Schleswig-Holstein : Germany

Hub of the Baltic region.

Schleswig-Holstein is the only German state bordered by two seas: the North Sea and the Baltic. The sparsely populated state (2.7 million inhabitants) makes the most of its geographical location between Scandinavia and Eastern Europe: It is a hub for the countries encircling the Baltic Sea, which with a total population of more than 50 million constitute one of Europe’s regions of the future. In order to preserve Schleswig-Holstein’s natural beauty, great importance is accorded to environmental protection measures. Efforts to keep the seas clean as well as nature and soil conservation measures are therefore key priorities of state policy.

Forever undivided.

As early as 1460, a treaty stated that the region’s two parts, Schleswig and Holstein, should remain “forever undivided”. In Schleswig-Holstein not only German and the dialect Low German are spoken but Frisian and Danish as well. The Frisians, an ethnic group numbering 40,000, live on the state’s western coast with its many outlying islands. Some 50,000 Danes live in Schleswig-Holstein, a fact attributable to Denmark’s role in the region’s history. As a consequence of this mixture of nationalities, the state has a cosmopolitan attitude toward visitors: Approximately 13 million people come here every year,