25. Which of the following is not a federal state (Land) of the Federal Republic of Germany?

Answer options

1. North Rhine-Westphalia
2. Alsace-Lorraine
3. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
4. Saxony-Anhalt

Explanation

Under Article 20(1) of the Basic Law, Germany is a federal state; the Länder possess constitutional statehood and are represented in the Bundesrat (Art. 50). North Rhine-Westphalia, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Saxony-Anhalt are constituent Länder of the Federal Republic (founded or re-established in 1946 and 1990, respectively). “Alsace-Lorraine” was a Reichsland of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918, returned to France under the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, and today forms part of French territory (Grand Est, with the Collectivité européenne d’Alsace since 2021). It has never been a Land of the Federal Republic of Germany.