Rhineland

Rhineland, region in western Germany, comprising all the country west of the Rhine River, occupied by parts of the states of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen), Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland.

The Rhineland contains rich mineral deposits, especially coal, lead, lignite, magnesium, petroleum, and uranium. These resources, the cheap transportation facilities provided by its natural inland waterways, and the productivity of the Ruhr and the Saar Basin areas make the region a principal manufacturing district in Germany. Agricultural industries are also important. A number of the wines of the region are widely noted for their quality. The region contains the leading industrial cities of Koblenz, capital of the former Rhine Province of Prussia; Aachen; Cologne; Düsseldorf; Essen; Duisburg; Solingen; Remscheid; Krefeld; and Saarbrücken.

Prior to 1815, when the region was organized by Prussia into two provinces, the area north of the Rhine was made up of duchies and grand duchies, and the area west of the Rhine belonged to the French Empire. In 1824 the area was consolidated into the single Rhine Province. Following World War I (1914-1918) the region was occupied (1918-1930) by Allied troops. In 1936 Germany began to remilitarize the region in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles (1919). Because of its industrial importance, the Rhineland was severely damaged by Allied bombing during World War II (1939-1945).