The German States

Baden-Württemburg - Stuttgart: This state is in the southwest of Germany. Most of its major cities lie along the Neckar River. It is the third largest state in population.
Bavaria (Bayern) - München: This is the best state in Germany (I lived there for five months, I'm not impartial). It is by far the largest state in landmass and the second most populous. It is also the oldest state in Germany, and is known for its annual beer-drinking festival, Oktoberfest, and breathtaking scenery.
Berlin - Berlin: This is the largest city in Germany, and also its capital. It was successively the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia (1701-1918), the German Empire (1871-1918) the Wiemar Republic (1919-1933), and the Third Reich (1933-1945).
Brandenburg: Potsdam: This state was one of the new federal states creaed after the unification of the East and West. It surrounds, but does not include, Berlin.
Bremen - Bremen: This is the smallest of Germany's states. It is located on the River Wesen, and serves as a North Sea Harbor.
Hamburg - Hamburg: Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany (1.8 million people), and the third largest port in Europe. It is a major tourist destination, with over 7.7 million overnight stays in 2008.
Hesse (Hessen) - Wiesbaden: The largest city in this state is Frankfurt. This state has one of the best transportation networks in Europe.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - Schwerin: It is the least densely populated state. It is on the Baltic Sea, and has several hundred nature conservation areas that attract large tourist populations.
Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) - Hanover: This state includes seven islands, known as the East Frisian Islands. It was created by the merger of Hanover and several smaller states.
North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhine-Westfalen) - Düsseldorf: This state is both the most populous and the most economically powerful in Germany. Its largest city in Köln. It is especially known as the "land of coal and steel."
Rhineland-Palatinate (Rhineland-Pflaz) - Mainz: This state takes part of its name from the Rhine, the largest river within it. It is especially famous for the Rhine Valley, which besides being picturesque, produces the famous and delicious Riesling wine.
Saarland - Saarbrücken: This is the smallest state of Germany, excluding the city-states. It is located on the border of France and Germany.
Saxony (Sachsen) - Dresden: The history of Saxony spans more than a millenium. It has been a medieval duchy, electorate of the Holy Roman Empire, a kingdom, and is currently a republic.
Saxony-Anhalt (Sachsen-Anhalt) - Magdeburg: This state contains the UNESCO World Heritage Site Wörlitzer Park in Dessau. It is famous for its good soil.
Schleswig-Holstein - Kiel: This is the northernmost state. It borders Denmakr to the north, and combines the cultures of Denmark and Germany.
Thuringia (Thüringer) - Erfurt: This state is known as the Green Heart of Germany for the dense forest that covers it.