The state of Lower Saxony has the shipbuilders in Papenburg to thank for its regular global TV appearances – every time the Meyer shipyard pilots a new luxury liner down the narrow River Ems. Yet the major industry in this state, which stretches from the holiday islands on the North Sea coast to the Harz Mountains, is the auto industry, including such names as Volkswagen in Wolfsburg and Continental in Hanover, which is likewise the hub for the vast operations of TUI Deutschland, one of Europe’s largest tourism corporation. The state capital also attracts global interest through its hosting of the Hanover Trade Fair. Indeed, Hanover has been an international city for a long time now, after all between 1714 and 1837 the rulers of Hanover were also the kings of England.

Capital: Hannover
Population: 8,140,242
Surface area: 47,615 km2