Brandenburg (listen; Lower Sorbian: Bramborska; Upper Sorbian: Braniborska) is one of the sixteen states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam. Brandenburg surrounds but does not include the national capital Berlin.

Historically, Brandenburg was an independent state, the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which grew to become the core of independent Prussia and later the German state of Prussia. About a third of historic Brandenburg was annexed by Poland following the establishment of the new Oder-Neisse border in 1945 by the Allies. The state of Brandenburg was named after the town of Brandenburg an der Havel.

Geography

Brandenburg is bordered by Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the north, Poland in the east, the Free State of Saxony in the south, Saxony-Anhalt in the west, and Lower Saxony in the northwest.

The Oder River forms a part of the eastern border, the Elbe River a portion of the western border. The main rivers in the state itself are the Spree and the Havel. In the southeast, there is a wetlands region called the Spreewald; it is the northernmost part of Lusatia, where the Sorbs, a Slavic people, still live. These areas are bilingual, i.e., German and Sorbian are both used.

Protected areas

Brandenburg is known for its well-preserved natural environment and its ambitious nature protection policy which began in the 1990s. 15 large protected areas were designated following Germany's reunification. Each of them is provided with state-financed administration and a park ranger staff, who guide visitors and work to ensure nature conservation. Most protected areas have visitor centers.

National Parks

• Lower Oder Valley National Park (106 km²)

Biosphere Reserves

• Spreewald Biosphere Reserve ( )
• Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve ( )
• River Landscape Elbe-Brandenburg Biosphere Reserve ( )

Nature Parks

• Barnim Nature Park ( )
• Dahme-Heideseen Nature Park ( )
• High Fläming Nature Park ( )
• Märkische Schweiz Nature Park ( )
• Niederlausitzer Heidelandschaft Nature Park ( )
• Niederlausitzer Landrücken Nature Park ( )
• Nuthe-Nieplitz Nature Park ( )
• Schlaube Valley Nature Parke ( )
• Uckermark Lakes Nature Park ( )
• Westhavelland Nature Park ( )
• Stechlin-Ruppiner Land Nature Park ( )

Administration