Saxony-Anhalt
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| Flag | |
|---|---|
| Image:Flag of Saxony-Anhalt.svg | |
| Statistics | |
| Capital: | Magdeburg |
| Area: | 20,447 km² |
| Inhabitants: | 2,580,626(2001) |
| pop. density: | 126 inh./km² |
| Website: | sachsen-anhalt.de |
| ISO 3166-2: | DE-ST |
| Politics | |
| Minister-President: | Wolfgang Böhmer (CDU) |
| Ruling party: | CDU/SPD coalition |
| Map | |
| Image:Germany Laender Sachsen-Anhalt.png | |
Template:Otheruses2 Saxony-Anhalt (in German, Sachsen-Anhalt) is one of the sixteen Bundesländer (federal states) that make up the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of 20,447 km², and a population of 2.6 million. Its capital is Magdeburg.
The state's name is sometimes spelled Saxony Anhalt in English (ie, without the hyphen).
Contents |
Geography
Lying to the northeast of central Germany, it is eighth largest in area and (since 1996) tenth in population among the country's sixteen Bundesländer. It borders on the states of Lower Saxony to the northwest, Brandenburg to the east, Saxony to the southeast and Thuringia to the southwest.
Most of the state is plain and agriculturally used, but in the southwest there is the eastern part of the Harz mountains. The main river of Saxony-Anhalt is the Elbe, running through the state from southeast to northwest. The second largest river, the Saale, is a tributary of the Elbe.
See also List of places in Saxony-Anhalt.
Administrative subdivision
Saxony-Anhalt is divided into 21 (rural) counties (Landkreise),
and three independent cities (Stadtkreise),
From 1990 to 2003 Saxony-Anhalt was divided into three districts (Regierungsbezirke) - Dessau, Halle and Magdeburg. On January 1, 2004 these three districts were abolished, and the 24 counties have since constituted the primary divisions of the state.
A reform to reduce the number of counties is currently planned. Becoming effective in July 2007 there are supposed to be only 11 counties and 3 independent cities.
History
The state was created in 1990, shortly before German reunification, covering much the same area as an earlier unit (1947-1952) comprising the former Anhalt, the former Prussian Province of Saxony and some small exclaves of the former Brunswick-Lüneburg. The state and its larger cities have lost population since 1989 with migration to the former West Germany.
Politics
List of minister presidents of Saxony-Anhalt
1945-1952
- 1945 - 1949: Erhard Hübener (LDPD)
- 1949 - 1952: Werner Bruschke (SED)
1990 to date
- 1990 - 1991: Gerd Gies (CDU)
- 1991 - 1993: Werner Münch (CDU)
- 1993 - 1994: Christoph Bergner (CDU)
- 1994 - 2002: Reinhard Höppner (SPD)
- since 2002: Wolfgang Böhmer (CDU)
March 26, 2006 state election
See also: Saxony-Anhalt state election, 2006
Minister-president Wolfgang Böhmer (CDU) could not continue his coalition with the FDP and negotiated a grand coalition with the SPD instead.
| Party | Party List votes | Vote percentage | Total Seats | Seat percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Democratic Union (CDU) | 326,712 | 36.2% | 40 | 41.2% |
| The Left Party | 217,285 | 24.1% | 26 | 26.8% |
| Social Democratic Party (SPD) | 192,754 | 21.4% | 24 | 24.7% |
| Free Democratic Party (FDP) | 60,207 | 6.7% | 7 | 7.2% |
| Alliance '90/The Greens | 32,118 | 3.6% | 0 | 0.0% |
| German People's Union (DVU) | 26,894 | 3.0% | 0 | 0.0% |
| All Others | 46,235 | 5.0% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Totals | 902,205 | 100.0% | 97 | 100.0% |
Economy
Saxony Anhalt is famous for its good soil. The "Magdeburger Börde" contains the best soil in all of Germany and some of the best of Europe. The food industry has an important role in this state. Some of the best known products are "Baumkuchen" from Salzwedel (Altmark) or "Hallorenkugeln" from Halle. In the industrial sector the chemical industry is quite important. One of the biggest chemical producing areas can be found around the cities of Wolfen and Bitterfeld. Because of the chemical industry Saxony Anhalt is also the largest receiver of FDIs (Foreign Direct Investments) in all of eastern Germany.
Anthem
- Lied für Sachsen-Anhalt ("Song for Saxony-Anhalt")
External links
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