Saarland

Saarland
State
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: "Ich rühm' dich, du freundliches Land an der Saar" ( "I praise you, you friendly land at the Saar" )
Coordinates:49°22′59″N6°49′59″E
Country	Germany
Capital	Saarbrücken
Government
• Body	Landtag of Saarland
•Minister-President	Anke Rehlinger(SDP)
• Governing parties	SPD
•Bundesrat votes	3 (of 69)
Area
• Total	2,570 km2(990 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2018)
• Total	990,509
• Density	390/km2(1,000/sq mi)
Demonym	Saarlanders
Time zone	UTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2(CEST)
ISO 3166 code	DE-SL
GRP (nominal)	€36 billion (2019)
GRP per capita	€37,000 (2019)
NUTS Region	DEC
HDI(2018)	0.931 very high·8th of 16
Website	www.saarland.de

Saarland(/ˈsɑːrlænd/,alsoUS:/ˈzɑːr-/,German:[ˈzaːɐ̯lant](listen);French:Sarre[saʁ];Rhine Franconian:Saarlond) is aBundesland(state) ofGermany.It has an area of 2,568.45km²(991.7sq mi) and 1,014,000 people living in it (2011). Saarland lies in the south-west of Germany, near the French border nearMetz.The capital isSaarbrücken.

History

In1920,theTreaty of Versaillesmade Saarland from parts of thePrussianRhine Province(1,465km²(565.6sq mi)) and theRhine Palatinate(416km²(160.6sq mi)). The area was put under the control of theLeague of Nationsfor 15 years. After aplebiscite(vote) in1935,Germanygot the land back. AfterWorld War IIthe Saarland came underFrenchadministration.The Saar Protectoratewas allowed its owngovernmentfor most things in1947but not independence.Germanygot the Saarland back in1957and it became aBundesland.

Geography

In the south isFrance,in the north-westLuxembourgand in the north and east isRhineland-Palatinate.

Saarland is divided in 6 districts:

• Merzig-Wadern(the largest district)
• Neunkirchen
• Saarbrücken
• Saarlouis
• Saarpfalz(Saar-Palatinate)
• Sankt Wendel

City and towns

• Saarbrücken(city)
• Neunkirchen
• Saarlouis
• Homburg
• Merzig

Related pages

• Saargebiet
• Saar (protectorate)