With approx. 47,620 square kilometres Niedersachsen is the second largest and, with a population of ca. eight million, the fourth largest state by number of inhabitants in Germany. The state capital and also the largest city in Niedersachsen with around 515,000 inhabitants is Hanover.

Through its central location in the heart of the enlarged European Union and its transportation links, Niedersachsen has developed itself into a hub connecting North and South Europe as well as East and West Europe.

The most important economic centres are Hanover, Braunschweig, Osnabrück, Oldenburg, Göttingen, Wolfsburg, Salzgitter and Hildesheim.

The Harz mountains, the Lüneburg Heath and the Intertidal zone with the East Frisian Islands provide a broad range of attractive landscapes throughout Niedersachsen.