Question 2
What is not a federal state of the Federal Republic of Germany?
German original: Was ist kein Bundesland der Bundesrepublik Deutschland?. In the test, all questions are asked in German.
Answer options
- Alsace-Lorraine — Correct answer
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
- Saxony-Anhalt
Explanation
Alsace-Lorraine is not a German federal state. The region was part of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918, returned to France after World War I (Treaty of Versailles 1919), was annexed again from 1940–1944, and has belonged to France permanently since 1945.
Key terms in this question
- Germany — Germany is a country in central Europe with a parliamentary democracy. It is a member of the European Union and its capital is Berlin.
- Federal state — A federal state is one of the 16 semi-autonomous regions that make up Germany. Each state has its own government and parliament.
- Federal Republic — The Federal Republic of Germany is the official name of the German state. It consists of 16 federal states and is a democratic republic.
- Federal state — A federal state is one of the 16 regions that together form Germany. Each state has its own government, parliament, and areas of responsibility.
- the Federal Government / the Federation — The Federation refers to the central level of government in Germany, as opposed to the individual federal states (Länder). It is responsible for matters that affect the whole country, such as foreign policy or national defense.
- Republic — A republic is a form of government in which political power belongs to the people, who elect representatives to govern the country. There is no monarch; the head of state is usually an elected president or similar figure.
- no / not any — A negation word that expresses the absence or non-existence of something. It is placed before a noun to deny its existence or quantity.
- German — German is the official language of Germany, Austria, and part of Switzerland. It is the native language of approximately 100 million people.