German Administrative Divisions

Administratively, Germany is divided into 16 states (Länder; sing., Land), including five that belonged to the former East Germany until reunification in 1990. The states are as follows, with new states labeled as such: Baden Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg (new), Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (new), Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony (new), Saxony-Anhalt (new), Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringia (new). The unification of West Berlin and East Berlin did not add a new state.

Provincial and Local Government

Germany's 16 states enjoy limited autonomy, particularly in the areas of law, education, the environment, media, police, social assistance, and other local issues, within a federal system. Each state has its own elected parliament (Landtag or Bürgerschaft). Depending on size, states are subdivided into up to three levels of local government—districts; Landkreise (sing., Landkreis), or counties; and Gemeinden (sing., Gemeinde), or municipal government authorities.