Southern Germany

Southern Germany, known in German as Süddeutschland, is a special part of Germany. It includes places where people speak Upper German dialects. This area covers the stem duchies of Bavaria and Swabia, which are now part of the modern states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and also includes the southern parts of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate. These lands were once part of the Duchy of Franconia.

Beyond Germany, other places share similar history, culture, and language. These include German-speaking Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Alsace, and South Tyrol. All these areas have strong ties to Southern Germany, making the region important for understanding European culture and history.

Boundaries

Southern Germany is different from Northern Germany. It includes areas that were not part of the North German Confederation in the 1800s. Between these two areas is a region called Central Germany (Mitteldeutschland), where people speak Central German dialects like in Franconia, Thuringia, and Saxony.

In history, the line separating Prussia in the north and Austria in the south was called the "Main line" (Mainlinie), named after the River Main. Frankfurt am Main was an important city in this area. This line did not follow the River Main everywhere, but marked the northern edge of the Kingdom of Bavaria.

People in Southern Germany speak what is called Upper German dialects. This area shares more culture and language with German-speaking Switzerland, Austria, and South Tyrol than with Central or Northern Germany. There is a fun name for the cultural split between Northern and Southern Germany: the Weißwurstäquator, which means the "equator" for the Weißwurst sausage, a traditional food from Bavaria.

Geography

The river Main flows westward through places like Upper, Lower Franconia, and Southern Hesse, passing through the city of Frankfurt before joining the Rhine River at Mainz. This river is often considered a natural border between Southern and Middle Germany. West of Mainz, the border is less clear. Another important border is between the Palatinate and the Rhineland, which runs roughly between Bonn and Bingen through mountain ranges like the Westerwald, the Taunus, and the Eifel, along the Rhine and Mosel rivers. This area marks the cultural divide between Southern and Western Germany.

Population

Two large states in Germany, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, are part of Southern Germany. Together, they are home to about 23.5 million people. If we count nearby areas like Rhineland-Palatinate and the Saarland, Southern Germany has around 30 million people. This means that about 40% of all Germans and almost 30% of people who speak the German language live in this area.

Long ago, during the 1700s and 1800s, many people from Southern Germany moved to places like the Province of Pennsylvania in what is now the United States. Most people in Southern Germany follow the Catholic faith, but there are also many Protestant people, especially in parts of Württemberg, Baden, and Franconia. In recent decades, some people from other countries, especially Turkey, have moved to Germany, so there are now around 250,000 people who follow the Muslim faith.

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.	Munich / München	831,937	1,101,384	1,311,978	1,298,941	1,229,026	1,210,223	1,353,186	310,69	4,355	11.81	1852	Bavaria
2.	Frankfurt am Main	532,037	675,009	666,179	629,375	644,865	648,550	679,664	248,31	2,737	4.80	1875	Hesse
3.	Stuttgart	496,490	637,366	634,202	580,648	579,988	583,874	606,588	207,35	2,925	3.89	1874	Baden-Württemberg
4.	Nuremberg / Nürnberg	362,459	458,401	478,181	484,405	493,692	488,400	505,664	186,38	2,713	3.53	1881	Bavaria
5.	Mannheim	245,634	311,383	332,378	304,303	310,411	306,729	313,174	144,96	2,160	2.10	1897	Baden-Württemberg
6.	Karlsruhe	198,840	240,450	259,091	271,892	275,061	278,558	294,761	173,46	1,699	5.82	1901	Baden-Württemberg
7.	Wiesbaden	220,741	257,293	250,715	274,464	260,301	270,109	275,976	203,93	1,353	2.17	1905	Hesse
8.	Augsburg	185,183	206,422	213,230	248,346	256,877	254,982	264,708	146,84	1,803	3.81	1909	Bavaria
9.	Freiburg	109,717	141,637	163,568	175,106	191,029	205,102	224,191	153,06	1,465	9.31	1934	Baden-Württemberg
10.	Mainz	88,369	133,089	174,858	187,392	179,486	182,870	199,237	97,74	2,038	8.95	1908	Rhineland-Palatinate
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)

Characteristics

Southern Germany is a very strong part of the country in terms of jobs and money. Two of Germany’s busiest airports, Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport, are located here. You can also find smaller airports in places like Stuttgart, Nuremberg, and Zurich.

The land in Southern Germany has rolling hills and mid-sized mountains. In the southeast, you can find part of the Alps, including the Allgäu and Bavarian Alps. The area is famous for its beer and wine. Traditional foods include stews, sausages, cabbage, noodles, and pasta dishes, along with special treats like holiday cookies, cakes, and tarts.