Western Germany

Western Germany (German: Westdeutschland) is a region in the west of Germany. The exact area defined by the term is not constant, but it usually includes North Rhine-Westphalia. The Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate are also sometimes included but are usually considered Southwestern. Hesse is often considered as Central Germany (together with Thuringia).

West of the Harz in Central Germany, or the line Hamburg-Munich, is the western part, but again, these distinctions must only be considered very loosely, especially, not in a political sense.

Politically, Germans often still identify the term Westdeutschland with the Bonn Republic, the Cold War West Germany. Therefore, the English-language distinction between "West Germany" and "Western Germany" is rarely made in German. However, the latter can be specified as der Westen Deutschlands, "the West of Germany."

Major cities

Where a city has different names in English and German, the English name is given first.

Rank	City	Pop. 1950	Pop. 1960	Pop. 1970	Pop. 1980	Pop. 1990	Pop. 2000	Pop. 2010	Area [km²]	Density per km²	Growth [%] (2000– 2010)	surpassed 100,000	State (Bundesland)
1.	Cologne / Köln	7005594941000000000♠594,941	7005801142000000000♠801,142	7005849451000000000♠849,451	7005976694000000000♠976,694	7005953551000000000♠953,551	7005962884000000000♠962,884	7006100711900000000♠1,007,119	405,17	7003248600000000000♠2,486	4.59	1852	North Rhine-Westphalia
2.	Frankfurt am Main	7005532037000000000♠532,037	7005675009000000000♠675,009	7005666179000000000♠666,179	7005629375000000000♠629,375	7005644865000000000♠644,865	7005648550000000000♠648,550	7005679664000000000♠679,664	248,31	7003273700000000000♠2,737	4.80	1875	Hesse
3.	Düsseldorf	7005500516000000000♠500,516	7005697891000000000♠697,891	7005660963000000000♠660,963	7005590479000000000♠590,479	7005575794000000000♠575,794	7005569364000000000♠569,364	7005588735000000000♠588,735	217,22	7003271000000000000♠2,710	3.40	1882	North Rhine-Westphalia
4.	Dortmund	7005507349000000000♠507,349	7005640802000000000♠640,802	7005640642000000000♠640,642	7005608297000000000♠608,297	7005599055000000000♠599,055	7005588994000000000♠588,994	7005580444000000000♠580,444	280,71	7003206800000000000♠2,068	−1.45	1894	North Rhine-Westphalia
5.	Essen	7005605411000000000♠605,411	7005729462000000000♠729,462	7005696419000000000♠696,419	7005647643000000000♠647,643	7005626973000000000♠626,973	7005595243000000000♠595,243	7005574635000000000♠574,635	210,32	7003273200000000000♠2,732	−3.46	1896	North Rhine-Westphalia
6.	Duisburg	7005410783000000000♠410,783	7005503641000000000♠503,641	7005452721000000000♠452,721	7005558089000000000♠558,089	7005535447000000000♠535,447	7005514915000000000♠514,915	7005489599000000000♠489,599	232,83	7003210300000000000♠2,103	−4.92	1904	North Rhine-Westphalia
7.	Bochum	7005289804000000000♠289,804	7005362490000000000♠362,490	7005343809000000000♠343,809	7005400757000000000♠400,757	7005396486000000000♠396,486	7005391147000000000♠391,147	7005374737000000000♠374,737	145,66	7003257300000000000♠2,573	−4.20	1904	North Rhine-Westphalia
8.	Wuppertal	7005363224000000000♠363,224	7005421378000000000♠421,378	7005417694000000000♠417,694	7005393381000000000♠393,381	7005383660000000000♠383,660	7005366434000000000♠366,434	7005349721000000000♠349,721	168,39	7003207700000000000♠2,077	−4.56	1884	North Rhine-Westphalia
9.	Bonn	7005115394000000000♠115,394	7005146889000000000♠146,889	7005275722000000000♠275,722	7005288148000000000♠288,148	7005292234000000000♠292,234	7005302247000000000♠302,247	7005324899000000000♠324,899	141,22	7003230100000000000♠2,301	7.49	1934	North Rhine-Westphalia
10.	Bielefeld	7005153613000000000♠153,613	7005174527000000000♠174,527	7005168609000000000♠168,609	7005312708000000000♠312,708	7005319037000000000♠319,037	7005321758000000000♠321,758	7005323270000000000♠323,270	257,92	7003125300000000000♠1,253	0.47	1930	North Rhine-Westphalia
11.	Münster	7005118496000000000♠118,496	7005180871000000000♠180,871	7005198878000000000♠198,878	7005269696000000000♠269,696	7005259438000000000♠259,438	7005265609000000000♠265,609	7005279803000000000♠279,803	302,96	7002924000000000000♠924	5.34	1915	North Rhine-Westphalia
12.	Wiesbaden	7005220741000000000♠220,741	7005257293000000000♠257,293	7005250715000000000♠250,715	7005274464000000000♠274,464	7005260301000000000♠260,301	7005270109000000000♠270,109	7005275976000000000♠275,976	203,93	7003135300000000000♠1,353	2.17	1905	Hesse
13.	Aachen	7005129811000000000♠129,811	7005170367000000000♠170,367	7005175451000000000♠175,451	7005243947000000000♠243,947	7005241861000000000♠241,861	7005244386000000000♠244,386	7005258664000000000♠258,664	160,84	7003160800000000000♠1,608	5.84	1888	North Rhine-Westphalia
14.	Mönchengladbach	7005124879000000000♠124,879	7005152414000000000♠152,414	7005151085000000000♠151,085	7005258424000000000♠258,424	7005259436000000000♠259,436	7005263014000000000♠263,014	7005257993000000000♠257,993	170,45	7003151400000000000♠1,514	−1.91	1921	North Rhine-Westphalia
15.	Gelsenkirchen	7005315460000000000♠315,460	7005388608000000000♠388,608	7005347074000000000♠347,074	7005304386000000000♠304,386	7005293714000000000♠293,714	7005278695000000000♠278,695	7005257981000000000♠257,981	104,94	7003245800000000000♠2,458	−7.43	1903	North Rhine-Westphalia
Rank	City	Pop. 1950	Pop. 1960	Pop. 1970	Pop. 1980	Pop. 1990	Pop. 2000	Pop. 2010	Area [km²]	Density per km²	Growth [%] (2000– 2010)	surpassed 100,000	State (Land)

See also

• Central Germany
• Eastern Germany
• Northern Germany
• Southern Germany