Germany: Schleswig-Holstein State Brochure

Germany: Schleswig-Holstein State Brochure

  • Submitted By: bobhamers
  • Date Submitted: 06/09/2009 12:04 PM
  • Category: Business
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Schleswig-Holstein
"Up ewich ungedeelt"

Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany and was formed in 1946. Its capital city is Kiel.

Geography
Schleswig-Holstein borders the North Sea and Baltic Sea, Denmark and the German States Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Lower Saxony.

In the western part of the state there are lowlands with virtually no hills. The eastern part is marked by bays, fjords and cliff lines. There are also rolling hills and many lakes. The longest river besides the Elbe is the Eider, but the most important waterway is the Kiel Canal which connects the North Sea and Baltic Sea.

Schleswig-Holstein is divided into eleven districts called "Kreise". Furthermore, there are four urban districts called "Kreisfreie Städte" that do not belong to a district.

Climate
Schleswig-Holstein's climate is mainly determined by the proximity of the sea, and the average temperature (which varies from 7.5 C (45 F) in the north to 9.5 C (49 F) in the south), is higher than is usual in the same region. Rain and fog are frequent, but overall it is a healthy climate.

Government & Politics
Germany is a federal parliamentary democracy. Within the federal system an array of different state and local government systems exist.

The Politics of Schleswig-Holstein takes place within a framework of a federal parliamentary democratic republic, the state has a multi-party system. Since 2005, the state has been governed by a grand coalition of the CDU and SPD under the leadership of CDU governor Peter Harry Carstensen.

Languages
Five languages are traditionally spoken in Schleswig-Holstein, and that is more than in any other German state. In addition to High German, the regional and minority languages such as Low German, Danish, Friesian and Romani are under protection of the European cultural heritage by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

Tourism
Apart from being a location for industry and...

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