Overview
Brandenburg lies in eastern Germany and completely surrounds the capital Berlin. The state capital is Potsdam. The state covers around 29,650 km² and has about 2.53 million inhabitants (2022 census). Its ISO-3166-2 code is DE-BB. Brandenburg joined the Federal Republic in 1990 in the course of reunification.
Administrative divisions
Brandenburg did not establish government regions in 1990; state administration is organised through four state offices (Landesrathäuser) or branch offices. Below the state level there are 14 rural districts and 4 urban districts (Brandenburg an der Havel, Cottbus, Frankfurt (Oder), Potsdam).
Major cities
- Potsdam (around 190,000 inhabitants)
- Cottbus (around 100,000 inhabitants)
- Brandenburg an der Havel (around 72,000 inhabitants)
- Frankfurt (Oder) (around 57,000 inhabitants)
Transport
Brandenburg is well connected via Berlin Brandenburg Airport, the Berlin ring motorways (A 10) and rail lines to Berlin, Hamburg and Poland; several ICE and regional lines run through the state.
Economy
Important are the Tesla Gigafactory site in Grünheide, oil refining in Schwedt, agriculture and forestry as well as tourism (including the Spree Forest and the Potsdam palace landscape).