North Rhine-Westphalia

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is located in west central Germany. It lies bordered by Belgium and the Netherlands to the west, Hesse to the east, Lower Saxony to the north, and Rhineland-Palatinate to the south. It was formed after World War II of an amalgamation of Prussian Westfalen, the Northeim province of Prussia, and the state of Lippe. The area suffered extensive damage during World War II. The state has since grown and developed into Germany's industrial heartland, including the Saarland region, and contains one-fifth of its total population, 18,100,000 by a 2004 estimate.