What is Rhineland-Palatinate?
{{Infobox German state | Name = Rhineland-Palatinate | German_name = Rheinland-Pfalz | map = Germany Laender Rheinland-Pfalz.svg | map_size = 200| map_text =Position of the Rhineland-Palatinate within Germany | flag = Flag of Rhineland-Palatinate.svg | state_coa = Coat of arms of Rhineland-Palatinate.svg | capital = Mainz<!-- MANDATORY --> | area = 19847.21<!-- in square kilometers --> | population = 4073280 | pop_date = 31 December 2016 | Website = rlp.de | leader_party = [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]] | ruling_party1 = [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]] | ruling_party2 = [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]] | ruling_party3 = [[Alliance '90/The Greens|Greens]] | leader_title = [[Minister President]] | leader = [[Alexander Schweitzer (politician)|Alexander Schweitzer]] }} '''Rhineland-Palatinate''' ({{lang-de|Rheinland-Pfalz}}, [[Rhine Franconian]]: ''Rhoilond-Palz'') is one of 16 [[States of Germany|states]] ({{lang-de|Bundesländer}}) of [[Germany]]. It has an [[area]] of {{convert|19847|km2|sqmi|1|lk=on|abbr=on}} and 4.073 million people living in it. The [[capital (city)|capital]] is [[Mainz]]. == History == Rhineland-Palatinate was created on [[30 August]] [[1947]]. It was formed from the northern part of the [[French Occupation Zone]] (the [[Rhenish Palatinate]] or {{lang-de|pfalz}} which had been a part of [[Bavaria]]) as well as the southern parts of the [[Prussia]]n [[Rhine Province]], [[Birkenfeld (district)|Birkenfeld]] which formerly belonged to [[Oldenburg (state)|Oldenburg]], parts of the Prussian Province of Nassau (see [[Hesse-Nassau]]), and parts of [[Peoples' State of Hesse|Hesse-Darmstadt]] as well as [[Rheinhessen]] on the western banks of the Rhine. The people of the new state voted to accept the boundary changes in a [[referendum]] on [[18 May]] [[1947]]. == Geography == Rhineland-Palatinate borde