State and Government
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern lies in the north-east of the Federal Republic of Germany. The regional capital is Schwerin. The state or Land Mecklenburg-Vorpommern borders on Poland in the east, on Brandenburg in the south and on Lower-Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein in the west. In the north the Baltic Sea forms a natural border almost 400 kilometres in length. The physical features of the landscape of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern were determined by the Ice Age.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. The legal bodies responsible for governmental authority are the state government called the Landesregierung (executive), the parliament called the Landtag (legislative) and the judicial system called the Gerichtswesen (judicial). Mecklenburg-Vorpommern disposes of a state constitution which defines the basic rights of the citizens, the objectives of the state and the fundamental principles of its organisation. It attends to its interests , among others, in the federation and in Europe through its participation in the upper house of the federal parliament called the Bundesrat, the state representation in Berlin, and through the information office of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the European Union in Brussels. Furthermore, within the scope of the state’s responsibility it assists in achieving objectives to implement European integration and in supporting cross-border cooperation, in particular in the Baltic Sea region.
Important economic factors are traditionally the maritime industry, agriculture and tourism. In addition numerous new branches of economic activity have developed in recent years. Among these future branches are biotechnology, the health industry, the timber industry and information technology.
Our state is noted for its cultural diversity and for its unique natural wealth. These factors are not only extremely valuable for the quality of life of the local citizens: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is also the most popular destination for German tourists.