Organisation
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
| Coat of arms |
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| State capital | Schwerin |
| Surface area | 23,800 km2 |
| Inhabitants | 1.65 million (status: 09/09) |
| State government | SPD/CDU |
| Minister President | Erwin Sellering |
| Number of votes in the Bundesrat | 3 |
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, once known as the "state of castles and cottages", the landscape has a clear influence on the local people.
Chalk cliffs on the island of Rügen
Agriculture is the main factor shaping this vast federal state on the Baltic Sea, with its extensive arable fields and grazing areas. In contrast, life in the coastal regions is coloured by ship-building in Rostock, the largest international port of the former GDR, as well as by maritime trade and fishing.
Seaside resorts are strung along the Baltic sea coast like beads on a necklace, from the Bay of Lübeck to the island of Rügen.
Schwerin Castle
The Mecklenburg lake district is one of the largest unfragmented recreational areas in Germany. This hilly area, around 40 kilometres in diameter, is a paradise for birdlife thanks to its large expanses of water – around 650 lakes and numerous rivers.
The largest cities in this federal state, where the Junkers set the tone until 1918, are Rostock, Neubrandenburg and Schwerin.