Rhineland Palatinate

The state of Rhineland-Palatinate, lying in southwestern Germany, is the ninth largest in the nation, measuring some 7664 square miles. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, and France to the south and west, and by the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia to the north, Saarland to the southwest, and Hesse and Baden-Württemberg to the east. Its territory has historically been fought over and partitioned among foreign powers. The modern state was created after World War II. Formerly a primarily agricultural state, it now relies mainly on industry and commerce. Its capital city is Mainz. The official census gave the 2005 population as 4,076,208.