bundesland

niedersachsen

Stretching from the Elbe River to the Dutch border, Niedersachsen is located in the northwest corner of Germany along the North Sea.  The history of Niedersachsen extends back 1,000 years and has produced many famous names, including current Bundeschancellor Gerhard Schröder and 42 Nobel Prize-winners from the Universität Göttingen.  

It is the second largest producer of agricultural products behind Bayern, but Niedersachsen is not only farmland.  Europe's largest automotive plant is located in the city of Wolfsburg, the home to automaker Volkswagen.  Because of the importance of automobiles in Niedersachsen, it only seems appropriate that Niedersachsen is also important to the Autobahnnetz, the interstate system of Germany.  The north-south and east-west junction of the Autobahnnetz cross in Niedersachsen, and the federal state is transversed by the Mittellandkanal, an important water link between the Rhine and Elbe Rivers. 

Hannover is the capital of Niedersachsen.  The city is home to the two largest trade shows in the world:  CeBIT and the Hannover Trade Fair.  Hannover was also the site of the 2000 World Exposition.