| − | '''Rhineland-Palatinate''' ([[German]]: ''Rheinland-Pfalz'') is one of the sixteen federal states (German: ''Bundesland'') of Germany. To the west, it shares borders with [[France]], the ''Bundesland'' [[Saarland]], [[Luxembourg]] and [[Belgium]], to the north with the ''Bundeslaender'' [[North Rhine - Westfalia]] and to the east with [[Hesse]]. | + | '''Rhineland-Palatinate''' ([[German]]: ''Rheinland-Pfalz'') is one of the sixteen federal states (German: ''Bundesland'') of Germany. To the west, it shares borders with [[France]], the ''Bundesland'' [[Saarland]], [[Luxembourg]] and [[Belgium]], to the north with the ''Bundeslaender'' [[North Rhine-Westfalia]] and to the east with [[Hesse]]. |
| | The state was formed in 1947 out of parts from the former states of [[Prussia]], [[Bavaria]], [[Hesse-Darmstadt]] and even [[Oldenburg]] - a sign of the eventful history of this area. | | The state was formed in 1947 out of parts from the former states of [[Prussia]], [[Bavaria]], [[Hesse-Darmstadt]] and even [[Oldenburg]] - a sign of the eventful history of this area. |
| | Though the cities in Rhineland-Palatinate are not very big - the capital [[Mainz]] has 180,000 inhabitants, [[Ludwigshafen]] 160,000, [[Koblenz]],[[Trier]] and [[Kaiserslautern]] each 100,000, [[Worms]] less than 90,000 - they often have an impressive history, rooted in the days of the [[Roman Empire]]: Trier was founded as ''Augusta Treverorum'' in 16 B.C., arguably the oldest city in Germany. | | Though the cities in Rhineland-Palatinate are not very big - the capital [[Mainz]] has 180,000 inhabitants, [[Ludwigshafen]] 160,000, [[Koblenz]],[[Trier]] and [[Kaiserslautern]] each 100,000, [[Worms]] less than 90,000 - they often have an impressive history, rooted in the days of the [[Roman Empire]]: Trier was founded as ''Augusta Treverorum'' in 16 B.C., arguably the oldest city in Germany. |
| − | Mainz, Trier and [[Cologne]] (in [[North Rhine- Westfalia]]) were the seats of the three spiritual prince-electors from the 13th century until 1801 ([[Treaty of Lunéville]]). | + | Mainz, Trier and [[Cologne]] (in [[North Rhine-Westfalia]]) were the seats of the three spiritual prince-electors from the 13th century until 1801 ([[Treaty of Lunéville]]). |