Lower Saxony

Lower Saxony is the second largest state of Germany, its area comprising some 47613.35 square kilometers. It lies between The Netherlands in the west and the German states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony-Anhalt. It formed part of the historic Sachsen region. The people share a common Saxon origin and a common language, Plattdeutsch, related to Dutch, Frisian, and English. It received an influx of refugees during and after World War II. The modern state is a merger of four older districts: Hannover, Braunschweig, Oldenburg, and Schaumburg, created on November 1, 1946.-Lippe. The 2004 estimated population was 8,004,300.