Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

**Mecklenburg-Vorpommern** or known by its anglicized name: **Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania** or **Mecklenburg-West Pomerania** (Low German: _Mäkelborg-Vörpommern_) is one of the 16 States of Germany. The capital is Schwerin.

As of 2016, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had about 1,612,000 people.

It made part of former East Germany.

It is the most northeastern state of Germany. It borders the Baltic Sea in the north, Poland in the east, Brandenburg in the south, Lower Saxony in the southwest and Schleswig-Holstein in the west.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is low-lying and has many rivers, canals and lakes. The Stettin Lagoon lies partly in this state and partly in Poland.

The state hosts the biggest German island called Rügen, and the second biggest German lake called Müritz.

## Politics

Seats in the state parliament (_Landtag_) since 2016:
- SPD: 26
- AfD: 18
- CDU: 16
- Linke: 11

Total: 71 seats

## Cities

The largest cities/towns in the state are:
- Rostock
- Greifswald
- Stralsund
- Schwerin
- Neubrandenburg
- Güstrow

Besides Rostock all have a population of less than 200,000. Schwerin, the state capital, is the smallest state capital in Germany. Usually Schwerin would not be called a city. In Germany a city has over 100,000 people.

### Former districts

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania was going to change the borders of all of its urban districts (towns) and rural districts (kreise or "counties").  The state supreme court stopped the changes.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was divided into twelve rural districts (_Landkreise_):

Also there were six independent urban districts:

1. Greifswald (HGW)
1. Neubrandenburg (NB)
1. Rostock (HRO)
1. Schwerin (SN)
1. Stralsund (HST)
1. Wismar (HWI)

### Current districts

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has been divided into six rural districts (_Landkreise_) and two independent urban districts (_kreisfreie Städte_) since 4 September 2011:

Rural districts:
1. Ludwigslust-Parchim
1. Mecklenburgische Seenplatte
1. Nordwestmecklenburg
1. Rostock
1. Vorpommern-Greifswald
1. Vorpommern-Rügen

Urban districts:
1. Rostock
1. Schwerin

## Infobox (german state)

- **name**: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- **state coa**: Coat of arms of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (great).svg
- **image photo**: Schwerin Castle Aerial View.jpg
- **image caption**: Schwerin Palace, seat of the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Landtag, is one of more than 2000 List of castles and palaces in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, palaces and castles in the state.
- **map**: Deutschland Lage von Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.svg
- **flag**: Flag of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.svg
- **capital**: Schwerin
- **area**: 23179
- **key**: 13
- **population**: 1599100
- **pop date**: 2014
- **gdp**: 40 / $45
- **gdp year**: 2015
- **gdp per capita**: 25,000 / $28,000
- **gdp per capita year**: 2015
- **website**: [http://www.mecklenburg-vorpommern.eu/ Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.eu]
- **governing body**: Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- **leader**: Manuela Schwesig
- **leader party**: SPD
- **ruling party1**: SPD
- **ruling party2**: Left
- **votes**: 3
- **kfz**: formerly: MP<small> (1945–1947)</small>, SM<small> (1948–1953)</small>
- **nuts**: DE8
- **iso region**: DE-MV