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'{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}} [[File:Political System of Germany.svg|550px|right]] [[Germany]] is a [[federation|federal]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[republic]], and federal [[legislative power]] is vested in the [[Bundestag (Germany)|Bundestag]] (the parliament of Germany) and the [[Bundesrat of Germany|Bundesrat]] (the representative body of the [[States of Germany|Länder]], Germany's regional states). There is a multi-party system that, since 1949, has been dominated by the [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU) and the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany]] (SPD). The [[judiciary of Germany]] is independent of the executive and the legislature. The political system is laid out in the 1949 constitution, the ''[[Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany|Grundgesetz]]'' (Basic Law), which remained in effect with minor amendments after 1990's [[German reunification]]. The constitution emphasizes the protection of [[individual liberty]] in an extensive catalogue of [[Human rights in Germany|human]] and [[civil rights]] and divides powers both between the federal and state levels and between the legislative, executive and judicial branches. It can "be understood as the downright opposite to Nazi totalitarism and was designed up to its details to learn from historical experience and to eliminate any possibility of such a wrong once and for all."<ref>http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/entscheidungen/rs20091104_1bvr215008.html</ref> ==Recent history== ===1998–2005=== [[File:Schroeder2002.jpg|thumb|240px|[[Gerhard Schröder]] in the 2002 elections]][[File:Joschka Fischer 2005.jpg|thumb|240px|[[Joschka Fischer]] in the 2005 elections]] After 17 years of the Christian–Liberal coalition, led by [[Helmut Kohl]], the Social Democrats together with the Greens won the elections of 1998. SPD vice chairman [[Gerhard Schröder]] positioned himself as a centrist candidate, in contradiction to the leftist SPD chairman [[Oskar Lafontaine]]. The Kohl government was hurt at the polls by slower economic growth in the east in the previous two years, and constantly high unemployment. The final margin of victory was sufficiently high to permit a "red-green" coalition of the SPD with [[Alliance '90/The Greens]] (''Bündnis '90/Die Grünen''), bringing the Greens into a national government for the first time. Initial problems of the new government, marked by policy disputes between the moderate and traditional left wings of the SPD, resulted in some voter disaffection. Lafontaine left the government (and later his party) in early 1999. The CDU won in some important state elections but was hit in 2000 by a party donation scandal from the Kohl years. As a result of this CDU crisis, [[Angela Merkel]] became chair. The [[German federal election, 2002|next election for the ''Bundestag'']] was on 22 September 2002. Gerhard Schröder led the coalition of SPD and Greens to an eleven-seat victory over the Christian Democrat challengers headed by [[Edmund Stoiber]] (CSU). Three factors are generally cited that enabled Schröder to win the elections despite poor approval ratings a few months before and a weaker economy: good handling of the [[2002 European floods|100-year flood]], firm opposition to the US [[2003 invasion of Iraq]], and Stoiber's unpopularity in the east, which cost the CDU crucial seats there. In its second term, the red–green coalition lost several very important state elections, for example in Lower Saxony where Schröder was the prime minister from 1990 to 1998. On 20 April 2003, chancellor Schröder announced massive labor market reforms, called [[Agenda 2010]], that cut unemployment benefits. Although these reforms sparked massive protests, they are now credited with being in part responsible for the relatively strong economic performance of Germany during the euro-crisis and the decrease in unemployment in Germany in the years 2006/7.<ref>{{cite|url=http://www.bpb.de/nachschlagen/zahlen-und-fakten/soziale-situation-in-deutschland/61718/arbeitslose-und-arbeitslosenquote|title=Arbeitslose und Arbeitslosenquote}}</ref> {{-}} ===2005–09=== {{Main|German federal election, 2005}} [[File:Angela Merkel (2008).jpg|thumb|240px|Chancellor since 2005: [[Angela Merkel]] of the Christian Democrats]] On 22 May 2005 the SPD received a devastating defeat in its former heartland, [[North Rhine-Westphalia]]. Half an hour after the election results, the SPD chairman [[Franz Müntefering]] announced that the chancellor would clear the way for new federal elections. This took the republic by surprise, especially because the SPD was below 25% in polls at the time. The CDU quickly announced [[Angela Merkel]] as Christian Democrat candidate for chancellor, aspiring to be the first female chancellor in German history. New for the 2005 election was the alliance between the newly formed [[Electoral Alternative for Labor and Social Justice]] (WASG) and the PDS, planning to fuse into a common party (see [[Left Party (Germany)|Left Party.PDS]]). With the former SPD chairman, Oskar Lafontaine for the WASG and [[Gregor Gysi]] for the PDS as prominent figures, this alliance soon found interest in the media and in the population. Polls in July saw them as high as 12%. Whereas in May and June 2005 victory of the Christian Democrats seemed highly likely, with some polls giving them an absolute majority, this picture changed shortly before the election at 18 September 2005. [[File:Frank-Walter Steinmeier 04.jpg|thumb|240px|[[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]], current foreign affairs minister, was the Social Democrat candidate for chancellor in 2009]] The election results of 18 September were surprising because they differed widely from the polls of the previous weeks. The Christian Democrats lost votes compared to 2002, reaching only 35.2%, and failed to get a majority for a "black–yellow" government of CDU/CSU and liberal FDP. But the red–green coalition also failed to get a majority, with the SPD losing votes, but polling 34.2% and the greens staying at 8.1%. The left party alliance reached 8.7% and entered the German Parliament, whereas the NPD only got 1.6%.<ref>[http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/de/bundestagswahlen/BTW_BUND_05/ergebnisse/bundesergebnisse/b_tabelle_99.html Official election results]</ref> The most likely outcome of coalition talks was a so-called "[[grand coalition]]" between the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD). Three party coalitions and Coalitions involving the Left Party have been ruled out by all interested parties (including the Left Party itself). On 22 November 2005, Angela Merkel was sworn in by president Horst Köhler for the office of Bundeskanzlerin. The existence of the grand coalition on federal level helped smaller parties' electoral prospects in state elections. Since in 2008, the CSU lost its absolute majority in Bavaria and formed a coalition with the FDP, the grand coalition had no majority in the ''Bundesrat'' and depended on FDP votes on important issues. In November 2008, the SPD re-elected [[Franz Müntefering]] as its chair and made [[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]] its leading candidate for the federal election in September 2009. As a result of [[German federal election, 2009|that federal election]], the grand coalition came to an end. The SPD suffered the heaviest losses in its history and was unable to form a coalition government. The CDU/CSU was rather stable. The three smaller parties thus have more seats in the German [[Bundestag]] than ever before, with the liberal party FDP winning 14.6% of votes. ===2009–13 === {{Main|German federal election, 2009}} [[File:Sitze Bundestagswahl 2009.svg|thumb|Seats in the Bundestag 2009|180x180px]][[File:Sigmar Gabriel-2009 ArM.jpg|thumb|240px|[[Sigmar Gabriel]]: SPD chairman from 2009-2013, 2013-present [[Vice-Chancellor of Germany|vice-chancellor]] ]] The CDU/CSU and FDP together held 332 seats (of 622 total seats) and had been in coalition since 27 October 2009. Angela Merkel was re-elected as chancellor, and [[Guido Westerwelle]] served as the [[Foreign Office (Germany)|foreign minister]] and vice chancellor of Germany. After being elected into the federal government, the FDP suffered from heavy losses in the following state elections. The FDP had promised to lower taxes in the electoral campaign, but after being part of the coalition they had to concede that this was not possible due to the economic crisis. Because of the losses, Guido Westerwelle had to resign as chair of the FDP in favor of [[Philipp Rösler]], [[Federal Ministry of Health (Germany)|Federal minister of health]], who was consequently appointed as [[Vice Chancellor of Germany|vice chancellor]]. Shortly after, Philipp Rösler changed office and became [[Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (Germany)|federal minister of economics and technology]]. Since their electoral defeat, the Social Democrats have been led by the new party chairman [[Sigmar Gabriel]], a former federal minister and state prime minister, and by Frank-Walter Steinmeier as the head of the parliamentary group. The Greens and the Left Party both suffer from some internal frictions. It is difficult to tell what the SPD defeat in federal politics means for the state elections:{{fact|date=January 2014}} both big parties did well in some but not in others. Since 2011 the Greens have their first prime minister, the one of Baden-Württemberg, in a Green–SPD government. Germany has seen increased political activity by citizens outside the established political parties with respect to local and [[environmental activism|environmental]] issues such as the location of [[Stuttgart 21]], a railway hub, and construction of [[Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Dempsey|first=Judy|title=German Politics Faces Grass-Roots Threat|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/europe/02germany.html|accessdate=16 May 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|date=1 May 2011}}</ref Germans eat poop for breakfast {{-}} === 2013-present === [[File:SeatsGermanBundestag2013.JPG|thumb|The allocation of seats in the German Bundestag after 2013 elections|224x224px]] {{Main|German federal election, 2013}} The 18th federal elections in Germany have been succeeded by the renewed re-election of [[Angela Merkel]] and her parliamentary group of the parties [[CDU/CSU|CDU and CSU]], reaching 41.5% of all votes. Their former coalition partner [[FDP (Deutschland)|FDP]] did not reach 5% and hereby not gaining any seats in the [[Bundestag]]. <ref>http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/leaders/article3900625.ece</ref> Not having reached an absolute majority the ''CDU/CSU'' had to find another partner to coalise with. After long coalition talks they formed a [[Grand coalition (Germany)|grand coalition]] together with the social-democratic [[SPD]], making the head of the party [[Sigmar Gabriel]] [[Vice-Chancellor of Germany|vice-chancellor]] and federal minister of economics and energy. Together they hold 504 of a total 631 seats (''CDU/CSU'' 311 & ''SPD'' 193). The only two opposition parties are [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] (64 seats) and [[Alliance '90/The Greens]] (63 seats). <ref>http://www.bundestag.de/bundestag/plenum/sitzverteilung18.html</ref> ==Constitution== {{Main|Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany}} The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany is the constitution of Germany.<ref>http://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/rechtsgrundlagen/grundgesetz/index.html Deutscher Bundestag: Grundgesetz<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{de icon}}</ref> It was formally approved on 8 May 1949, and, with the signature of the [[Allies of World War II]] on 12 May, came into effect on 23 May, as the constitution of those states of [[West Germany]] that were initially included within the Federal Republic. The 1949 Basic Law is a response to the perceived flaws of the 1919 [[Weimar Constitution]], which failed to prevent the rise of the Nazi party in 1933. ==Executive== ===Head of state=== {{Main|President of Germany}} [[File:2011 Joachim Gauck-2.jpg|thumb|240px|[[Joachim Gauck]] – the 11th president of Germany.]] The duties of the ''[[President of Germany|Bundespräsident]]'' (federal president) are largely representative and ceremonial. He or she is not a member of the government. The President is elected every five years by the Federal Assembly (''[[Bundesversammlung (Germany)|Bundesversammlung]]''), a special body convened only for this purpose, comprising the entire ''Bundestag'' and an equal number of state delegates selected especially for this purpose in proportion to election results for the state diets. Most presidents have been members of the CDU as this party is usually the strongest in the Bundestag and also often in the states. The president has a rather ceremonial role in creating a new chancellor and a theoretically more significant role in dissolving the Bundestag. The constitution provides some cases where the president could exert more power, but this has never occurred. ===Head of government=== {{Main|Chancellor of Germany (Federal Republic of Germany)}} [[File:Kanzler21a.jpg|thumb|240px|Chancellery in Berlin]] The ''[[Chancellor of Germany (Federal Republic)|Bundeskanzler]]'' (federal chancellor) heads the ''[[Cabinet of Germany|Bundesregierung]]'' (federal government) and thus the [[executive branch]] of the federal government. He or she is elected by and responsible to the ''[[Bundestag]]'', Germany's parliament. The other members of the government are the Federal Ministers; they are chosen by the Chancellor. Germany, like the United Kingdom, can thus be classified as a [[parliamentary system]]. The Chancellor cannot be removed from office during a four-year term unless the ''Bundestag'' has agreed on a successor. This [[constructive vote of no confidence]] is intended to avoid the situation of the Weimar Republic in which the executive did not have enough support in the legislature to govern effectively, but the legislature was too divided to name a successor. Except in the periods 1969–72 and 1976–82, when the Social Democratic party of Chancellor Brandt and Schmidt came in second in the elections, the Chancellor has always been the candidate of the largest party, usually supported by a coalition of two parties with a majority in the parliament. One of the ministers the Chancellor appoints is the Vice-Chancellor ([[Deputy Chancellor of Germany|Vizekanzler]]). This office itself is hardly important but often indicates who is the main cabinet member of the smaller coalition partner. ===Cabinet=== {{main|Cabinet of Germany}} The German Cabinet (Bundeskabinett or Bundesregierung) is the chief [[executive branch|executive]] body of the federal republic of Germany. It consists of the [[Chancellor of Germany (Federal Republic)|chancellor]] and the [[cabinet minister]]s. The fundamentals of the cabinet's organization are set down in articles 62–69 of the [[Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany|Basic Law]]. ==Legislature== {{main|Bundestag|Bundesrat of Germany}} Federal legislative power is divided between the ''Bundestag'' and the ''Bundesrat''. The ''Bundestag'' is directly elected by the German people, while the ''Bundesrat'' represents the governments of the regional states (''Länder''). The federal legislature has powers of exclusive jurisdiction and concurrent jurisdiction with the states in areas specified in the constitution. The ''Bundestag'' is more powerful than the ''Bundesrat'' and only needs the latter's consent for proposed legislation related to revenue shared by the federal and state governments, and the imposition of responsibilities on the states. In practice, however, the agreement of the ''Bundesrat'' in the legislative process is often required, since federal legislation frequently has to be executed by state or local agencies. In the event of disagreement between the ''Bundestag'' and the ''Bundesrat'', a conciliation committee is formed to find a compromise. ===Bundestag=== [[File:Berlin reichstag west panorama 2.jpg|right|thumb|220px|The [[Reichstag building]], seat of the [[Bundestag]]]] The ''Bundestag'' (Federal Diet) is elected for a four-year term and consists of 598 or more members elected by a means of [[mixed-member proportional representation]], which Germans call "personalised proportional representation." 299 members represent single-seat [[constituency|constituencies]] and are elected by a [[first past the post electoral system]]. Parties that obtain fewer constituency seats than their national share of the vote are allotted seats from party lists to make up the difference. In contrast, parties that obtain more constituency seats than their national share of the vote are allowed to keep these so-called [[overhang seat]]s. In the current parliament, elected in 2009, there are 24 overhang seats, giving the ''Bundestag'' a total of 622 members.<!--update "current"--> A party must receive either five percent of the national vote or win at least three directly elected seats to be eligible for non-constituency seats in the ''Bundestag''. This rule, often called the "five percent hurdle", was incorporated into Germany's election law to prevent political fragmentation and strong minor parties. The first ''Bundestag'' elections were held in the Federal Republic of Germany ("West Germany") on 14 August 1949. Following reunification, [[German federal election, 1990|elections for the first all-German ''Bundestag'']] were held on 2 December 1990. The last [[German federal election, 2013|federal election]] was held on 22 September 2013. ==Judiciary== {{main|Judiciary of Germany}} [[File:Karlsruhe bundesverfassungsgericht.jpg|thumb|Constitutional court in [[Karlsruhe]]]] The judicial system comprises three types of courts. * Ordinary courts, dealing with [[criminal law|criminal]] and most [[Private law|civil]] cases, are the most numerous by far. The [[Federal Court of Justice of Germany]] (''Bundesgerichtshof'') is the highest ordinary court and also the highest court of appeals. * Specialized courts hear cases related to [[Administrative law|administrative]], [[Labour law|labour]], social, fiscal, and [[patent law]]. * Constitutional courts focus on judicial review and constitutional interpretation. The [[Federal Constitutional Court of Germany|Federal Constitutional Court]] (''Bundesverfassungsgericht'') is the highest court dealing with constitutional matters. The main difference between the Federal Constitutional Court and the Federal Court of Justice is that the Federal Constitutional Court may only be called if a constitutional matter within a case is in question (e.g. a possible violation of human rights in a criminal trial), while the Federal Court of Justice may be called in any case. ==Foreign relations== {{Main|Foreign relations of Germany}} [[File:33rdG8Leaders.jpg|thumb|250px|Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]], the head of government, hosting the [[G8]] summit in [[Heiligendamm]] (2007)]][[File:Defense ministers of NATO 2000.jpg|thumb|250px|West Germany became a [[NATO]] member in 1955. (Defense ministers in 2000)]]Germany maintains a network of 229 diplomatic missions abroad and holds relations with more than 190 countries.<ref>[http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/AAmt/Auslandsvertretungen/Uebersicht_node.html German Missions Abroad] German Federal Foreign Office. Retrieved 31 December 2010.</ref> It is the largest contributor to the budget of the European Union (providing 27%) and third largest contributor to the United Nations (providing 8%). Germany is a member of the NATO defence alliance, the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the G8, the G20, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Germany has played a leading role in the European Union since its inception and has maintained a [[Franco-German cooperation|strong alliance with France]] since the end of World War II. The alliance was especially close in the late 1980s and early 1990s under the leadership of [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|Christian Democrat]] [[Helmut Kohl]] and [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist]] [[François Mitterrand]]. Germany is at the forefront of European states seeking to advance the creation of a more unified European political, defence, and security apparatus.<ref>[http://www.elysee.fr/elysee/anglais/speeches_and_documents/2004/declaration_by_the_franco-german_defence_and_security_council.1096.html Declaration by the Franco-German Defence and Security Council] Elysee.fr 13 May 3004. Retrieved 3 December 2006.</ref> For a number of decades after WWII, the Federal Republic of Germany kept a notably low profile in international relations, because of both its recent history and its occupation by foreign powers.<ref>Glaab, Manuela.&nbsp;[http://web.archive.org/web/20071121072523/http://en.internationalepolitik.de/archiv/2003/spring2003/german-foreign-policy.html German Foreign Policy: Book Review] Internationale Politik. Spring 2003. Retrieved 3 January 2007.</ref> During the Cold War, Germany's partition by the [[Iron Curtain]] made it a symbol of East–West tensions and a political battleground in Europe. However, Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik was a key factor in the ''[[détente]]'' of the 1970s.<ref>Harrison, Hope. {{PDFlink|[http://www.ghi-dc.org/files/publications/bu_supp/supp1/supp-01_005.pdf ''The Berlin Wall, Ostpolitik and Détente]|91.1&nbsp;KB}} German historical institute, Washington, DC, Bulletin supplement 1, 2004, ''American détente and German ostpolitik, 1969–1972".</ref> In 1999, Chancellor [[Gerhard Schröder]]'s government defined a new basis for German foreign policy by taking a full part in the decisions surrounding the [[Kosovo War|NATO war against Yugoslavia]] and by sending German troops into combat for the first time since World War II.<ref>[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1741310,00.html Germany's New Face Abroad] [[Deutsche Welle]]. 14 October 2005. Retrieved 3 December 2006.</ref> The governments of Germany and the United States are close political allies.<ref>[http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3997.htm Background Note: Germany] U.S. Department of State. 6 July 2006. Retrieved 3 December 2006.</ref> The 1948 [[Marshall Plan]] and strong cultural ties have crafted a strong bond between the two countries, although Schröder's very vocal opposition to the [[Iraq War]] suggested the end of [[Atlanticism]] and a relative cooling of German–American relations.<ref>[http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7141311 ''Ready for a Bush hug?''], [[The Economist]], 6 July 2006. Retrieved 31 December 2006.</ref> The two countries are also economically interdependent: 8.8% of German exports are US-bound and 6.6% of German imports originate from the US.<ref name="econ_factsheet_may2006">{{PDFlink|[http://germany.usembassy.gov/germany/img/assets/9336/econ_factsheet_may2006.pdf U.S.-German Economic Relations Factsheet]|32.8&nbsp;KB}} U.S. Embassy in Berlin. May 2006. Retrieved 3 December 2006.</ref> Other signs of the close ties include the continuing position of German–Americans as the largest ethnic group in the US.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/census_2000/001870.html German Still Most Frequently Reported Ancestry] [[U.S. Census Bureau]] 30 June 2004. Retrieved 3 December 2006. {{Dead link|date=June 2010| bot=DASHBot}}</ref> and the status of [[Ramstein Air Base]] (near [[Kaiserslautern]]) as the largest US military community outside the US.<ref>[http://benefits.military.com/misc/installations/Base_Content.jsp?id=1675 Kaiserslautern, Germany Overview] U.S. Military. Retrieved 3 December 2006.</ref> The policy on foreign aid is an independent area of German foreign policy. It is formulated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and carried out by the implementing organisations. The German government sees development policy as a joint responsibility of the international community.<ref>[http://www.bmz.de/en/index.html Aims of German development policy] Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development 10 April 2008. Retrieved 7 December 2008.</ref> It is the world's third biggest aid donor after the United States and France.<ref>[http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/17/9/44981892.pdf Table: Net Official Development Assistance 2009] OECD</ref> Germany spent 0.37 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on development, which is below the government's target of increasing aid to 0.51 per cent of GDP by 2010. ==Administrative divisions== {{Main|States of Germany}} Germany comprises [[States of Germany|sixteen states]] that are collectively referred to as ''Länder''.<ref>The individual denomination is either ''Land'' [state], ''Freistaat'' [free state] or ''Freie (und) Hansestadt'' [free (and) Hanseatic city].<br/>{{cite web |url= http://www.bundesrat.de/nn_11006/EN/organisation-en/laender-en/laender-en-node.html?__nnn=true|title= The Federal States|publisher=[[Bundesrat of Germany]]|work = www.bundesrat.de|accessdate=17 July 2011}} <br/>{{cite web|url = http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Infoservice/Terminologie/Bundeslaender/Uebersicht_node.html|title = Amtliche Bezeichnung der Bundesländer|work = www.auswaertiges-amt.de|publisher = [[Foreign Office (Germany)|Federal Foreign Office]]|language = German|trans_title = Official denomination of federated states|format = PDF; download file "Englisch“|accessdate =22 October 2011}}</ref> Due to differences in size and population the [[States of Germany#Further subdivisions|subdivision of these states]] varies, especially between [[city states]] (''Stadtstaaten'') and states with larger territories (''Flächenländer''). For regional administrative purposes five states, namely Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony, consist of a total of 22 [[Regierungsbezirke|Government Districts]] (''Regierungsbezirke''). As of 2009 Germany is divided into 403 [[Districts of Germany|districts]] (''Kreise'') on municipal level, these consist of 301 [[List of rural districts of Germany|rural districts]] and 102 [[Urban districts of Germany|urban districts]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.destatis.de/jetspeed/portal/cms/Sites/destatis/Internet/DE/Content/Statistiken/Regionales/Gemeindeverzeichnis/Administrativ/Aktuell/04__KreiseAktuell,property=file.xls|title=Kreisfreie Städte und Landkreise nach Fläche und Bevölkerung 31 December 2009|format=XLS|date=October 2010|publisher=[[Statistisches Bundesamt]] Deutschland|language=German|accessdate=26 September 2011}} {{Dead link|date=April 2012|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> {{German Federal States|options=float:left; font-size:90%; border:3px; max-width:480px; width:50%;}} {| style="background:none;" cellspacing="2px" | {| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%;" |- style="font-size:100%; text-align:right;" ! style="width:140px;"| [[States of Germany|State]] !! style="width:85px;"| Capital !! style="width:85px;"| Area (km²)!! style="width:85px;"| Population |- | [[Baden-Württemberg]] || [[Stuttgart]] || style="text-align:right"|35,752|| style="text-align:right"|10,717,000 |- | [[Bavaria]] || [[Munich]] || style="text-align:right"|70,549|| style="text-align:right"|12,444,000 |- | [[Berlin]] || [[Berlin]] ||style="text-align:right"|892|| style="text-align:right"|3,400,000 |- | [[Brandenburg]] || [[Potsdam]] || style="text-align:right"|29,477|| style="text-align:right"|2,568,000 |- | [[Bremen (state)|Bremen]] || [[Bremen]] || style="text-align:right"|404|| style="text-align:right"|663,000 |- | [[Hamburg]] || [[Hamburg]] ||style="text-align:right"|755|| style="text-align:right"|1,735,000 |- | [[Hesse]] || [[Wiesbaden]] || style="text-align:right"|21,115|| style="text-align:right"|6,098,000 |- | [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]] || [[Schwerin]] || style="text-align:right"|23,174|| style="text-align:right"|1,720,000 |- | [[Lower Saxony]] || [[Hanover]] || style="text-align:right"|47,618|| style="text-align:right"|8,001,000 |- | [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] || [[Düsseldorf]] || style="text-align:right"|34,043|| style="text-align:right"|18,075,000 |- | [[Rhineland-Palatinate]] || [[Mainz]] || style="text-align:right"|19,847|| style="text-align:right"|4,061,000 |- | [[Saarland]] || [[Saarbrücken]] || style="text-align:right"|2,569|| style="text-align:right"|1,056,000 |- | [[Saxony]] || [[Dresden]] || style="text-align:right"|18,416|| style="text-align:right"|4,296,000 |- | [[Saxony-Anhalt]] || [[Magdeburg]] || style="text-align:right"|20,445|| style="text-align:right"|2,494,000 |- | [[Schleswig-Holstein]] || [[Kiel]] || style="text-align:right"|15,763|| style="text-align:right"|2,829,000 |- | [[Thuringia]] || [[Erfurt]] || style="text-align:right"|16,172|| style="text-align:right"|2,355,000 |} |} ==See also== {{Portal|Germany|European Union}} * [[List of political parties in Germany]] * [[Party finance in Germany]] * [[Political culture of Germany]] {{-}} ==References== {{reflist|2}} ==External links== * [http://www.bundesregierung.de/Webs/Breg/EN/Homepage/home.html Official Site of the Bundesregierung], in English * [http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/e/index_e.htm Official source of election results] * [http://www.germany.info Official source from the German Embassy in Washington, DC] {{Germany topics}} {{Politics of Europe}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Politics Of Germany}} [[Category:Politics of Germany| ]] {{Link GA|de}} {{Link GA|sv}} {{Link FA|pl}}'