From Citizendium - Reading time: 1 min
Bundesländer (singular, das Bundesland; English, "federal states" or "federal provinces") are the largest political subdivisions of Austria and Germany.
Germany is made up of 16 federal states, or Bundesländer. The layout of the states of Germany was rearranged after World War II, but the individual states have maintained their cultural identities. The main important fields of politics, the governments of the federal states control and finance, are education and police.
Note: Where the german word differs from the english one it is found after a /.
Additionally, three cities are their own state.