RU-GELD.DE

Business, work and life in Germany in English

German federated state of Schleswig-Holstein: characteristics, population, photos, major cities, climate, map and much more

On this page you will find interesting information, statistics about Schleswig-Holstein: 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 Schleswig-Holstein federated state

Schleswig-Holstein (in German: [ˈʃleːsvɪç ˈhɔlˌʃtaɪ̯n]) is the northernmost federated state of Germany, bordering Denmark; in the north it is washed by two seas: from the north-west – by the North Sea (in German: Nordsee) and from the north-east – by the Baltic Sea (in German: Ostsee). The whole of the federated state is located in the North German Plain or Northern Lowland, which determines its flat landscape, the absence of mountains; these are mainly fields, lakes and one part of the land is swampy. In this federated state you will find the Bungsberg (in German: Bungsberg) elevation, the highest point with a maximum height of just over 150 meters above sea level. On the coast of the Baltic Sea there is the Holstein Switzerland Nature Park (in German: Holsteinische Schweiz) - a non-mountainous terrain with many lakes. The most famous lakes of Schleswig-Holstein are: the Plöner lakes: the Großer Plöner See ("Great Plön Lake") or Lake Plön (in German: Großer Plöner See), the Kleine Plöner See (in German: Kleiner Plöner See), the Trammer-See (in German: Trammer See), the Behler See (in German: Behler See), the Dieksee (in German: Dieksee) and others. Strong winds blow in Schleswig-Holstein and it rains a lot here. Wind farms (in German: Windenergieanlagen, WEA, Windpark) have been built everywhere, both on land and in the seas, to generate electricity from wind power. There are two large cities in this federated state: Lubeck (in German: Lübeck) and Kiel (in German: Kiel), both cities are located on the coasts of the seas. Besides, several islands located near the German coast belong to this federated state.

The major drivers for the Schleswig-Holstein economy are: shipbuilding, seaports and warehouses, fishing, tourism and, of course, wind power plants.

The sightseeing attractions in Schleswig-Holstein

The federated state tourist attractions include: the water Glücksburg Castle (in German: Schloss Glücksburg), the Hedeby archaeological complex of the ancient Vikings (in German: Haithabu),the medieval city gate of Lübeck Holstentor (in German: Holstentor), the Heligoland archipelago or Helgoland (in German: Helgoland) and the Lange Anna (in German: Lange Anna) rock formation, the Kiel Canal (in German: Nord-Ostsee-Kanal), as well as the isles of Sylt (in German: Sylt), Amrum (in German: Amrum), Föhr ( in German: Föhr), Fehmarn (in German: Fehmarn) and numerous fjords, bays, beaches and rocky coasts.

§ Photos of the sightseeing attractions in the Schleswig-Holstein federated state

To enlarge and view the picture, click on it pressing the mouse button.


§ Population of the Schleswig-Holstein federated state

The population size in Schleswig-Holstein totals 2'881'926 people. Of these, 1'412'665 are men, which is 49.0 % and 1'469'261 are women or 51.0 % of the whole federated state population. The population density of the Schleswig-Holstein federated state is 182 people per 1 square kilometer.

Based on the data in Table 1 (see below on the page), the Schleswig-Holstein federated state occupies 4 % of the entire territory of Germany, which is home to 3 % of the population of the entire country, they live in 1'106 settlements located on the territory of the said land.

§ Climate and weather in Schleswig-Holstein

Like in other parts of the country, Schleswig-Holstein 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 Schleswig-Holstein was 10.3 degrees Celsius, while in winter the air temperature was on average 3.6 °C, and in summer 17.3 °C. The rainfall in 2023 was 1'028 l/m2, and the sun shone that year in Schleswig-Holstein for 1'747 hours. Click here for more information about the Climate of Germany

§ Capital of the Schleswig-Holstein German federated state

The capital of the Schleswig-Holstein federated state is the City of Kiel, in German Kiel or Kiel, Landeshauptstadt, with a population of more than 248'000 people.

§ Statistics, essential data about the federated state

Table 1 below presents statistics as to the data for the federated state of Schleswig-Holstein, 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 Schleswig-Holstein 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
Name in German Schleswig-Holstein - -
Federated state type designation, in German Land - -
Abbreviation (code) of the federated state, in German SH - -
Capital of the federated state Kiel
(нем. Kiel)
- -
Territory, land area 15'802 km2 4 % 357'578 km2
The federated state population, all people altogether 2'881'926 3 % 82'521'653
The federated state population, men 1'412'665 3 % 40'697'118
The federated state population, women 1'469'261 4 % 41'824'535
Population density, people per km2 182 79 % 231
Number of administrative districts (in Ger .: Bezirk) 0 0 % 19
Number of counties (in Ger.: Kreis) 15 4 % 401
Number of cities of regional subordinance, i.e. district-free cities or urban districts (in Ger.: kreisfreie Städte) 4 4 % 107
Number of the federated state rural districts (in Ger.: Landkreis) 11 4 % 294
Number of municipalities (in Ger.: Gemeinde), i.e. localities or settlements 1'106 10 % 11'042
Number of cities 63 3 % 2060

§ The Schleswig-Holstein 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 Schleswig-Holstein there are 12 official holidays. A detailed calendar of the Schleswig-Holstein federated state public holidays can be found on a dedicated page of our website. The school vacations schedule of the Schleswig-Holstein federated state is also established by a decision of the local government distinct from other German federated states.

§ Major cities in the Schleswig-Holstein federated state

In the Schleswig-Holstein federated state there are 1'106 settlements, of which 63 are cities. Table 2 below contains a list of major, large cities in the said federated state.

Table 2. Major cities in the Schleswig-Holstein federated state in English and German.

Nr. Name of the city Name of the city in German Population size, rounded to thousand people
1 Kiel
(Capital of the federated state)
Kiel 248'000
2 Lübeck Lübeck 219'000
3 Flensburg Flensburg 93'000
4 Norderstedt Norderstedt 82'000
5 Neumünster Neumünster 80'000
6 Elmshorn Elmshorn 51'000
7 Pinneberg Pinneberg 45'000
8 Wedel Wedel 35'000
9 Ahrensburg Ahrensburg 35'000
10 Geesthacht Geesthacht 33'000
11 Itzehoe Itzehoe 33'000
12 Rendsburg Rendsburg 30'000
13 Reinbek Reinbek 29'000
14 Schleswig Schleswig 26'000
15 Bad Oldesloe Bad Oldesloe 25'000
16 Husum Husum 24'000
17 Kaltenkirchen Kaltenkirchen 24'000
18 Quickborn Quickborn 23'000
19 Heide Heide 23'000
20 Eckernförde Eckernförde 22'000

§ Flag and coat of arms of the Schleswig-Holstein federated state

In the picture below, you can see the flag or flag / coat of arms of the federated state.

Flag and coat of arms of the Schleswig-Holstein

§ Schleswig-Holstein 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.

Schleswig-Holstein on a map of Germany



Follow us on
Information
Main sections
About us
Orthes