Mecklenburg-West Pomerania

Administrative region (German Land) in northern Germany; area 23,170 sq km/8,946 sq mi; population (1999 est) 1,789,300; the capital is Schwerin, and other major towns include Rostock, Wismar, Stralsund, and Neubrandenburg. Products of the region include fish, ships, diesel engines, electronics, plastics, and chalk.

Mecklenburg-West Pomerania was formerly the two grand duchies of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz, which became free states of the Weimar Republic 1918–34, and were joined in 1946 with part of Pomerania to form a region of East Germany. In 1952 it was split into the districts of Rostock, Schwerin, and Neubrandenburg. Following German reunification in 1990, the districts were abolished and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania was reconstructed as one of Länder of the Federal Republic.