German federated state of Saxony: characteristics, population, photos, major cities, climate, map and much more
On this page you will find interesting information, statistics about Saxony: major cities and the capital of the federated state, population, map, climate and weather, flag, coat of arms, photos of sightseeing attractions, ZIP code, phone codes and much more.
§ Brief overview of the Saxony federated state
Saxony is a federated state of Germany, located in the eastern part of the country, bordering on Poland and the Czech Republic; the landscape of the state is mostly flat-bottomed or hilly. The territory of the state contains the Ore Mountains (in German: Erzgebirge), with Fichtelberg as the highest mountain in Saxony, the second highest in the Ore Mountains (in German: Fichtelberg), as well as the Lusatian Highlands or Lusatian Hills and the mountain range (in German: Lausitzer Gebirge) and the Saxon Switzerland or the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, also called the Elbe Sandstone Highlands (in German: Sächsische Schweiz, Elbsandsteingeb) with the beautiful rocks of Bastei and the Bastei Bridge made of sandstone (in German: Basteibrücke) and the Tisa Rocks or Tisa Walls (in German: Tyssaer Wände). In the northeastern part of Saxony there is the Lusatian lignite mining site (in German: Lausitzer Braunkohlerevier) - a brown coal basin. Although coal mining has been decommissioned, there are numerous artificial lakes (in German: Lausitzer Seenland) in this area known as the Lusatian Lake District.
The easternmost town of Germany, located in Saxony - Görlitz (in German: Görlitz), is known for its medieval architecture, some Hollywood films were shot here. Other ancient cities of Saxony are: Dresden and Leipzig.
To date, Saxony is the most economically developed federated state in East Germany with large automotive and electronics companies located there. Saxony is also known for its manufacture of chinaware, clocks and musical instruments.
§ Photos of the sightseeing attractions in the Sachsen federated state
To enlarge and view the picture, click on it pressing the mouse button.
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The Göltzsch Viaduct (in German: Göltzschtalbrücke) - the largest brick-built bridge in the world, built in the 19th century, with a total length of more than 500 meters and a height of 78 meters
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The Rakotzbrücke or the Rakotz Bridge (also known as Teufelsbrücke; literally, the Devil's Bridge) in the Azalea and Rhododendron Park Kromlau, in the vicinity of Görlitz
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The rocks of Bastei in the Saxon Switzerland, the Bastei Bridge made of sandstone
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The Dresden Frauenkirche (the Church of Our Lady), Dresden
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The City of Görlitz
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The City of Leipzig
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Moritzburg Castle (in German: Schloss Moritzburg) or Moritzburg Palace, in the vicinity of Dresden
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The City of Dresden
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The Saxon Switzerland (in German: Sächsische Schweiz)
§ Population of the Sachsen federated state
The population size in Saxony totals 4'081'783 people. Of these, 2'009'991 are men, which is 49.2 % and 2'071'792 are women or 50.8 % of the whole federated state population. The population density of the Saxony federated state is 221 people per 1 square kilometer.
Based on the data in Table 1 (see below on the page), the Saxony federated state occupies 5 % of the entire territory of Germany, which is home to 5 % of the population of the entire country, they live in 421 settlements located on the territory of the said land.
§ Climate and weather in Saxony
Like in other parts of the country, Saxony has a temperate climate with warm summers and relatively warm winters. According to the German Weather Service (aka the German Meteorological Service) (in German: DWD), in 2023 the average annual temperature in Saxony was 10.4 degrees Celsius, while in winter the air temperature was on average 2.4 °C, and in summer 18.7 °C. The rainfall in 2023 was 797 l/m2, and the sun shone that year in Saxony for 1'715 hours. Click here for more information about the Climate of Germany
§ Capital of the Saxony German federated state
The capital of the Saxony federated state is the City of Dresden, in German Dresden or Dresden, Stadt, with a population of more than 564'000 people.
§ Statistics, essential data about the federated state
Table 1 below presents statistics as to the data for the federated state of Saxony, as well as indicators for the whole of Germany for comparison. Besides, from Table 1, you will learn the percentage ratio of the indicator for the federated state to the indicator for the whole of Germany.
Table 1. Statistical data on the Sachsen federated state as of early 2017.
Descriptor | Value as to the federated state and its percentage ratio to the indicator for the whole of Germany | Value for the whole of Germany | |
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Name in German | Sachsen | - | - |
Federated state type designation, in German | Freistaat | - | - |
Abbreviation (code) of the federated state, in German | SN | - | - |
Capital of the federated state | Dresden (нем. Dresden) |
- | - |
Territory, land area | 18'450 km2 | 5 % | 357'578 km2 |
The federated state population, all people altogether | 4'081'783 | 5 % | 82'521'653 |
The federated state population, men | 2'009'991 | 5 % | 40'697'118 |
The federated state population, women | 2'071'792 | 5 % | 41'824'535 |
Population density, people per km2 | 221 | 96 % | 231 |
Number of administrative districts (in Ger .: Bezirk) | 0 | 0 % | 19 |
Number of counties (in Ger.: Kreis) | 13 | 3 % | 401 |
Number of cities of regional subordinance, i.e. district-free cities or urban districts (in Ger.: kreisfreie Städte) | 3 | 3 % | 107 |
Number of the federated state rural districts (in Ger.: Landkreis) | 10 | 3 % | 294 |
Number of municipalities (in Ger.: Gemeinde), i.e. localities or settlements | 421 | 4 % | 11'042 |
Number of cities | 169 | 8 % | 2060 |
§ The Saxony federated state holidays schedule
Every federated state in Germany has the right to establish holidays, days off from work, which are valid on their territory. On the territory of Saxony there are 14 official holidays. A detailed calendar of the Saxony federated state public holidays can be found on a dedicated page of our website. The school vacations schedule of the Saxony federated state is also established by a decision of the local government distinct from other German federated states.
§ Major cities in the Saxony federated state
In the Sachsen federated state there are 421 settlements, of which 169 are cities. Table 2 below contains a list of major, large cities in the said federated state.
Table 2. Major cities in the Saxony federated state in English and German.
Nr. | Name of the city | Name of the city in German | Population size, rounded to thousand people |
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1 | Leipzig | Leipzig | 617'000 |
2 | Dresden (Capital of the federated state) |
Dresden | 564'000 |
3 | Chemnitz | Chemnitz | 249'000 |
4 | Zwickau | Zwickau | 88'000 |
5 | Plauen | Plauen | 65'000 |
6 | Görlitz | Görlitz | 57'000 |
7 | Freiberg | Freiberg | 41'000 |
8 | Freital | Freital | 40'000 |
9 | Pirna | Pirna | 40'000 |
10 | Bautzen | Bautzen | 39'000 |
11 | Radebeul | Radebeul | 35'000 |
12 | Hoyerswerda | Hoyerswerda | 32'000 |
13 | Riesa | Riesa | 30'000 |
14 | Meissen | Meißen | 30'000 |
15 | Grimma | Grimma | 29'000 |
16 | Delitzsch | Delitzsch | 26'000 |
17 | Zittau | Zittau | 25'000 |
18 | Markkleeberg | Markkleeberg | 25'000 |
19 | Limbach-Oberfrohna | Limbach-Oberfrohna | 24'000 |
20 | Döbeln | Döbeln | 24'000 |
21 | Sebnitz | Sebnitz | 10'000 |
22 | Stolpen | Stolpen | 6'000 |
23 | Bad Schandau | Bad Schandau | 4'000 |
24 | Hohnstein | Hohnstein | 4'000 |
25 | Königstein, Saxony | Königstein/Sächs. Schw. | 3'000 |
26 | Stadt Wehlen | Stadt Wehlen | 2'000 |
§ Flag and coat of arms of the Sachsen federated state
In the picture below, you can see the flag or flag / coat of arms of the federated state.
§ Saxony on a map of Germany
In the picture below, you can see the location of the federated state and its capital on a map of Germany. Map of all the federated states of Germany and their capitals.
- Information about Germany
- All about Germany and the Germans - a general description of the country
- Administrative and territorial structure of Germany
- National symbols of Germany: flag, coat of arms, anthem, buildings, mottos and others
- Federated states of Germany and their capitals in German and English
- Political structure of Germany: parties, elections, authorities, policy
- Germany budget: structure, revenues and expenditures
- Climate and weather in Germany
- List of all German cities ordered alphabetically in English and German