What is Essen?
{{About|the city in Germany|other places with the same name|Essen (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox German Location |Art = city |image_photo = Villa Hügel, Essen, 20071222.jpg |image_caption = Villa Hügel near the river Ruhr |Wappen = DEU Essen COA.svg |image_flag = Flagge Essen.svg |coordinates = {{coord|51|27|3|N|7|0|47|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}} |Bundesland = North Rhine-Westphalia |Regierungsbezirk = [[Düsseldorf (region)|Düsseldorf]] |Kreis = urban |Höhe = 116 |Fläche = 210.32 |Einwohner = 581406 |pop_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.essen.de/deutsch/Rathaus/Statistik/Einwohner_2006.pdf|title=Es ist ein Fehler aufgetreten|website=www.essen.de|access-date=2019-02-11|archive-date=2008-03-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307092926/http://www.essen.de/deutsch/Rathaus/Statistik/Einwohner_2006.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> |Stand = 2007-03-31 |pop_metro = 5.302.179 |PLZ = 45001-45359 |Vorwahl = 0201, 02054 ([[Essen-Kettwig|Kettwig]]) |Kfz = E |Gemeindeschlüssel = 05 1 13 000 |Gliederung = 9 districts, 50 boroughs |Website = {{url|https://www.essen.de/}} |Bürgermeister = Reinhard Paß |Bürgermeistertitel = Oberbürgermeister |Partei = SPD |ruling_party1 = SPD |ruling_party2 = Green }} '''Essen''' ({{IPA-de|ˈɛsn̩|-|De-Essen.ogg}}; [[Low Franconian]] and [[Ripuarian language|Ripuarian]]: ''Esse'', ({{lang-la|Assindia}}) is a [[Germany|German]] city in the [[States of Germany|state]] of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]]. It is on the [[Ruhr River]] and it is near [[Cologne]], [[Duisburg]] and [[Bochum]]. Essen has 585,000 [[inhabitant]]s. Together with [[Dortmund]], Essen is the biggest city of the Ruhr area with its 5,000,000 inhabitants. Essen is often called the shopping city (''Einkaufsstadt'') because there are so many malls and shops in it. == Location of Essen == Essen is in [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] and part of the [[Ruhr area]], where eleven cities and four districts are. The rivers [[Ruhr]] and [[Emscher]] flow through the city. The lake ''Baldeney'' is part of the Ruhr. Essen's neighbour c