Western Germany

Not to be confused with West Germany.

Western Germany (German: Westdeutschland) is a region in the west of Germany. The exact area defined by the term is not constant, but it usually includes North Rhine-Westphalia. The Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate are also sometimes included but are usually considered Southwestern. Hesse is often considered as Central Germany (together with Thuringia).

West of the Harz in Central Germany, or the line Hamburg-Munich, is the western part, but again, these distinctions must only be considered very loosely, especially, not in a political sense.

Politically, Germans often still identify the term Westdeutschland with the Bonner Republik, the Cold War West Germany. Therefore, the English-language distinction between "West Germany" and "Western Germany" is rarely made in German. However, the latter can be specified as der Westen Deutschlands, "the West of Germany."

Major cities

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

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.	Cologne / Köln	7005594941000000000594,941	7005801142000000000801,142	7005849451000000000849,451	7005976694000000000976,694	7005953551000000000953,551	7005962884000000000962,884	70061007119000000001,007,119	405,17	70032486000000000002,486	4.59	1852	North Rhine-Westphalia
2.	Frankfurt am Main	7005532037000000000532,037	7005675009000000000675,009	7005666179000000000666,179	7005629375000000000629,375	7005644865000000000644,865	7005648550000000000648,550	7005679664000000000679,664	248,31	70032737000000000002,737	4.80	1875	Hesse
3.	Düsseldorf	7005500516000000000500,516	7005697891000000000697,891	7005660963000000000660,963	7005590479000000000590,479	7005575794000000000575,794	7005569364000000000569,364	7005588735000000000588,735	217,22	70032710000000000002,710	3.40	1882	North Rhine-Westphalia
4.	Dortmund	7005507349000000000507,349	7005640802000000000640,802	7005640642000000000640,642	7005608297000000000608,297	7005599055000000000599,055	7005588994000000000588,994	7005580444000000000580,444	280,71	70032068000000000002,068	−1.45	1894	North Rhine-Westphalia
5.	Essen	7005605411000000000605,411	7005729462000000000729,462	7005696419000000000696,419	7005647643000000000647,643	7005626973000000000626,973	7005595243000000000595,243	7005574635000000000574,635	210,32	70032732000000000002,732	−3.46	1896	North Rhine-Westphalia
6.	Duisburg	7005410783000000000410,783	7005503641000000000503,641	7005452721000000000452,721	7005558089000000000558,089	7005535447000000000535,447	7005514915000000000514,915	7005489599000000000489,599	232,83	70032103000000000002,103	−4.92	1904	North Rhine-Westphalia
7.	Bochum	7005289804000000000289,804	7005362490000000000362,490	7005343809000000000343,809	7005400757000000000400,757	7005396486000000000396,486	7005391147000000000391,147	7005374737000000000374,737	145,66	70032573000000000002,573	−4.20	1904	North Rhine-Westphalia
8.	Wuppertal	7005363224000000000363,224	7005421378000000000421,378	7005417694000000000417,694	7005393381000000000393,381	7005383660000000000383,660	7005366434000000000366,434	7005349721000000000349,721	168,39	70032077000000000002,077	−4.56	1884	North Rhine-Westphalia
9.	Bonn	7005115394000000000115,394	7005146889000000000146,889	7005275722000000000275,722	7005288148000000000288,148	7005292234000000000292,234	7005302247000000000302,247	7005324899000000000324,899	141,22	70032301000000000002,301	7.49	1934	North Rhine-Westphalia
10.	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
11.	Münster	7005118496000000000118,496	7005180871000000000180,871	7005198878000000000198,878	7005269696000000000269,696	7005259438000000000259,438	7005265609000000000265,609	7005279803000000000279,803	302,96	7002924000000000000924	5.34	1915	North Rhine-Westphalia
12.	Wiesbaden	7005220741000000000220,741	7005257293000000000257,293	7005250715000000000250,715	7005274464000000000274,464	7005260301000000000260,301	7005270109000000000270,109	7005275976000000000275,976	203,93	70031353000000000001,353	2.17	1905	Hesse
13.	Aachen	7005129811000000000129,811	7005170367000000000170,367	7005175451000000000175,451	7005243947000000000243,947	7005241861000000000241,861	7005244386000000000244,386	7005258664000000000258,664	160,84	70031608000000000001,608	5.84	1888	North Rhine-Westphalia
14.	Mönchengladbach	7005124879000000000124,879	7005152414000000000152,414	7005151085000000000151,085	7005258424000000000258,424	7005259436000000000259,436	7005263014000000000263,014	7005257993000000000257,993	170,45	70031514000000000001,514	−1.91	1921	North Rhine-Westphalia
15.	Gelsenkirchen	7005315460000000000315,460	7005388608000000000388,608	7005347074000000000347,074	7005304386000000000304,386	7005293714000000000293,714	7005278695000000000278,695	7005257981000000000257,981	104,94	70032458000000000002,458	−7.43	1903	North Rhine-Westphalia
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

• Central Germany
• Eastern Germany
• Northern Germany
• Southern Germany