Nordwestmecklenburg

Nordwestmecklenburg
—  District  —
Country	Germany
State	Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Capital	Wismar
Area
- Total	2,117 km2 (817.4 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2010)[1]
- Total	160,423
- Density	75.8/km2 (196.3/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Vehicle registration	NWM
Website	nordwestmecklenburg.de

Nordwestmecklenburg (Northwestern Mecklenburg) is a Kreis (district) in the north-western part of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the coast of the Baltic Sea and borders on Schleswig-Holstein to the west. Neighboring districts are (from east clockwise) Rostock, Ludwigslust-Parchim and the district-free city Schwerin, and the district Lauenburg and the district-free city Lübeck in Schleswig-Holstein. The district seat is the town Wismar.^[2]

Geography

The district is roughly situated in a triangle between the towns of Lübeck, Rostock and Schwerin. In the north there is the coast of the Baltic Sea with the small island of Poel; two large lakes are partially situated in Nordwestmecklenburg: the eastern half of the Schaalsee (23 km²) at the western border; and the northern half of the Schweriner See (63 km²) in the south, as well as one smaller lake, Mechower See (1.6 km²).

History

The district was created in 1994 by merging the previous districts Gadebusch, Grevesmühlen and Wismar, and also smaller parts of the districts Sternberg and Schwerin-Land. At the 2011 district reform, it was merged with the formerly district-free town Wismar.^[2] The name of the district was decided by referendum on 4 September 2011.^[3]

Coat of arms

The coat of arms shows the bull's head of Mecklenburg to the left, and a bishopric staff to the right. The staff symbolizes the diocese of Ratzeburg, which in 1648 became the Principality of Ratzeburg. It also stands for the diocese of Schwerin. The coat of arms was designed by the designer and heraldic Heinz Kippnick, and was granted on July 1, 1996.

Towns and municipalities

Amt-free towns	Amt-free municipalities
Grevesmühlen Wismar	Insel Poel

Ämter
1. Dorf Mecklenburg-Bad Kleinen Bad Kleinen Barnekow Bobitz Dorf Mecklenburg1 Groß Stieten Hohen Viecheln Lübow Metelsdorf Ventschow 2. Gadebusch Dragun Gadebusch1, 2 Kneese Krembz Mühlen Eichsen Roggendorf Rögnitz Veelböken 3. Grevesmühlen-Land [seat: Grevesmühlen] Bernstorf Börzow Gägelow Mallentin Plüschow Roggenstorf Rüting Testorf-Steinfort Upahl Warnow	4. Klützer Winkel Boltenhagen Damshagen Hohenkirchen Kalkhorst Klütz1, 2 Zierow 5. Lützow-Lübstorf Alt Meteln Brüsewitz Cramonshagen Dalberg-Wendelstorf Gottesgabe Grambow Klein Trebbow Lübstorf Lützow1 Perlin Pingelshagen Pokrent Schildetal Seehof Zickhusen 6. Neuburg Benz Blowatz Boiensdorf Hornstorf Krusenhagen Neuburg1	7. Neukloster-Warin Bibow Glasin Jesendorf Lübberstorf Neukloster1, 2 Passee Warin2 Zurow Züsow 8. Rehna Carlow Dechow Groß Molzahn Holdorf Königsfeld Nesow Rehna1, 2 Rieps Schlagsdorf Thandorf Utecht Vitense Wedendorfersee 9. Schönberger Land Dassow2 Grieben Groß Siemz Lockwisch Lüdersdorf Menzendorf Niendorf Papenhusen Roduchelstorf Schönberg1, 2 Selmsdorf
1seat of the Amt; 2town

References

1. ^ "Bevölkerungsentwicklung der Kreise und Gemeinden" (in German). Statistisches Amt Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. 31 December 2010. http://service.mvnet.de/statmv/daten_stam_berichte/e-bibointerth01/bevoelkerung--haushalte--familien--flaeche/a-i__/a123__/2010/daten/a123-2010-22.pdf. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Mecklenburg-Vorpommern government reform". http://www.mv-regierung.de/im/verwaltungsreform/. Retrieved 5 September 2011. 
3. ^ "Referendum results Nordwestmecklenburg". http://service.mvnet.de/cgi-bin/wahlen/2011_kom_land/wahl2011_anz.pl?Kreisnamenentscheid_72.htm. Retrieved 5 September 2011. 

External links

• Official website (German)

Coordinates: 53°50′N 11°10′E / 53.83°N 11.17°E / 53.83; 11.17