10 State-specific questions

State Questions: Nordrhein-Westfalen

Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW) is Germany's most populous federal state with around 18 million inhabitants: roughly one in five Germans live here. The capital is Düsseldorf, and the Ruhr area around Dortmund, Essen, Bochum, and Duisburg is Europe's largest metropolitan region. NRW was created in 1946 from the British occupation zone by merging Nordrhein, Westfalen, and Lippe. The ten Einbürgerungstest questions for NRW cover the Landtag, the coat of arms combining the Rhine, the Westphalian Horse, and the Lippe Rose, the post-coal-and-steel structural transition, and NRW's six votes in the federal Bundesrat.

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Question 401

Which coat of arms belongs to the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia?

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
Why is this answer correct?

The coat of arms of Nordrhein-Westfalen shows the Rhine as a white wavy band, the Westphalian steed, and the Lippe rose. On the image panel this is answer 2. The other three shields belong to other federal states: look at the heraldic animal, the colours, and the number of fields.

Question 402

Which is a district in North Rhine-Westphalia?

  1. Ammerland
  2. Rhine-Sieg district
  3. North Friesland
  4. Vogtland district
Why is this answer correct?

Rhine-Sieg district is located in Nordrhein-Westfalen. The three wrong answers are districts or boroughs of other federal states. For the test it is enough to know the one name that belongs to your state.

Question 403

For how many years is the state parliament in North Rhine-Westphalia elected?

  1. 3
  2. 4
  3. 5
  4. 6
Why is this answer correct?

The state parliament of Nordrhein-Westfalen is elected for 5 years. Each federal state sets its own electoral term in its own constitution, so the figure differs from state to state. The Bundestag is always elected for four years.

Question 404

From what age can you vote in local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia?

  1. 14
  2. 16
  3. 18
  4. 20
Why is this answer correct?

In local elections in Nordrhein-Westfalen you may vote from the age of 16. The local voting age is set by each state and is either 16 or 18 depending on the state: for Bundestag elections it is uniformly 18 nationwide.

Question 405

What are the colors of the flag of North Rhine-Westphalia?

  1. red-white
  2. green-white-red
  3. black-gold
  4. blue-white-red
Why is this answer correct?

The state flag of Nordrhein-Westfalen is green-white-red. Background: green and white stand for the Rhine and the landscape, and red for the Lippe rose.

Question 406

Where can you find out about political issues in North Rhine-Westphalia?

  1. at the churches
  2. at the public order office of the municipality
  3. at the consumer advice center
  4. at the State Center for Political Education
Why is this answer correct?

The place to go is at the State Center for Political Education. Every federal state maintains such a body: it provides politically neutral information on politics, history, and society, and hands out brochures and books free or very cheaply. The public order office, consumer advice centre, and churches have different remits.

Question 407

The state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia is called ...

  1. Cologne
  2. Bonn
  3. Düsseldorf
  4. Dortmund
Why is this answer correct?

The capital of Nordrhein-Westfalen is Düsseldorf. That is where the state parliament and state government sit. The other cities listed may lie in the same state, but they are not the seat of government.

Question 408

Which federal state is North Rhine-Westphalia?

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
Why is this answer correct?

Nordrhein-Westfalen lies in the west of Germany bordering the Netherlands and Belgium: the most populous federal state. On the map this is answer 3. The quickest way to find the state is to orient yourself by its neighbours and whether it touches the coast.

Question 409

What do you call the head of government in North Rhine-Westphalia?

  1. First Minister
  2. Prime Minister
  3. Mayor / Mayoress
  4. Prime Minister
Why is this answer correct?

In Nordrhein-Westfalen the head of government is called Prime Minister. The same applies in all 13 territorial states. Only the three city-states differ: Berlin has a Governing Mayor, Hamburg a First Mayor, and Bremen a President of the Senate.

Question 410

Which minister does North Rhine-Westphalia not have?

  1. Minister of Justice
  2. Foreign Minister
  3. Minister of Finance
  4. Minister of the Interior
Why is this answer correct?

Nordrhein-Westfalen has no Foreign Minister. Under the Basic Law, foreign policy is exclusively a federal matter: no state maintains diplomatic relations of its own. Portfolios such as finance, justice, the interior, education, and the environment, by contrast, exist in every state government.