The Rhineland-Palatinat

The Land of the Rhineland-Palatinat (in German Rheinland-Pfalz ) is one of the 16 federate States composing the Germany.

The day of its creation is on May 18th, 1947 (Referendum on the project of the constitution).

It counts approximately 4.050.000 inhabitants, including 317.000 foreigners, on a surface of 19.848 km ². The density thus rises with 204 inhabitants with the km ².

The Land is frontier with three countries: the Belgium (with the Walloon region), the Luxembourg and the France. Capital: Mainz. Mainz became capital Land in 1950 (of 1947 to 1950, Coblentz was capital provisional). The basin which bears its name to the lowest pluviometry of all Germany (<500 mm/p.a.). Its cultures are rich in vegetables, fruits and vines. The city was industrialized in electrical engineering, graphic chemistry, industries, glass and wines. It is the seat of the government of the Land, of the 2nd television channel of the the F.R.G., as well as university, recreated after 1945.

Geography

The Land makes party of the Grande Area. In the North-West and North the Rhineland-Palatinat belongs to the Rhenish schistous Massif, which prolongs the Ardenne. The the Rhine and its affluents (the Moselle, Nahe and Lahn) divide it into four part: Eiffel and Hunsrück on left bank; the Westerwald and Taunus, on Right Bank. The last two plates are only partially in the Rhineland-Palatinat. These four plates, between 400 and 820 m of altitude, are rather hard, covers of wood and much less populated than the valleys. The Rhenish Hesse ( Rheinhessen ) with the towns of Bingen, Mainz and Worms is limited to the West by Nahe and the Rhine in North and the East. More in the south the Rhenish Palatinat is, with the average mountain of Haardt, limited has its line by the Rhenish plain and in the South by the Lauter and in the West by the Land of the Saar.

The Land of the Rhineland-Palatinat is divided of 24 districts (into German Landkreise - literally “circles”) and into 12 city-districts ( kreisfreie Städte - literally “cities except circles”). 163 common amalgamated ( Verbandsgemeinden ), 37 cities not amalgamated ( verbandsfreie Städte und Gemeinden ) like 2.257 communes. There are 3.051.313 inhabitants in the districts and 1.009.792 in the 12 city-districts (2004).

History

In 1798, and until 1815, the current Rhineland-Palatinat (except the Westerwald) became integral part of France (République cisrhénane), in the form of three departments, that of Mount-Thunder (Mainz chief town), that of the Rhine-and-Moselle (Coblentz chief town), and that of the the Saar (Trier chief town).

On the councils of its minister, by decree of the Consuls of the 3 nivôse year IX (December 23rd, 1802), Napoleon restores the Chambers of commerce removed in 1791 and created of them 10 news, Mainz profited from a Room.

The Land today is a creation of the administration of French occupation, by the ordinance n° 57 dated August 30th, 1946 of the Général Koenig.

This area underwent the consequences of the end of the Second world war with doors Séquelles of war, which were added to the after-effects of industrial development and agricultural, and with those of the passage of the cloud of Tchernobyl (It is the area where it seems that there are the most radioactive wild boars (12% with the top of the acceptable standards, according to two studies published in 2005, having carried on the analysis of more than 1000 wild boars in this Land).

The 24 districts ( Landkreise )

The 12 city-districts ( Kreisfreie Städte )

Other cities

Blasonnement

Because of its recent creation, the Land of the Rhineland-Palatinat does not have “historical” weapons, like its neighbor Hesse. It was satisfied to be inspired, for its weapons, of the weapons which were those:
  • of the lion of the Palatinat of the Rhine
  • of the cross of the old archbishop's palace and electorate of Trier - a money banner to the cross of mouths -
  • of the wheel of the armorial bearings of Mainz.

Economy

At the end of January 2005, unemployment rate in the Rhineland-Palatinat amounts to 9,4% against 7,4% in May 2004.

Agro-alimentary

Primarily made of medium mountainss, this area was formerly very poor concerning agriculture. But with the agricultural reorganization and industrialization since 1945, it made enormous progress.

Vine growing

In the Rhineland-Palatinat there are six of eleven wine areas of Germany: of Ahr, the average Rhine, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Nahe, the Rhenish Hesse and Palatinat. The wine surface of the Rhineland-Palatinat east of approximately 64.500 ha around 98.600 ha vine growing in Germany. It has the greatest part. The white type of vines are more frequently cultivated (approximately 45.563 ha) are in a sequence going down: Riesling, Müller-Thurgau (Rivaner), Sylvaner, Kerner, Scheurebe, white Pinot, Bacchus, gray Pinot (Ruländer), Faberrebe, Huxelrebe, Ortega, Chardonnay, Morio-Muskat, Elbling, Gewürztraminer, Reichensteiner, Ehrenfelser. Red type of vines (approximately 18.648 ha), that are in a sequence going down: Dornfelder, Portuguese blue, black Pinot, Regent, Saint Laurent, Dunkelfelder, Merlot, Pinot miller, Cabernet Sauvignon, Heroldrebe, early Black Pinot, Mitos Cabernet, Acolon, Dorsa Cabernet, Dominated.

See also: Vine growing in Germany

See also: Wines of Hesse-Rhenish the

Industry

The important branches are:
  • chemical industry: BASF with Ludwigshafen (the largest employer of the city)
  • the drug company Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals
  • mechanical engineering and of vehicle: DaimlerChrysler - factory with Wörth (the largest producer of trucks of Europe), factory Opel with Kaiserslautern, Stabilus (chiefs of worldwide market to pneumatic springs manufacture is Amortisseur), Schottel (mechanical engineering of ship)
  • In food industry one finds Griesson - of Beukelaer (pastry making, resold by the Danone group in 2007)
  • One counts also the producers of drinks Bitburger (brewery) and Gerolsteiner (mineral Water).

The cellars with sparkling wine are also important: Kupferberg and Goldhand (Mainz), Deinhard (Coblentz), Schloss Wachenheim, Faber (Trier), Kurpfalz (Whorl) like much of average producers of the wine champagnized of wine grower (see also RM : Collecting handling, RC : Collecting co-operator).

The Eiffel, the solid mass more extended, is made of several elements:

  • of the quaternary volcanos , located at the east with the accesses of the Rhine;
  • picturesque Maar S , lakes occupying of the volcanic depressions;
  • the Tuff , thick several meters and intensively exploited.

On Eiffel, one cultivates (with reduced size) cereals, weeded and fodder cultures.

The valley of the the Moselle is famous for its vineyard. The best believed is located in the central part.

In the east of the Moselle the Hunsrück is which is similar to Eiffel. Rural industry is more widespread there and the Protestant influence is stronger.

The the Westerwald form the essence of the Land. It comprises: mines, wood, industry and tourism. The Palatinat, partly protesting, is the most industrialized zone. Ludwigshafen is the industrial town (chemistry) most important of the Land.

List world heritage in the Rhineland-Palatinat

Personalities

External bonds

  • Official site of the Land of the Rhineland-Palatinat (in French, English, German; seek the French flag for the French version)

  • Official site of the capital city of the Rhineland-Palatinat, Mainz (in French, English, German)

References

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