Saarland

Saarland (/ˈsɑːrlænd/, also US: /ˈzɑːr-/, German: [ˈzaːɐ̯lant] (listen); French: Sarre [saʁ]; Rhine Franconian: Saarlond) is a Bundesland (state) of Germany. It has an area of 2,568.45 km² (991.7 sq mi) and 1,014,000 people living in it (2011). Saarland lies in the south-west of Germany, near the French border near Metz. The capital is Saarbrücken.

Saarland
State
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: "Ich rühm' dich, du freundliches Land an der Saar" ("I praise you, you friendly land at the Saar")
Coordinates: 49°22′59″N 6°49′59″E
Country	Germany
Capital	Saarbrücken
Government
• Body	Landtag of Saarland
• Minister-President	Anke Rehlinger (SDP)
• Governing parties	SPD
• Bundesrat votes	3 (of 69)
Area
• Total	2,570 km2 (990 sq mi)
Population  (31 December 2018)
• Total	990,509
• Density	390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Demonym	Saarlanders
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
ISO 3166 code	DE-SL
GRP (nominal)	€36 billion (2019)
GRP per capita	€37,000 (2019)
NUTS Region	DEC
HDI (2018)	0.931 very high · 8th of 16
Website	www.saarland.de

History

In 1920, the Treaty of Versailles made Saarland from parts of the Prussian Rhine Province (1,465 km² (565.6 sq mi)) and the Rhine Palatinate (416 km² (160.6 sq mi)). The area was put under the control of the League of Nations for 15 years. After a plebiscite (vote) in 1935, Germany got the land back. After World War II the Saarland came under French administration. The Saar Protectorate was allowed its own government for most things in 1947 but not independence. Germany got the Saarland back in 1957 and it became a Bundesland.

Geography

In the south is France, in the north-west Luxembourg and in the north and east is Rhineland-Palatinate.

Saarland is divided in 6 districts:

• Merzig-Wadern (the largest district)
• Neunkirchen
• Saarbrücken
• Saarlouis
• Saarpfalz (Saar-Palatinate)
• Sankt Wendel

City and towns

• Saarbrücken (city)
• Neunkirchen
• Saarlouis
• Homburg
• Merzig

Related pages

• Saargebiet
• Saar (protectorate)