The Ecnomic Base : Germany

Six years after the transition from a state-controlled economy to a market economy, the tructuring of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s economy is well under way. The most important ches are the shipbuilding industry, the food, ancj beverage industry, the construction mechanical engineering, the building materials industry and the wood industry. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s seaports continue to figure prominently in the state’s economy. The largest is Rostock; the port of Mukran on the island of Rijgen, which affords swift connections to the countries adjoining the Baltic, is taking on increasing importance as well. A well-developed network of roads and rail lines links the state with its neighbors. An autobahn along the coast is currently being improved and extended.

Agriculture plays a more significant role in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania than in other federal states. Principal crops are grain, oilseed (rape) and potatoes. 80 percent of the 1.3 million hectares given over to agriculture are farmed by operations with more than 500 hectares.

Tourism is an important economic factor for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In 1994, 2.4 million people visited the state, which offers nearly 1,600 accommodations with more than 88,000 beds. The most famous tourist magnet is Riigen, Germany’s largest island (930 square kilometers). Its white chalk cliffs never fail to captivate the beholder. Many visitors are also drawn to the Granitz Hunting Lodge or the Stortebeker Festival. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania takes particular care to ensure that the steadily growing tourism industry does not become a burden on the environment. 270 nature reserves, 106 landscape reserves, three national parks and a biosphere reserve attest to the importance which the state attaches to nature conservation and environmental protection.

Historic Cities Worth a Special Visit : Germany

Striking Brick Gothic architecture distinguishes the state’s old Hanseatic cities such as Rostock, Wismar, Stralsund and Greifs-wald. For centuries the Baltic Sea ports were centers for the transshipment of goods to and from Scandinavia. Rostock and Greifswald are university towns with a long, proud tradition, The capital of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is Schwerin (114,000 inhabitants). Its most prominent landmark is the palace, formerly the residence of the grand dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and now the seat of the state parliament of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Other particularly noteworthy sights include the Mecklenburg State Theater, the State Museum with its magnificent collection of Dutch and Flemish 17th-century paintings, and the cathedral, which is one of the most outstanding examples of Brick Gothic architecture.

Rostock is the state’s largest city (227,000 inhabitants). Its Church of St. Mary has an astronomical clock dating from the 15th century. The city is known for its seaside resort Warnemunde and for the “Hanseatic Port Days". The medieval fortifications of Neubran-enburg (80,000 inhabitants) with the four old city gates have survived the centuries virtually intact.

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.