knowledge Overview
Schleswig-Holstein lies in northern Germany between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea and borders Denmark. The state capital is Kiel. The state covers around 15,800 km² and has about 2.91 million inhabitants (2022 census). Its ISO-3166-2 code is DE-SH. Schleswig-Holstein was founded in 1946 as a state in the British occupation zone.
Administrative divisions
Schleswig-Holstein has never had government regions. Below the state level there are 11 districts (in SH the rural districts are called "Kreise") and 4 urban districts (Flensburg, Kiel, Lübeck, Neumünster).
Major cities
- Kiel (around 300,000 inhabitants)
- Lübeck (around 220,000 inhabitants)
- Flensburg (around 90,000 inhabitants)
- Neumünster (around 80,000 inhabitants)
Transport
Kiel and Lübeck are important Baltic Sea ports with ferry connections to Scandinavia; the A 7 connects the state with Hamburg and Denmark, and the planned Fehmarnbelt fixed link will significantly shorten the connection to Denmark.
Economy
Important are the maritime economy and shipbuilding, tourism on the North Sea and Baltic Sea, renewable energies (wind power) as well as agriculture and the food industry.