Rhineland-Palatinate facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rhineland-Palatinate Rheinland-Pfalz
State of Germany
Flag Coat of arms
Position of the Rhineland-Palatinate within Germany
Country	Germany
Capital	Mainz
Area
• Total	19,854.21 km2 (7,665.75 sq mi)
Population  (31 December 2016)
• Total	4,073,280
• Density	205.15951/km2 (531.3607/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Website	rlp.de

Rhineland-Palatinate (German: Rheinland-Pfalz) is one of the 16 states in Germany. It covers an area of about 19,854 square kilometers (7,666 square miles). Around 4.073 million people live there. The capital city of Rhineland-Palatinate is Mainz.

A Look at History

Rhineland-Palatinate was created on 30 August 1947. It was formed after World War II. Different parts of Germany were put together to make this new state. These parts included areas that used to belong to Bavaria and Prussia.

The people living in these areas had a special vote. This vote, called a referendum, happened on 18 May 1947. They voted to agree with the new borders and the creation of their state.

Exploring the Geography

Rhineland-Palatinate shares borders with several other places. To the north, it borders North Rhine-Westphalia. To the east, you'll find Hesse and Baden-Württemberg. To the south, it borders France. To the west, it touches Saarland, Luxembourg, and Belgium.

Rivers and Mountains

The most important river in the state is the Rhine river. It forms part of the border with Baden-Württemberg and Hesse. Then, it flows through the northern part of Rhineland-Palatinate. The Rhine Valley is surrounded by mountains. Many important historical places in Germany are found here.

In the northwest, you can find the southern parts of the Eifel mountains. Further south is the Hunsrück mountain range. On the other side of the Rhine, the Taunus mountains continue this hilly landscape. The southern part of the state has hilly lands called the Palatine Forest (Pfälzerwald).

Smaller rivers flow into the Rhine. These are called tributaries. The main ones are the Moselle (Mosel), the Lahn, and the Nahe. They separate the different mountain areas.

How the Government Works

Rhineland-Palatinate is a parliamentary democracy. This means that people vote for their leaders. Every five years, all Germans over 18 years old vote for members of the state parliament. This parliament is called the German: Landtag.

The parliament then chooses the leader of the state. This leader is called the Minister President. The parliament also approves the other government officials, known as cabinet members. Interestingly, Rhineland-Palatinate is the only German state that has a special cabinet minister just for winegrowing!

Amazing Castles to See

Rhineland-Palatinate is famous for its many old castles. Here are a few examples:

Marksburg castle in Braubach

Trifels

Schloss Stolzenfels

Many other castles are found throughout the state. Some of them include:

Universities and Colleges

Rhineland-Palatinate has many places for higher education. There are 7 universities and 13 "Fachhochschulen" (colleges of applied sciences).

Some of the main universities include:

• Technische Universität Kaiserslautern
• Universität Koblenz-Landau (with campuses in Koblenz and Landau)
• Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
• Universität Trier

Fachhochschule Ludwigshafen

Political Leaders Over Time

The Ministers President are the heads of government for Rhineland-Palatinate. Here are the people who have held this important role since 1947:

• 1947–1947: Wilhelm Boden, from the CDU party
• 1947–1969: Peter Altmeier, CDU
• 1969–1976: Helmut Kohl, CDU
• 1976–1988: Bernhard Vogel, CDU
• 1988–1991: Carl-Ludwig Wagner, CDU
• 1991–1994: Rudolf Scharping, from the SPD party
• 1994–2013: Kurt Beck, SPD
• 2013–present: Malu Dreyer, SPD

International Partnerships

Rhineland-Palatinate has special partnerships with regions and countries around the world. These partnerships help build friendships and cooperation. Some of these partners include:

•  France, the Bourgogne region
•  Rwanda, a country in East Africa
•  Spain, the Province of València
•  Belgium's German-Speaking Community
•  Poland, the Voivodeship of Oppeln
•  Czech Republic, Middle Bohemia
•  China, the Province of Fujian
•  USA, the State of South Carolina
•  Japan, the Prefecture of Iwate

How the State is Organized

Rhineland-Palatinate is divided into 24 smaller areas called districts. These districts are grouped into three larger administrative regions: Koblenz, Trier, and Rheinhessen-Pfalz.

Districts of Rhineland-Palatinate

Each district has a special code for car license plates.

Map of the districts in Rhineland-Palatinate

• Ahrweiler (AW)
• Altenkirchen (AK)
• Alzey-Worms (AZ)
• Bad Dürkheim (DÜW)
• Bad Kreuznach (KH)
• Bernkastel-Wittlich (WIL)
• Birkenfeld (BIR)
• Cochem-Zell (COC)
• Donnersbergkreis (KIB)
• Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm (BIT)
• Germersheim (GER)
• Kaiserslautern (KL)
• Kusel (KUS)
• Mainz-Bingen (MZ)
• Mayen-Koblenz (MYK)
• Neuwied (NR)
• Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (SIM)
• Rhein-Lahn-Kreis (EMS)
• Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis (formerly LU, now RP)
• Südliche Weinstraße (SÜW)
• Südwestpfalz (PS)
• Trier-Saarburg (TR)
• Landkreis Vulkaneifel (DAU)
• Westerwaldkreis (WW)

Major Cities

Here are some of the biggest cities in Rhineland-Palatinate:

• Mainz
• Koblenz
• Kaiserslautern
• Ludwigshafen
• Neuwied
• Landau
• Pirmasens
• Mayen
• Bad Kreuznach

Related pages

• List of coats of arms of the districts in Rhineland-Palatinate

Images for kids

• 

  Minister-president Peter Altmeier at the Rittersturz Conference in 1948

• 

  The Peter Altmeier Monument in Koblenz

See also

In Spanish: Renania-Palatinado para niños