Northern Germany

Northern Germany (German: Norddeutschland) is the region in the north of Germany. Its exact area is not precisely or consistently defined but varies depending on whether one is taking a linguistic, geographic or historic standpoint.

Language

Uerdingen line: ich ("I") and ik isogloss

Northern Germany generally refers to the Sprachraum area north of the Uerdingen and Benrath line isoglosses, where Low German dialects are spoken. These comprise the Low Saxon dialects in the west (including the Westphalian language area up to the Rhineland) as well as the East Low German region along the Baltic coast with Western Pomerania, the Altmark and northern Brandenburg.

Although from the 19th century onwards the use of Standard German was strongly promoted especially by the Prussian administration, Low German languages are still present in rural areas, with an estimated number of five to eight million active speakers. However, since World War II and the immigration of expellees from the former eastern territories of Germany, its prevalence has steadily reduced. Besides which, Frisian is spoken in East and North Frisia, as well as Danish (South Jutlandic) in parts of Schleswig. From a linguistic and cultural perspective, Northern Germany is linked to Scandinavia and Great Britain.

Geography

The key terrain feature of North Germany is the North German Plain including the marshes along the coastline of the North and Baltic Sea, as well as the geest and heaths inland. Also prominent are the low hills of the Baltic Uplands, the ground moraines, end moraines, sandur, glacial valleys, bogs, and Luch.

These features were formed during the Weichselian glaciation and contrast topographically with the adjacent Central Uplands of Germany to the south, such as the Harz and Teutoburg Forest, which are occasionally counted as part of Northern Germany. Likewise the Altmark in Saxony-Anhalt, the Prignitz and Uckermark areas of northern Brandenburg, as well as whole Westphalia are usually considered to be part of the North German region.

History

Holy Roman Empire about 1000, Saxony in yellow

In the Early Middle Ages, Northern Germany was the settlement area of the Saxon tribes, which were subjugated by the Frankish ruler Charlemagne in the Saxon Wars from 772 onwards, whereafter the Imperial Duchy of Saxony was established in 804. In the 10th century the Saxon lands, enlarged by the Saxon Eastern March, became the cradle of the Kingdom of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire, when the dukes of the Ottonian dynasty were elected King of the Romans and crowned Holy Roman Emperors.

From 1500 onwards, the former Saxon territories (except for Westphalia) were incorporated into the Lower Saxon Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. The Hanseatic League is also part of the common history and culture of the cities in northern Germany.

Northern Germany corresponds to the territory of the North German Confederation in the 19th century. The boundary between the spheres of political influence of Prussia (Northern Germany) and Austria (Southern Germany) within the German Confederation (1815–1866) was known as the "Main line" (Mainlinie, after the River Main), Frankfurt am Main being the seat of the federal assembly. The "Main line" did not follow the course of the River Main upstream of Frankfurt, rather corresponding to the northern border of the Kingdom of Bavaria.

Northern German States

The term Northern German States is often used to refer to the following coastal Federal States of Germany:

• Bremen
• Hamburg
• Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
• Lower Saxony
• Schleswig-Holstein

In some cases it also includes the non-coastal states of

• Brandenburg
• Berlin
• Saxony-Anhalt

Northern Germany as a region or as a historical landscape includes additional federal states (see geography above).

Major cities

Where a city has different names in English and German, the English name is given first.

	Federal capital
	State capital

Rank	City	Pop. 1950	Pop. 1960	Pop. 1970	Pop. 1980	Pop. 1990	Pop. 2000	Pop. 2010	Area [km²]	Density per km²	Growth [%] (2000– 2010)	surpassed 100,000	State (Bundesland)
1.	Berlin	70063336026000000003,336,026	70063274016000000003,274,016	70063208719000000003,208,719	70063048759000000003,048,759	70063433695000000003,433,695	70063382169000000003,382,169	70063460725000000003,460,725	887,70	70033899000000000003,899	2.32	1747	Berlin
2.	Hamburg	70061605606000000001,605,606	70061836958000000001,836,958	70061793640000000001,793,640	70061645095000000001,645,095	70061652363000000001,652,363	70061715392000000001,715,392	70061786448000000001,786,448	755,16	70032366000000000002,366	4.14	1787	Hamburg
3.	Bremen	7005444549000000000444,549	7005563270000000000563,270	7005592533000000000592,533	7005555118000000000555,118	7005551219000000000551,219	7005539403000000000539,403	7005547340000000000547,340	325,42	70031682000000000001,682	1.47	1875	Free Hanseatic City of Bremen
4.	Hanover / Hannover	7005444296000000000444,296	7005574672000000000574,672	7005521003000000000521,003	7005534623000000000534,623	7005513010000000000513,010	7005515001000000000515,001	7005522686000000000522,686	204,14	70032560000000000002,560	1.49	1875	Lower Saxony
5.	Bielefeld	7005153613000000000153,613	7005174527000000000174,527	7005168609000000000168,609	7005312708000000000312,708	7005319037000000000319,037	7005321758000000000321,758	7005323270000000000323,270	257,92	70031253000000000001,253	0.47	1930	North Rhine-Westphalia
6.	Brunswick / Braunschweig	7005223760000000000223,760	7005242489000000000242,489	7005223275000000000223,275	7005261141000000000261,141	7005245816000000000245,816	7005245816000000000245,816	7005248867000000000248,867	192,15	70031295000000000001,295	1.24	1890	Lower Saxony
7.	Kiel	7005254449000000000254,449	7005271610000000000271,610	7005271070000000000271,070	7005250062000000000250,062	7005245567000000000245,567	7005232612000000000232,612	7005239526000000000239,526	118,65	70032019000000000002,019	2.97	1898	Schleswig-Holstein
8.	Magdeburg	7005260305000000000260,305	7005261594000000000261,594	7005272237000000000272,237	7005289032000000000289,032	7005278807000000000278,807	7005231450000000000231,450	7005231549000000000231,549	200,99	70031152000000000001,152	0.04	1882	Saxony-Anhalt
9.	Lübeck	7005238276000000000238,276	7005232140000000000232,140	7005239955000000000239,955	7005220588000000000220,588	7005214758000000000214,758	7005213399000000000213,399	7005210232000000000210,232	214,21	7002981000000000000981	−1.48	1912	Schleswig-Holstein
10.	Rostock	7005133109000000000133,109	7005158630000000000158,630	7005198636000000000198,636	7005232506000000000232,506	7005248088000000000248,088	7005200506000000000200,506	7005202735000000000202,735	181,26	70031118000000000001,118	1.11	1935	Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Rank	City	Pop. 1950	Pop. 1960	Pop. 1970	Pop. 1980	Pop. 1990	Pop. 2000	Pop. 2010	Area [km²]	Density per km²	Growth [%] (2000– 2010)	surpassed 100,000	State (Land)

See also

• Southern Germany
• Western Germany
• Central Germany (cultural area)