Unna , Recklinghausen , Borken ....

# Düren
Düren (district)

D?ren is a Kreis in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Heinsberg , Neuss , Rhein-Erft-Kreis, Euskirchen and Aachen ....

# Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis
# Rhein-Erft-Kreis
Rhein-Erft-Kreis

The Rhein-Erft-Kreis is a district in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Neuss , district-free Cologne, Rhein-Sieg, Euskirchen , D?ren ....

# Euskirchen
Euskirchen (district)

Euskirchen is a Kreis in the south-west of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Aachen , D?ren , Rhein-Erft-Kreis, Rhein-Sieg, Ahrweiler, Daun , Bitburg-Pr?m, and the Li?ge ....

# Gütersloh
Gütersloh (district)

G?tersloh is a Kreis in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Osnabr?ck , Herford , district-free Bielefeld, Lippe, Paderborn , Soest and Warendorf ....

# Heinsberg
Heinsberg (district)

Heinsberg is a Kreis in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Viersen , district-free city M?nchengladbach, Neuss , D?ren and Aachen , and also the Netherlands province Limburg ....

# Herford
Herford (district)

Herford is a Kreis in the northeastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Minden-L?bbecke, Lippe, the List of German urban districts of Bielefeld, and the districts G?tersloh and Osnabr?ck ....

# Hochsauerland
Hochsauerland

Hochsauerland is a Kreis in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Soest , Paderborn , H?xter , Waldeck-Frankenberg, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Olpe , M?rkischer Kreis....
kreis


  1. Höxter
    Höxter (district)

    H?xter is a Kreis in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Holzminden , Northeim , Kassel , Waldeck-Frankenberg, Hochsauerland, Paderborn , and Lippe....

  2. Kleve
  3. Lippe
    Lippe

    This article is about the district Lippe. For the like-named river see Lippe River. For the historic country see Principality of LippeLippe is a Kreis in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany....

  4. Märkischer Kreis
    Märkischer Kreis

    The M?rkischer Kreis is a district in central North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Unna , Soest , Hochsauerland, Olpe , Oberbergischer Kreis, Ennepe-Ruhr, and the city of Hagen....

  5. Mettmann
    Mettmann (district)

    Mettmann is a Kreis in the middle of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring are the Ennepe-Ruhr and thedistrict-free cities Wuppertal, Solingen, D?sseldorf,...

  6. Minden-Lübbecke
    Minden-Lübbecke

    Minden-L?bbecke is a Kreis in the northeastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Diepholz , Nienburg , Schaumburg, Lippe, Herford , Osnabr?ck ....

  7. Rhein-Kreis Neuss
  8. Oberbergischer Kreis
    Oberbergischer Kreis

    Coat of arms! Map|- style="background: #ffffff; text-align: center;"| style="width: 145px;" | | style="width: 145px;" | |-The Oberbergische Kreis is a Kreis in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany....

  9. Olpe
    Olpe (district)

    Olpe is a Kreis in the south-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are M?rkischer Kreis, Hochsauerland, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Altenkirchen , Oberbergischer Kreis....

  10. Paderborn
    Paderborn (district)

    Paderborn is a Kreis in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are G?tersloh , Lippe, H?xter , Hochsauerland, and Soest ....




  1. Recklinghausen
    Recklinghausen (district)

    Recklinghausen is a Kreis in the middle of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Borken , Coesfeld , Unna ,district-free cities Dortmund, Bochum, Herne, Germany, Essen, Germany, Gelsenkirchen and Bottrop, and the district Wesel ....

  2. Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis
    Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis

    The Rheinisch-Bergische Kreis is a Kreis in the middle of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring are the districts Oberbergischer Kreis and Rhein-Sieg, and the district-free cities...

  3. Rhein-Sieg
    Rhein-Sieg

    The Rhein-Sieg-Kreis is a Kreis in the south of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, Oberbergischer Kreis, Altenkirchen , Neuwied , Ahrweiler, Euskirchen , Rhein-Erft-Kreis, the List of German urban districts of Cologne....

  4. Siegen-Wittgenstein
    Siegen-Wittgenstein

    Siegen-Wittgenstein is a Kreis in the southeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Olpe , Hochsauerland, Waldeck-Frankenberg, Marburg-Biedenkopf, Lahn-Dill, Westerwaldkreis, Altenkirchen ....

  5. Soest
    Soest (district)

    Soest is a Kreis in the middle of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Warendorf , G?tersloh , Paderborn , Hochsauerland, M?rkischer Kreis, Unna and the district-free city Hamm....

  6. Steinfurt
    Steinfurt (district)

    Steinfurt is a Kreis in the northern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Bentheim, Emsland, district-free Osnabr?ck and the Osnabr?ck , Warendorf , district-free M?nster, Coesfeld , Borken ....

  7. Unna
    Unna (district)

    The Unna district is a Kreis in central North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring authorities are the district of Coesfeld , the city of Hamm, the districts of Soest and M?rkischer Kreis, the cities of Hagen and Dortmund, and the district of Recklinghausen ....

  8. Viersen
    Viersen (district)

    Viersen is a Kreis in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Cleves , Wesel , district-free Krefeld, Neuss , district-free M?nchengladbach, Heinsberg and the Netherlands province of Limburg ....

  9. Warendorf
    Warendorf (district)

    Warendorf is a Kreis in the northern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Steinfurt , Osnabr?ck , G?tersloh , Soest , district-free city Hamm, Coesfeld and the district-free city M?nster....

  10. Wesel
    Wesel (district)

    Wesel is a Kreis in the northwestern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Borken , Recklinghausen , district-free cities Bottrop, Oberhausen, Duisburg and Krefeld, districts Viersen , Cleves ....





The urban districts:




  1. Aachen
    Aachen

    is a historic spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the westernmost city of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, 65 km west of Cologne....

  2. Bielefeld
    Bielefeld

    Bielefeld is a district-free town in the Regierungsbezirk Detmold in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located at on both the western and eastern slopes of the Teutoburg Forest....

  3. Bochum
    Bochum

    Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and surrounded by the cities of Essen, Germany, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen....

  4. Bonn
    Bonn

    Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the Capital of Germany West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....

  5. Bottrop
    Bottrop

    is a city in west central Germany, on the Rhine-Herne Canal, in North Rhine-Westphalia. Located in the Ruhr area, Bottrop adjoins Essen, Germany, Oberhausen, Gladbeck and Dorsten....

  6. Köln
    Cologne

    Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants....

  7. Dortmund
    Dortmund

    Dortmund is a city in Germany, located in the States of Germany of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 587,830 makes it the largest city in the region, 7th-largest in Germany, and 34th-largest in the European Union....

  8. Duisburg
    Duisburg

    Duisburg is a Germany city in the western part of the Ruhr Area in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is an independent metropolitan borough within D?sseldorf ....




  1. Düsseldorf
    Düsseldorf

    D?sseldorf is the capital city of the Germany state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is an economic centre of Germany. The city is situated on the River Rhine and has a high population density - the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area has over 10 million inhabitants alone....

  2. Essen
  3. Gelsenkirchen
    Gelsenkirchen

    Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c....

  4. Hagen
    Hagen

    Hagen is the 37th-largest city in Germany, located in the States of Germany of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the eastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne, Volme and Ennepe meet the river Ruhr....

  5. Hamm
    Hamm

    Hamm is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany. It is located on the Lippe River, in the northeastern part of the Ruhr area. As of December 2003 its population was 180,849....

  6. Herne
    Herne, Germany

    Herne is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area directly between the cities of Bochum and Gelsenkirchen....

  7. Krefeld
    Krefeld

    Krefeld , also known as Crefeld until 1929, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located southwest of the Ruhr area, its center just a few kilometres to the west of the River Rhine; the borough of Uerdingen is situated directly on the Rhine....

  8. Leverkusen
    Leverkusen

    Leverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the eastern bank of the Rhine, half way between Cologne and D?sseldorf....




  1. Mönchengladbach
    Mönchengladbach

    M?nchengladbach is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine half way between D?sseldorf and the Netherlands border....

  2. Mülheim
    Mülheim

    M?lheim an der Ruhr, also called "City on the River", is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area between Duisburg and Essen, Germany, bordering to the south of the City of Oberhausen and 30 km to the north-east of D?sseldorf....

  3. Münster
    Münster

    M?nster is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region and it is also capital of the government region M?nster ....

  4. Oberhausen
    Oberhausen

    Oberhausen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area, 35 km to the north of D?sseldorf on the banks of the river Emscher...

  5. Remscheid
    Remscheid

    Remscheid is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is, after Wuppertal and Solingen, the third largest municipality in Bergisches Land, being located on the northern edge of the region, on south side of the Ruhr area....

  6. Solingen
    Solingen

    Solingen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Berg , south of the Ruhr area, and with a 2005 population of 162,685 is the second largest city in the Bergisches Land....

  7. Wuppertal
    Wuppertal

    ||-||}Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the Wupper river south of the Ruhr area. Population 361,333 ....


Duisburg Masurensee
The five administrative regions, belonging to one of two Landschaftsverbände
States of Germany

Germany is a federation consisting of sixteen states, known in German language as L?nder . Since Land is the literal German word for "country", the term Bundesl?nder is commonly used colloquially, as it is more specific, though technically incorrect within the corpus of German law....
:
  • Rheinland (LVR)
    • Köln
      Cologne (region)

      Cologne is one of the five Regierungsbezirk of the Germany States of Germany of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located in the south-west of that state and covers the hills of the Eifel as well as the Bergisches Land....
    • Düsseldorf
      Düsseldorf (region)

      D?sseldorf is one of the five Regierungsbezirke of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the north-west of the country. It covers the western part of the Ruhr Area, as well as the Niederrheinische Tiefebene, the lower Rhine area....
  • Westfalen-Lippe (LWL
    LWL

    LWL is a three-letter acronym which can mean:# Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe# Life-wide Learning# Waterline length# Left Wing Liberal...
    )
    • Arnsberg
      Arnsberg (region)

      Arnsberg is one of the five Regierungsbezirke of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the south-east of the country. It covers the Sauerland hills as well as the east part of the Ruhr area....
    • Münster
      Münster (region)

      M?nster is one of the five Regierungsbezirke of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the north of the state, and named after the city of M?nster....
    • Detmold
      Detmold (region)

      The Regierungsbezirk Detmold is one of the five Regierungsbezirke of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the north-east of the state....


History

Schloss Augustusburg Bruehl
The state of North Rhine-Westphalia was established by the British military administration on 25 October, 1946. Originally it consisted of Westphalia
Province of Westphalia

The Province of Westphalia was a Provinces of Prussia of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815-1946....
 and the northern parts of the Rhine Province
Rhine Province

The Rhine Province , also known as Rhenish Prussia and the Rhineland , was a Provinces of Prussia of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1822-1946....
, both formerly belonging to Prussia
Prussia

Prussia was, most recently, a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This state had for centuries substantial influence on Germany and European history....
. In 1947 the former state of Lippe was merged with North Rhine - Westphalia, hence leading to the present borders of the state.

The North Rhine-Westphalia state election
North Rhine-Westphalia state election, 2005

The North Rhine-Westphalia state election, 2005, was conducted on May 22, 2005, to elect members to the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany....
 on May 22, 2005 granted the CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)

The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a christian democracy and conservatism political party in Germany.Along with its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union of Bavaria, the CDU forms the CDU/CSU faction in the Bundestag....
 an unexpected victory. Their top candidate Jürgen Rüttgers
Jürgen Rüttgers

J?rgen R?ttgers is a Germany politician and Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, widely known for his views on immigration and the famous phrase "Kinder statt Inder" which was a media interpretation of "Statt Inder an die Computer m?ssen unsere Kinder an die Computer" , at a time when immigrants from India were feared to come by...
 built a new coalition government consisting of CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)

The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a christian democracy and conservatism political party in Germany.Along with its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union of Bavaria, the CDU forms the CDU/CSU faction in the Bundestag....
 and FDP that replaced the former government headed by Peer Steinbrück
Peer Steinbrück

Peer Steinbr?ck is a Germany SPD politician. He currently serves as Federal Minister of Finance in the cabinet of Angela Merkel.From 1968 to 1969 he was trained as an officer of the Reservist of the Bundeswehr....
. Rüttgers was elected new Prime Minister (German: Ministerpräsident
Minister-President

A minister-president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments, who presides over the council of ministers....
) of the federal state on June 22, 2005.

Flag

The flag of North Rhine - Westphalia is green-white-red with the combined coats of arms of the Prussian Rhine province (white line before green background, symbolizing the river Rhine), Westfalen (the white horse) and Lippe (the red rose).

According to legend the horse in the Westphalian coat of arms is the horse that the Saxon leader Widukind
Widukind

Widukind was a Saxons leader and the chief opponent of Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars. In later times, he became a symbol of Saxon independence and a figure of legend, and was stylized as a prototypical Germanic peoples hero....
 rode after his baptism. Other theories attribute the horse to Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion

Henry the Lion was a member of the Guelph dynasty and Rulers of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and List of rulers of Bavaria, as Henry XII, from 1156, which duchies he held until 1180....
.

A regional anthem is the Lied für NRW
Lied für NRW

Lied f?r NRW or Hier an Rhein und Ruhr und in Westfalen is since the 60th anniversary celebrations of North Rhine-Westphalia a non-official regional anthem of this German States of Germany....
 (Song for NRW).

Politics


These are the Prime Minister
Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of Cabinet in the Executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. The position is usually held by, but need not always be held by, a politician....
s (German: Ministerpräsident
Minister-President

A minister-president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments, who presides over the council of ministers....
) of the Federal State
States of Germany

Germany is a federation consisting of sixteen states, known in German language as L?nder . Since Land is the literal German word for "country", the term Bundesl?nder is commonly used colloquially, as it is more specific, though technically incorrect within the corpus of German law....
 (German: Bundesland
States of Germany

Germany is a federation consisting of sixteen states, known in German language as L?nder . Since Land is the literal German word for "country", the term Bundesl?nder is commonly used colloquially, as it is more specific, though technically incorrect within the corpus of German law....
) of North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW):

  1. 1946 - 1947: Rudolf Amelunxen
    Rudolf Amelunxen

    Rudolf Amelunxen was a Germany politician of the Deutsche Zentrumspartei and the first Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia . He was born in K?ln and died in D?sseldorf....
     (Centre Party
    Centre Party (Germany)

    The German Centre Party was a Catholic political party in Germany during the German Empire and the Weimar Republic. The party dissolved itself on 5 July, 1933 as a condition of the conclusion of Reichskonkordat between the Holy See and Germany....
    )
  2. 1947 - 1956: Karl Arnold
    Karl Arnold

    Karl Arnold was a German politician. He was North Rhine-Westphalia#List of Prime Ministers of North Rhine-Westphalia from 1947 to 1956. He was President of the German Bundesrat and as such acting head of state of the West Germany in 1949, before the election of President Theodor Heuss....
     (CDU)
  3. 1956 - 1958: Fritz Steinhoff (SPD
    Social Democratic Party of Germany

    The Social Democratic Party of Germany is Germany's oldest political party. After World War II, under the leadership of Kurt Schumacher, the SPD reestablished itself as an ideological party, representing the interests of the working class and the trade unions....
    )
  4. 1958 - 1966: Franz Meyers
    Franz Meyers

    Franz Meyers was a Germany politician and Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia . He was born and died in M?nchengladbach....
     (CDU)
  5. 1966 - 1978: Heinz Kühn
    Heinz Kühn

    Heinz K?hn was a Germany politician and Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia . He was born in K?ln.External links ...
     (SPD
    Social Democratic Party of Germany

    The Social Democratic Party of Germany is Germany's oldest political party. After World War II, under the leadership of Kurt Schumacher, the SPD reestablished itself as an ideological party, representing the interests of the working class and the trade unions....
    )
  6. 1978 - 1998: Johannes Rau
    Johannes Rau

    Johannes Rau was a Germany politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. He was the eighth President of Germany from July 1, 1999, until June 30, 2004, and minister-president of North Rhine-Westphalia from 1978 to 1998....
     (SPD
    Social Democratic Party of Germany

    The Social Democratic Party of Germany is Germany's oldest political party. After World War II, under the leadership of Kurt Schumacher, the SPD reestablished itself as an ideological party, representing the interests of the working class and the trade unions....
    )
  7. 1998 - 2002: Wolfgang Clement
    Wolfgang Clement

    Wolfgang Clement is a Germany politician. Clement was a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany . He was Premier of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia from 1998 to 2002 and Federal Minister of Economics and Labour from 2002 to 2005....
     (SPD
    Social Democratic Party of Germany

    The Social Democratic Party of Germany is Germany's oldest political party. After World War II, under the leadership of Kurt Schumacher, the SPD reestablished itself as an ideological party, representing the interests of the working class and the trade unions....
    )
  8. 2002 - 2005: Peer Steinbrück
    Peer Steinbrück

    Peer Steinbr?ck is a Germany SPD politician. He currently serves as Federal Minister of Finance in the cabinet of Angela Merkel.From 1968 to 1969 he was trained as an officer of the Reservist of the Bundeswehr....
     (SPD
    Social Democratic Party of Germany

    The Social Democratic Party of Germany is Germany's oldest political party. After World War II, under the leadership of Kurt Schumacher, the SPD reestablished itself as an ideological party, representing the interests of the working class and the trade unions....
    )
  9. holding office: Jürgen Rüttgers
    Jürgen Rüttgers

    J?rgen R?ttgers is a Germany politician and Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, widely known for his views on immigration and the famous phrase "Kinder statt Inder" which was a media interpretation of "Statt Inder an die Computer m?ssen unsere Kinder an die Computer" , at a time when immigrants from India were feared to come by...
     (CDU)


The results of the North Rhine-Westphalia state election, 2005
North Rhine-Westphalia state election, 2005

The North Rhine-Westphalia state election, 2005, was conducted on May 22, 2005, to elect members to the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany....
 were as follows. Note that overall seat totals have been reduced, lowering the seat counts for all parties.

Voter turnout was at 63%, an increase of 7% over the previous election in 2000. Prior to the election, some analysts had predicted that a CDU victory might result from disenchanted SPD voters staying home, but the turnout figures appear to reject this scenario.
Party Party List votes Vote percentage (change) Total Seats (change) Seat percentage
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) 3,695,806 44.8% +7.9% 89 +1 47.6%
Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party of Germany

The Social Democratic Party of Germany is Germany's oldest political party. After World War II, under the leadership of Kurt Schumacher, the SPD reestablished itself as an ideological party, representing the interests of the working class and the trade unions....
 (SPD)		 3,059,074 37.1% -5.7% 74 -28 39.6%
Free Democratic Party
Free Democratic Party (Germany)

The Free Democratic Party is a centre-right Liberalism political party in Germany. The party's ideology combines beliefs in individual liberty, in a state or government "that is as limited as possible and as extensive as necessary" ....
 (FDP)		 508,354 6.2% -3.7% 12 -12 6.4%
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens

The Alliance '90/The Greens is a political party in Germany which originated from the merger of the party "The Greens" and Alliance 90....
 509,219 6.2% -0.9% 12 -5 6.4%
Electoral Alternative for Labor and Social Justice (WASG) 181,886 2.2% +2.2% 0 +0 0.0%
National Democratic Party (NPD) 73,959 0.9% +0.9% 0 +0 0.0%
Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) 72,982 0.9% -0.2% 0 +0 0.0%
The Republicans 67,282 0.8% -0.3% 0 +0 0.0%
All Others 74,810 0.9% +0.5% 0 +0 0.0%
Totals 8,243,372 100.0%   187 -44 100.0%
2005 Nordrhein Landtag Result



External links