Thuringia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thuringia
Freistaat Thüringen
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Position of Thuringia in Germany
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| Country | Germany | ||
| Capital | Erfurt | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 16,171 km2 (6,244 sq mi) | ||
| Population | |||
| • Total | 2,411,387 | ||
| • Density | 149.118/km2 (386.214/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) | ||
| Website | thueringen.de | ||
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Thuringia (called Thüringen in German) is one of the 16 states that make up Germany. It's located right in the middle of Germany. Thuringia is about 16,251 km2 (6,274.5 sq mi) in size, which makes it the sixth smallest state in Germany by land area. Around 2.45 million people live here, making it the fifth smallest state by population. The main city and capital of Thuringia is Erfurt.
Contents
History of Thuringia
How Thuringia Became a State
- In 1920, several smaller states in the area decided to join together. These included the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, the Duchies of Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe-Altenburg, and part of Saxe-Gotha. Also, the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Greiz, and Gera became part of this new union. Together, they formed the Free State of Thuringia.
Thuringia in East Germany
- In 1949, Thuringia and its capital, Erfurt, became a new state within the DDR (German Democratic Republic).
- However, in 1952, Thuringia was divided into three smaller areas called Bezirke (districts). These districts were Erfurt, Gera, and Suhl.
Thuringia Today
- When Germany became one country again in 1990, Thuringia was re-established as a Bundesland (federal state) in the reunited Germany.
Geography of Thuringia
Where Thuringia is Located
Thuringia shares its borders with several other German states. These include Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Bavaria, and Hesse.
Main Natural Features
The most famous natural landmark in Thuringia is the Thuringia Forest (Thüringer Wald). This is a beautiful, hilly area with lots of trees. In the northwest part of Thuringia, you can also find a small section of the Harz mountains. The Saale river flows through the city of Jena.
Tallest Mountain
The highest mountain in Thuringia is the Großer Beerberg. It stands at 982 meters (about 3,222 feet) tall and is located in the Thuringia Forest.
Leaders of Thuringia
Minister-Presidents of Thuringia
The Minister-President is the head of the government in the state of Thuringia. Here is a list of the people who have held this important position:
- 1945: Hermann Brill
- 1945 - 1947: Rudolf Paul
- 1947 - 1952: Werner Eggerath
- 1990 - 1992: Josef Duchac
- 1992 - 2003: Bernhard Vogel (from the CDU party)
- 2003 - 2009: Dieter Althaus (CDU)
- 2009 - 2014: Christine Lieberknecht (CDU)
- Since 2014: Bodo Ramelow (from the Die Linke party)
Major Cities in Thuringia
Here are some of the most important cities you can find in Thuringia:
Images for kids
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Coat of arms of the landgraves of Thuringia (1265)
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Map of the Thuringian States in 1890
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Meuselbach-Schwarzmühle at the Thuringian Highland
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Thuringian Forest in winter
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TEAG Thüringer Energie AG in Erfurt, a large electric company
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Bundesautobahn 4 near Jena
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Erfurt Stadtbahn at Anger (city centre)
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Friedrich Schiller University Jena is the largest university in Thuringia
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Protestant church membership in 2011
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Catholic church membership in 2011
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Wartburg Castle
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Another view of the Thuringian Forest
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Ski jumping hills in Oberhof
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Erfurt skyline with the cathedral
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Krämerbrücke (Merchants' Bridge) in Erfurt
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Old town of Mühlhausen
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Friedenstein Palace, Gotha
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Composer Johann Sebastian Bach
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Composer Franz Liszt
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Composer Richard Wagner
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Chamber of Martin Luther at Wartburg castle
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Writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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Writer Friedrich Schiller
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Biologist Ernst Haeckel
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Sociologist Max Weber
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Optician Carl Zeiss
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Chemist Otto Schott
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See also
In Spanish: Turingia para niños
