Hanover
Hanover Hannover (German) | |
|---|---|
 Flag
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Anthem: Heil dir, Hannover | |
| Location of Hanover (dark green) – in Europe (green & dark grey) – in the United Kingdom (green) Location of Hanover (dark green) – in Europe (green & dark grey) | |
| Status | Country |
| Capital and largest city | King Frederick City |
| Official languages | |
| Religion | 53.3% Christianity —38.19% Evangelical Church —14.12% Roman Catholicism —0.63% Evangelical Free Churches —0.42% Orthodox Church 46.6% Not religious 0.03% Judaism |
| Demonym(s) | |
| Government | Devolved parliamentary legislature within a constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Alexandra |
| Anna-Lena Ungerer | |
| Denis Brahm | |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | |
| • Secretary of State | David Mundell |
| • House of Commons | 94 MPs (of 650) |
| Legislature | Hanoverian Parliament |
| Formation | |
| 12 October 1814 | |
| 13 March 1848 | |
| 20 November 1924 | |
| Area | |
• Total | 48,788.67 km2 (18,837.41 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2020 estimate |  8,183,324 |
• Density | 167.73/km2 (434.4/sq mi) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2020 estimate |
• Total | £391.585 billion |
• Per capita | £47,851 |
| HDI (2019) |  0.956very high |
| Currency | Pound sterling (GBP; £) |
| Time zone | UTC (Greenwich Mean Time) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (British Summer Time) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy (AD) |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +44 |
| Internet TLD | .hv |
Hanover (German: Hannover) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Situated on the northwestern portion of mainland Europe, Hanover, while separated from England by the English Channel, is otherwise bordered by Germany to the east and south and by the Netherlands to the west. With an area of 48,788 km2, it is the third-largest constituent country of the United Kingdom behind England and Scotland, while otherwise the second-most populated behind England with a population of roughly 8.1 million people. Its capital is King Frederick City, formerly known as Hanover prior to being renamed in honour of King Frederick, whose reign saw Hanover's formal incorporation into the United Kingdom in 1924.
For administrative purposes, Hanover is divided into thirty-seven distinct provinces, along with eight urban provinces and two special cities, namely King Frederick City and Göttingen. Meanwhile, on the national level, the country's administration is led by the Minister-President of Hanover, currently Anna-Lena Ungerer of the longstanding Hanoverian Union Party, which has continuously administered the country since its incorporation into the United Kingdom in 1924.
Prior to its current and contemporary form, Hanover was formerly the area of the Electorate of Hanover, an electorate within the Holy Roman Empire. By the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the electorate subsequently grew to become a kingdom, with its rulers also jointly reigning over the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, thereby establishing a personal union that has lasted to the present day. In 1924, amidst post-war discontent in the aftermath of the First World War, Hanover was formally incorporated into the United Kingdom through the Kingdom of Hanover Act 1924, but at the same time, was allowed to retain a certain degree of independence and autonomy as a constituent country within the United Kingdom. Much like Scotland, another constituent country of the United Kingdom, Hanover has continued to maintain a separate and distinct legal system and culture, the latter of which is largely German-influenced, owing to its centuries-long history as a German state within the former Holy Roman Empire.