Land (German states)

A Land is a constituent state of Germany or Austria, with its own government and defined territorial jurisdiction. In Germany, the plural is Länder; in Austria, Länder are federal states.

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Federalism in Germany: Germany's constitutional system divides public authority between the federal government and its constituent states. It allocates responsibilities between the federal level and each Land.
German Confederation: A union of sovereign German states that existed from 1815 to 1866. It provides an earlier model of political organization among German territories.
Education in Germany: Germany's education system is organized primarily by its states, which set policy and oversee schools. Education is a prominent area of Land authority and regional variation.
Federal state: A sovereign country in which constitutional authority is divided between national and regional governments. Germany and Austria organize their constituent Länder within this broader system.
Bundesrat of Germany: Germany's federal legislative chamber represents the governments of its states. Land governments influence federal legislation through this chamber.
German Empire: The federal nation-state established in 1871 and dissolved after the First World War in 1918. Its constituent states preceded later German state structures.
Police in Germany: Public policing in Germany is organized mainly through state police forces. Each Land operates police institutions within its jurisdiction.
Municipality: A local government unit with authority over a town, city, or district. Municipalities govern locally but are not constituent states.
Landtag: A Landtag is the elected parliament of a German or Austrian state. It is the principal legislature within a Land.
Weimar Constitution: Germany's 1919 constitution established a democratic republic with states in a federal system. It reshaped the constitutional role of German states after the monarchy.