The European country divided into 16 federal states called Länder is Germany.
Germany is a federal republic made up of 16 constituent states, known in German as Länder or Bundesländer. Each state has its own constitution, government, and legislature, and enjoys substantial authority over areas such as education, policing, and culture. Federal responsibilities are handled by Germany’s national institutions in Berlin.
The 16 states are not all alike. Thirteen are larger area-states, while Berlin, Hamburg, and Bremen are city-states. Bremen is unusual because its state territory consists of two separate cities: Bremen and the coastal city of Bremerhaven. The states also participate in federal lawmaking through the Bundesrat.
“Länder” is sometimes translated simply as “states,” not countries. Germany is the sovereign country; the Länder are its federated subdivisions. The arrangement reflects Germany’s political history and the post-Second World War constitutional design, which deliberately distributed power between the federal government and the states. Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria are also federal countries, but this exact 16-state structure identifies Germany.