Hesse

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Hesse is an international financial center, a venue of numerous international trade fairs and a highly developed economic region

Hesse is the Federal land, located in the heart of Germany. It has borders with North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Thuringia, Bavaria, Baden-Wuerttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. Since 1981 Hesse is divided into three administrative districts: Darmstadt, Gießen and Kassel. Free cities (Kreisfreie Städte): Darmstadt, Frankfurt, Kassel, Offenbach am Main and the capital of the land - the city of Wiesbaden.
Hesse’s landscape is a bizarre combination of mountains and valleys. About 40% of land’s area is covered by forests. Hesse is also famous for its vineyards and healing springs. Major minerals are - potassium salt, oil, gas and lignite.
In old days at this area there were 4 principalities and duchies, one county and a free city of Frankfurt. After the Second World War by the order of American military administration Federal Land Hesse was formed of the duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt and former Prussian territory. Today it is an international financial center, a venue of numerous international trade fairs, a highly developed economic region. In Hesse there are plants of world-famous companies, such as Opel, Volkswagen, Thyssen-Henschel and many others. Stock exchange of Frankfurt is the fourth largest in the world. More than 400 German and foreign banks have their offices here. The city is also known as a venue for annual International Book Fair. Central location of Rhein-Main airport makes it extremely important link in international air traffic. On the "museum embankment" of Frankfurt there are a great variety of museums. Resort and casino of Wiesbaden attract many tourists. In Kassel there is the world's largest exhibition of contemporary art - "Dokumente". In that same town there is an interesting museum of scientists and storytellers the Grimm Brothers. There is also a mountain park Wilhelmshoche with unique fountains.