The Land of a Thousand Lakes : Germany

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, situated in northeastern Germany along the Baltic Sea, is sparsely populated (approximately 80 inhabitants per square kilometer) and has a predominantly agrarian character. One of the prime assets of this state dotted with inland lakes (Lake Muritz, with an area of 11 7 square kilomenters, is the largest) is its unspoiled nature: Its exceedingly varied coastline affords sweeping vistas, as do its variegated inland landscapes with their gently rolling hills, broad fields and pastures, and extensive forests.

The two parts of the state, Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania, have different histories. For many years Western Pomerania was largely under Swedish dominion; later, as part of the province of Pomerania, it was under Prussian rule. Mecklenburg, by contrast, was an independent part of the German Empire. After 1701 it was split into two states: Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Not until the year 1934 were the two Mecklenburgian states reunited. The state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania was created after the Second World War as part of the GDR, but shortly thereafter it was dissolved and subdivided into three districts. In 1990 it was reestablished as a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. Today about 1.83 million people live in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The dialect known as Low German (Plattdeutsch) is widely spoken.