Germany has 16 states, of which Bavaria is perhaps the most well-known. Not for nothing, as the southeastern region bordering Austria is one of the most beautiful and richest in natural attractions.

The Federal Republic of Germany and its provinces are partly sovereign federal states, which we call "Land" in German. The three smallest states are Berlin (the capital), Bremen and Hamburg, which are often called "Stadtstaaten", i.e. city-states.

Map of Germany's states

Germany is one of the largest and most populous countries in Central Europe. It is home to diverse landscapes bordering the North Sea, the Baltic Sea to the north, Lake Constance (Bodensee) and the towering Alps to the south.

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Maps of the states of Germany

The country's largest province is Bavaria (70e hectares), followed by Lower Saxony (47e hectares) and Baden-Wüttemberg (35e hectares).

List of the states of Germany

States of Germany Capitol Territory Berlin distance (km)
Berlin - 892 0
Bavaria (Bayern) München 70 549 600
Baden-Württemberg Stuttgart 35 752 630
Saxony (Sachsen) Dresden 18 415 200
Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) Hannover 47 620 300
Bremen - 404 400
Brandenburg Potsdam 29 478 40
Hamburg - 755 300
Saarland Saarbrücken 2569 750
Thuringia (Türingen) Erfurt 16 172 300
Nort Rhine - Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) Düsseldorf 34 084 500
Hesse (Hessen) Wiesbaden 21 115 600
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Schwerin 23 179 230
Saxony-Anhalt (Sachsen-Anhalt) Magdeburg 20 446 160
Schleswig-Holstein Kiel 15 763 370
Rheinland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) Mainz 19 853 580
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Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Saxony and the Rhine region are the most well-known states among European tourists.

We could divide the provinces into two larger groups. The 6 eastern regions below are the so-called "new member states" that joined the German Republic on October 3, 1990:

  • Berlin
  • Saxony
  • Saxony-Anhalt
  • Thuringia
  • Brandenburg
  • Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
New states in Germany

Regions of Germany

From a geographic perspective, the country has four regions (these are not states). These are:

  • the North German Lowland
  • the Central German Uplands
  • Southern Germany
  • the Alpine Foreland and the Alps

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