German States 2026

State Name	State Legitimacy	State Capital	Surface Area, km²
Baden-Württemberg	11.10	Stuttgart	35,751
Bavaria	13.10	Munich	70,552
Berlin	3.70	Berlin	892
Brandenburg	2.50	Potsdam	29,486
Bremen	0.70	Bremen	419
Hamburg	1.80	Hamburg	755
Hesse	6.30	Wiesbaden	21,115
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania	1.60	Schwerin	23,180
Lower Saxony	8	Hanover	47,635
North Rhine-Westphalia	17.90	Düsseldorf	34,098
Rhineland-Palatinate	4.10	Mainz	19,853
Saarland	1	Saarbrücken	2,570
Saxony	4.10	Dresden	18,416
Saxony-Anhalt	2.20	Magdeburg	20,446
Schleswig-Holstein	2.90	Kiel	15,799
Thuringia	2.10	Erfurt	16,173

	Country	Population↓
	India	1,476,630,000
	China	1,412,910,000
	United States	349,035,000
	Indonesia	287,887,000
	Pakistan	259,300,000
	Nigeria	242,432,000
	Brazil	213,563,000
	Bangladesh	177,818,000
	Russia	143,394,000
	Ethiopia	138,902,000
	Mexico	132,998,000
	Japan	122,428,000
	Egypt	120,101,000
	Philippines	117,724,000
	DR Congo	116,452,000
	Vietnam	102,177,000
	Iran	93,168,500
	Turkey	87,926,100
	Germany	83,644,300
	Tanzania	72,563,800
	Thailand	71,559,600
	United Kingdom	69,931,500
	France	66,746,400
	South Africa	65,453,100
	Italy	58,926,200
	Kenya	58,636,400
	Myanmar	55,184,800
	Colombia	53,936,200
	Sudan	53,282,700
	Uganda	52,761,500
	South Korea	51,600,400
	Algeria	48,028,300
	Iraq	48,007,400
	Spain	47,850,800
	Argentina	46,003,700
	Afghanistan	45,047,100
	Yemen	42,961,700
	Canada	40,467,700
	Angola	40,215,200
	Ukraine	39,535,800
	Morocco	38,762,400
	Poland	37,843,200
	Uzbekistan	37,724,200
	Mozambique	36,639,900
	Malaysia	36,385,100
	Ghana	35,697,600
	Saudi Arabia	35,165,800
	Peru	34,922,100
	Madagascar	33,522,100
	Ivory Coast	33,494,300
	Cameroon	30,640,800
	Nepal	29,629,400
	Niger	28,814,900
	Venezuela	28,633,700
	Australia	27,227,100
	North Korea	26,633,700
	Syria	26,472,500
	Mali	25,932,300
	Burkina Faso	24,601,700
	Sri Lanka	23,348,300
	Taiwan	23,011,300
	Malawi	22,785,500
	Zambia	22,521,900
	Chad	21,560,400
	Kazakhstan	21,083,600
	Somalia	20,305,900
	Chile	19,945,800
	Senegal	19,366,500
	Guatemala	18,968,000
	Romania	18,800,600
	Netherlands	18,448,800
	Ecuador	18,444,500
	Cambodia	18,051,200
	Zimbabwe	17,273,600
	Guinea	15,442,000
	Benin	15,170,400
	Rwanda	14,889,700
	Burundi	14,729,200
	Bolivia	12,749,300
	South Sudan	12,436,000
	Tunisia	12,415,100
	Haiti	12,037,500
	Belgium	11,774,600
	Dominican Republic	11,609,500
	Jordan	11,589,500
	United Arab Emirates	11,574,700
	Honduras	11,184,800
	Tajikistan	10,978,600
	Papua New Guinea	10,947,800
	Cuba	10,892,700
	Sweden	10,701,000
	Czechia	10,527,800
	Azerbaijan	10,454,900
	Portugal	10,395,400
	Togo	9,930,920
	Greece	9,897,120
	Israel	9,647,690
	Hungary	9,585,820
	Austria	9,107,270
	Switzerland	9,007,800
	Sierra Leone	8,996,740
	Belarus	8,937,020
	Laos	7,974,020
	Turkmenistan	7,736,630
	Libya	7,539,850
	Kyrgyzstan	7,400,460
	Hong Kong	7,378,600
	Nicaragua	7,097,330
	Paraguay	7,095,280
	Bulgaria	6,667,660
	Serbia	6,641,960
	Republic of the Congo	6,637,780
	El Salvador	6,391,250
	Denmark	6,023,520
	Singapore	5,905,750
	Lebanon	5,897,470
	Liberia	5,853,950
	Central African Republic	5,698,980
	Palestine	5,692,790
	Oman	5,671,460
	Norway	5,652,990
	Finland	5,621,740
	Mauritania	5,461,320
	Slovakia	5,451,340
	Ireland	5,356,950
	New Zealand	5,287,480
	Costa Rica	5,174,790
	Kuwait	5,102,770
	Panama	4,625,720
	Croatia	3,822,340
	Georgia	3,804,640
	Eritrea	3,682,670
	Mongolia	3,556,800
	Uruguay	3,382,540
	Puerto Rico	3,222,690
	Qatar	3,173,560
	Namibia	3,153,250
	Bosnia and Herzegovina	3,114,240
	Moldova	2,961,250
	Armenia	2,930,920
	Gambia	2,884,080
	Jamaica	2,833,400
	Lithuania	2,797,340
	Albania	2,751,020
	Gabon	2,647,400
	Botswana	2,603,390
	Lesotho	2,389,340
	Guinea-Bissau	2,297,810
	Slovenia	2,114,570
	Equatorial Guinea	1,984,470
	Latvia	1,835,940
	North Macedonia	1,804,060
	Bahrain	1,675,570
	Trinidad and Tobago	1,513,270
	Timor-Leste	1,436,920
	Cyprus	1,382,330
	Estonia	1,331,060
	Eswatini	1,269,860
	Mauritius	1,265,060
	Djibouti	1,199,460
	Fiji	937,282
	Comoros	899,010
	Reunion	886,298
	Solomon Islands	858,288
	Guyana	840,890
	Bhutan	802,214
	Macau	723,188
	Luxembourg	687,448
	Suriname	645,256
	Montenegro	626,233
	Western Sahara	610,813
	Malta	549,011
	Maldives	531,517
	Cape Verde	529,630
	Brunei	469,775
	Belize	428,644
	Bahamas	404,628
	Iceland	402,329
	Guadeloupe	372,453
	Mayotte	347,536
	Vanuatu	342,564
	Martinique	337,711
	French Guiana	318,872
	New Caledonia	297,892
	French Polynesia	283,076
	Barbados	282,724
	Sao Tome and Principe	244,994
	Samoa	220,528
	Curacao	185,440
	Saint Lucia	180,488
	Guam	170,185
	Kiribati	138,445
	Seychelles	134,959
	Grenada	117,362
	Micronesia	114,183
	Aruba	108,164
	Jersey	104,106
	Tonga	103,291
	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	99,245
	Antigua and Barbuda	94,626
	Isle of Man	84,055
	Andorra	83,753
	United States Virgin Islands	83,400
	Cayman Islands	77,196
	Dominica	65,511
	Guernsey	64,609
	Bermuda	64,459
	Faroe Islands	56,526
	Greenland	55,629
	Turks and Caicos Islands	47,148
	Saint Kitts and Nevis	46,992
	American Samoa	45,319
	Sint Maarten	44,447
	Northern Mariana Islands	42,914
	Gibraltar	40,867
	Liechtenstein	40,368
	British Virgin Islands	39,936
	Monaco	38,087
	Marshall Islands	35,075
	San Marino	33,605
	Saint Martin	23,898
	Palau	17,614
	Anguilla	14,817
	Cook Islands	12,826
	Nauru	12,101
	Saint Barthelemy	11,550
	Wallis and Futuna	11,113
	Tuvalu	9,362
	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	5,513
	Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha	5,147
	Montserrat	4,328
	Falkland Islands	3,465
	Tokelau	2,691
	Niue	1,822
	Vatican City	506

Country

Population↓

1,476,630,000

1,412,910,000

349,035,000

287,887,000

259,300,000

242,432,000

213,563,000

177,818,000

143,394,000

138,902,000

132,998,000

122,428,000

120,101,000

117,724,000

116,452,000

102,177,000

93,168,500

87,926,100

83,644,300

72,563,800

71,559,600

69,931,500

66,746,400

65,453,100

58,926,200

58,636,400

55,184,800

53,936,200

53,282,700

52,761,500

51,600,400

48,028,300

48,007,400

47,850,800

46,003,700

45,047,100

42,961,700

40,467,700

40,215,200

39,535,800

38,762,400

37,843,200

37,724,200

36,639,900

36,385,100

35,697,600

35,165,800

34,922,100

33,522,100

33,494,300

30,640,800

29,629,400

28,814,900

28,633,700

27,227,100

26,633,700

26,472,500

25,932,300

24,601,700

23,348,300

23,011,300

22,785,500

22,521,900

21,560,400

21,083,600

20,305,900

19,945,800

19,366,500

18,968,000

18,800,600

18,448,800

18,444,500

18,051,200

17,273,600

15,442,000

15,170,400

14,889,700

14,729,200

12,749,300

12,436,000

12,415,100

12,037,500

11,774,600

11,609,500

11,589,500

11,574,700

11,184,800

10,978,600

10,947,800

10,892,700

10,701,000

10,527,800

10,454,900

10,395,400

9,930,920

9,897,120

9,647,690

9,585,820

9,107,270

9,007,800

8,996,740

8,937,020

7,974,020

7,736,630

7,539,850

7,400,460

7,378,600

7,097,330

7,095,280

6,667,660

6,641,960

Republic of the Congo

6,637,780

6,391,250

6,023,520

5,905,750

5,897,470

5,853,950

Central African Republic

5,698,980

5,692,790

5,671,460

5,652,990

5,621,740

5,461,320

5,451,340

5,356,950

5,287,480

5,174,790

5,102,770

4,625,720

3,822,340

3,804,640

3,682,670

3,556,800

3,382,540

3,222,690

3,173,560

3,153,250

Bosnia and Herzegovina

3,114,240

2,961,250

2,930,920

2,884,080

2,833,400

2,797,340

2,751,020

2,647,400

2,603,390

2,389,340

2,297,810

2,114,570

1,984,470

1,835,940

1,804,060

1,675,570

1,513,270

1,436,920

1,382,330

1,331,060

1,269,860

1,265,060

1,199,460

937,282

899,010

886,298

858,288

840,890

802,214

723,188

687,448

645,256

626,233

610,813

549,011

531,517

529,630

469,775

428,644

404,628

402,329

372,453

347,536

342,564

337,711

318,872

297,892

283,076

282,724

Sao Tome and Principe

244,994

220,528

185,440

180,488

170,185

138,445

134,959

117,362

114,183

108,164

104,106

103,291

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

99,245

Antigua and Barbuda

94,626

Isle of Man

84,055

Andorra

83,753

United States Virgin Islands

83,400

77,196

65,511

64,609

64,459

56,526

55,629

Turks and Caicos Islands

47,148

Saint Kitts and Nevis

46,992

American Samoa

45,319

Sint Maarten

44,447

Northern Mariana Islands

42,914

Gibraltar

40,867

Liechtenstein

40,368

British Virgin Islands

39,936

38,087

35,075

33,605

23,898

17,614

14,817

12,826

12,101

11,550

11,113

9,362

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

5,513

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

5,147

4,328

3,465

2,691

1,822

506

The nation of Germany has a federal governmental structure that divides the country into 16 states. Each state has to follow federal laws, as well as state-specific laws that vary from state to state. These states were designated following the reunification the nation in 1990, although some states have roots dating back to the early Middle Ages while others were created following World War II. Of these 16 states, three are designated as city-states.

Each German state has its own capital city and its own state flag. The 16 cities of Germany, in alphabetical order, include:

Baden-Wurttemberg
Bavaria
Berlin
Brandenburg
Bremen
Hamburg
Hesse
Lower Saxony
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
North Rhine-Westphalia
Rhineland-Palatinate
Saarland
Saxony
Saxony-Anhalt
Schleswig-Holstein
Thuringia

Of these states, the three largest by area are Bavaria, Lower Saxony, and Baden-Wurttemberg. The smallest state is Bremen, which has a total area of just 420 square kilometers.

By population, the largest state is North Rhine-Westphalia, which has a total population of over 17 million. Two additional German states have populations of at least 10 million: Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg. The smallest state by population is Bremen, which has a population of just 671,000 people. Saarland is the second-least-populous state and the only other state that mas a population of fewer than one million people.

The oldest German states are North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Lower Saxony, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, and Bremen, each of which has been a part of the Federal Republic of Germany since 1949.

German States 2026

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German States 2026

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