Bremerhaven
| Bremerhaven | |
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| 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
