States of Germany

The 16 constituent federal states of Germany, each with its own constitution, parliament, and government. They share authority with the federal government under Germany’s federal system.

Bavaria: A German federal state in the southeast, with Munich as its capital. Germany’s largest state by area and one of its most distinctive political units.
Federalism in Germany: Germany’s constitutional system divides governing authority between the federal government and the states. It explains why the states retain substantial powers within one country.
Allied-occupied Germany: Germany’s territory under Allied administration after its defeat in 1945, divided into occupation zones. The occupation authorities shaped the first postwar state boundaries.
German city-state: A German federal state consisting primarily of a major city and its surrounding territory. Berlin, Hamburg, and Bremen have state powers despite their urban scale.
North Rhine-Westphalia: A western German federal state, with Düsseldorf as its capital. Germany’s most populous state gives the federation its largest electorate.
Landtag: A parliament of a German federal state, elected to legislate on state matters. Each state has its own parliament to make laws within its constitutional powers.
Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany: The 1949 constitution that established the Federal Republic of Germany as a democratic federal state. It restored state governments as key institutions after Nazi centralization.
Bremen: A small northern German federal state comprising the cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven. Its two-city territory makes it unlike the single-city states and larger states.
Berlin: Germany’s capital city and a federal state in its own right. It combines national-capital functions with the powers of a state.
Minister-President: The head of government of a German federal state, elected by its state parliament. Minister-presidents lead state governments and represent them in federal politics.

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