BundLänder

The Bundesländer, or federal states, are the 16 federal states that constitute the Federal Republic of Germany. They possess constitutional autonomy within the framework of the Basic Law. Each state has its own constitution, government, and parliament (Landtag), and exercises powers delegated by the federation as well as those reserved for the Länder. The states vary in size, population, and regional identity.

The 16 states are Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria (Bayern), Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse (Hessen), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen), Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz), Saarland, Saxony (Sachsen), Saxony-Anhalt (Sachsen-Anhalt), Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringia (Thüringen).

At the federal level, the states are represented in the Bundesrat, which has 69 votes distributed according to population. The Bundesrat participates in the legislative process for most laws, making the states a key counterweight to the federal government. In terms of powers, the Länder conduct education, policing, culture, local government, and most administrative matters. The federation handles national defense, foreign affairs, monetary policy, and certain areas of law, with some areas governed jointly or synchronously.

Finances: the Länder raise revenue through taxes and receive federal support, while a system of fiscal equalization, the Länderfinanzausgleich, seeks to balance resource disparities among states.

Historically, the Länder were established after World War II; West German states formed the initial structure in 1949, and three decades later the former East German states joined the federation in 1990, bringing the total to 16.

Most states have additional administrative subdivisions, such as districts and urban districts, and many possess unique symbols like flags and coats of arms.