State capital: Hanover Population: 7.8 million Area: 47,338 sq km
Lower Saxony, larger than the country of Switzerland, is the second largest of Germany's states. Its capital at Hanover is also a major economic center. Both Teutoberg Forest, where Arminius defeated the Roman legions, and Lüneberg Heath, Germany's oldest nature park, are in the state of Niedersachsen.
Also to be found in the state is the Altes Land, Europe's largest fruit-growing area. Just outside the gates of Hamburg, the wet triangle begins to form, a marsh-like area between the Weser and Elbe rivers. Volkswagen is based in Niedersachsen, and Hanover hosts the world's largest annual trade fair.
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