Lower Saxony

Lower Saxony is a large coastal state in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area and has a population of around 8 million people. The state borders many other areas, including the North Sea, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, and the Netherlands. It also includes two special areas called enclaves from the state of Bremen.

Lower Saxony has many different landscapes. In the north, you can find beautiful coastal areas with islands that many people visit. In the south, there are gentle hills and even some mountains, like the Harz Mountains. The Lüneburg Heath is a big open area with heathland, famous for its natural beauty.

The state was created in 1946 from several smaller historic areas, including the Kingdom of Hanover. Today, its largest city is Hanover, the state capital, but there are many other important cities such as Braunschweig, Oldenburg, and Göttingen. Lower Saxony is important for its farming, especially for growing apples in the sunny and fertile areas near the Elbe river.

Geography

Lower Saxony is a large state in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by area and has a population of about 8 million people. The state has a coastline along the North Sea and includes parts of the River Elbe. It also has many hills and mountains, with the highest point being the Wurmberg at 971 metres (3,186 feet) tall.

Lower Saxony has several important rivers, such as the Ems, Weser, Aller, and Elbe, that flow northward. The state's main cities include Hanover, Braunschweig, Wolfsburg, and Hildesheim. The region has a mix of landscapes, from sandy heathlands to fertile farmlands, and includes many nature parks like the Harz and Lüneburg Heath. The climate varies, with milder, wetter conditions near the coast and more extreme temperature changes further inland.

Administration

Lower Saxony is divided into 37 districts, known as Landkreise or simply Kreise. There are also eight urban districts and two cities with special status.

Historically, between 1946 and 2004, the state's districts and independent towns were grouped into eight regions. In 1978, these regions were merged into four governorates, such as the Governorate of Hanover. In 2005, these governorates were dissolved.

Some of the largest towns in Lower Saxony include Hanover, the capital and largest city, Braunschweig, Hildesheim with its tall church and cathedral, Lüneburg, Cuxhaven, Göttingen, Oldenburg, Celle, Wolfsburg home to the Volkswagen headquarters, Wilhelmshaven, Osnabrück, Salzgitter, Goslar with its important historic buildings, Emden, and Peine.

History

The name "Saxony" comes from the Germanic Saxons tribe. Before the late medieval period, there was a larger area called the Duchy of Saxony. The term "Lower Saxony" started being used after this area split up in the late 1300s. It helped distinguish parts ruled by the House of Welf from other nearby areas.

During the Migration Period, some Saxons moved south over the Elbe River, settling in parts of what is now northwest Germany and the Netherlands. By the 7th century, Saxons lived in an area roughly where Lower Saxony is today, along with parts of Westphalia and other nearby regions. The Frisians, another group, kept their independence in the northwestern part of this land. The people there spoke West Low German, a type of the Low German language family.

Demographics

Lower Saxony is home to many people from different countries. By the end of 2023, about 1 million people living there were not German citizens. Some places, like Braunschweig, have many people whose families came from other countries.

Most people in Lower Saxony follow Christianity. Many belong to the Protestant Church in Germany, while some are part of the Catholic Church. Other religions, such as Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism, also have smaller groups of followers. A good number of people do not follow any specific religion.

Economy

The economy of Lower Saxony is strong and varied. In 2018, the state's total wealth from all its work and production was 229.5 billion euros, making up about 8.7% of Germany's total economy. For each person, this wealth was about 33,700 euros, which is a bit more than the average for all of Europe.

Agriculture plays a big role here, especially raising animals. The state has lots of cows, pigs, and chickens—one in five of Germany’s cows, one in three of its pigs, and half of its chickens are in Lower Saxony. Farmers also grow crops like wheat, potatoes, rye, and oats. In the south, they grow a lot of sugar beet. The state has many food companies, mostly small to medium-sized businesses.

Mining has been important for many years. Silver was found in the Harz Mountains long ago, and later, people mined iron and salt. Today, Lower Saxony still provides some oil for Europe. The state also makes many things, with Volkswagen being the biggest employer, having five factories here. Other important industries include making airplanes, ships, medicine, and steel. Services like tourism, trading, and communications are also growing, with big companies such as TUI AG based in Hanover.

World Heritage Sites

Lower Saxony has several special places that are important to the whole world. These include:

• Hildesheim Cathedral
• St. Michael's Church in Hildesheim
• Mines of Rammelsberg
• Historic Town of Goslar
• Upper Harz Water Regale
• Lower Saxony Wadden Sea
• Fagus Factory in Alfeld

Transport

The main airport in Lower Saxony is Hannover Airport. It offers flights to different places in Germany and across Europe.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Lower Saxony

Politics in Lower Saxony have mostly been led by two big groups: the centre-right Christian Democratic Union and the centre-left Social Democratic Party. The state was important for starting Germany's environmental movement, which helped create the Green Party in 1980. Because Germany has many parties, leaders usually need to work together from different groups.

The leader of the state government is called the Minister-President. They are chosen by the Landtag of Lower Saxony. Over the years, different leaders have served, including Christian Wulff, David McAllister, and Stephan Weil. Stephan Weil has been the Minister-President for several years, working with both the Social Democrats and the Greens.

Lower Saxony was created after World War II by joining together old states like Hanover, Oldenburg, Brunswick, and Schaumburg-Lippe. Hanover is the biggest part. The capital city is Hanover. The state's rules say it should be fair, democratic, and care about the environment. Everyone has the right to go to school, and people pick their leaders through voting. Lower Saxony helps make decisions about schools and police, while bigger national rules cover things like money and foreign affairs.

Coat of arms

Main article: Coat of arms of Lower Saxony

The coat of arms shows a white horse, called the Saxon Steed, on a red background. This horse is an old symbol of the Saxon people. According to a story, the horse was connected to a Saxon leader named Widukind, though it was originally black on a yellow background. The colors changed after Widukind’s baptism. White and red are special colors that come from the Holy Roman Empire, and they represent important ideas about faith.