2012-01-11

Fischtown




Bremerhaven

Bremerhaven
Blick vom Radarfunkturm2.JPG
Coat of arms of Bremerhaven
Coordinates 53°33′0″N 8°35′0″E / 53.55°N 8.583333°ECoordinates: 53°33′0″N 8°35′0″E / 53.55°N 8.583333°E
Administration
Country Germany
State Bremen
City subdivisions 2 boroughs with 9 districts
Lord Mayor Melf Grantz (SPD)
Basic statistics
Area 78.867 km (30.451 sq mi)
Elevation 2 m (7 ft)
Population 113,464 (30 November 2010)
- Density 1,439 /km (3,726 /sq mi)
Founded 1827
Other information
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate HB (with 1 letter and 4 digits)
Postal codes 27501-27580
Area code 0471
Website bremerhaven.de

Bremerhaven (German pronunciation: , literally ‘Bremen’s harbor’) is a city at the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham. Though a relatively new city, it has a long history as a trade port and today is one of the most important German ports, playing a crucial role in Germany's trade.

History

Climate

Bremerhaven has a temperate maritime climate, severe frost and heat waves with temperatures above 30°C (86°F) are rare. On average the city receives about 742 mm (29.2 inches) of precipitation distributed throughout the year with a slight peak in the summer months between June and August.

Twin cities

Transportation

Roads

Due to its unique geographic situation, Bremerhaven suffers from a few transportational difficulties. The city has been connected to the autobahn network since the late 1970s. The A 27 runs north-south, east of the city, connecting Bremerhaven to Bremen and Cuxhaven. Road connections to Hamburg, however, are poor. The Bundesstraße 71 and secondary roads therefore carry most of the heavy lorry traffic. A proposed solution is the construction of the A 22, the so-called Küstenautobahn (or "coastal motorway"), which would link Bremerhaven to Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven/Oldenburg (using the Weser tunnel). Roads leading to the overseas port are regularly overloaded with freight traffic, and solutions are presently being discussed, including a deep-cut road favoured by the city government and various interest groups.

Railway

Bremerhaven has three active passenger rail stations, Bremerhaven Hauptbahnhof in the city centre, Bremerhaven-Lehe north of the centre and Bremerhaven-Wulsdorf in the southern part of the city. A fourth station, Bremerhaven-Speckenbüttel near the border to Langen has been out of service since 1988, though it might reopen when the Bremen S-Bahn scheme becomes operational. Bremerhaven's central station lost its last long-distance train in 2001. Now only regional connections to Bremen, Cuxhaven, Osnabrück and Hamburg are available. The railways in Bremerhaven, however, still carry a heavy load of freight traffic, mostly new cars, containers and food.

Tourist attractions

Trade

Politics

The Bremerhaven government is a coalition between the Social Democrats and the Green Party.

Sport

The Fischtown Pinguins, also known as REV Bremerhaven, are a professional hockey team in Germany's 2nd Bundesliga league.

The Eisbären Bremerhaven (Polarbears), founded 2001, are a Basketball team playing in the 1st division of the Basketball Bundesliga.

Education

Bremerhaven is home to the Alfred Wegener Institute, a national research institute which is concerned with maritime sciences and climate, and to the Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences/Hochschule Bremerhaven, founded in 1975 and expanding since with more than 3.000 students in 2009.

References and notes

External links


Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bremerhaven&oldid=460127466