Editing Hesse (section)

== Administration ==
Hesse is a [[unitary state]] governed directly by the [[Landtag of Hesse|Hessian government]] in the capital city Wiesbaden, partially through regional vicarious authorities called ''Regierungspräsidien''. Municipal parliaments are, however, elected independently from the state government by the Hessian people. Local municipalities enjoy a considerable degree of [[home rule]].

=== Districts ===
[[File:Blick vom Großen Mannstein am Staufen.jpg|thumb|282px|View from ''Staufen'' mountain over several towns of the district [[Main-Taunus-Kreis]] with [[Kelkheim]] in the foreground as well as [[Liederbach am Taunus|Liederbach]], [[Bad Soden]], [[Sulzbach, Hesse|Sulzbach]] and [[Eschborn]] in the middleground ([[Frankfurt]] in the back)]]
The state is divided into three administrative provinces (''Regierungsbezirke''): [[Kassel (region)|Kassel]] in the north and east, [[Gießen (region)|Gießen]] in the centre, and [[Darmstadt (region)|Darmstadt]] in the south, the latter being the most populous region with the [[Frankfurt Rhine-Main]] agglomeration in its central area. The administrative regions have no legislature of their own, but are executive agencies of the state government.

[[File:Map of Hesse with districts (with numbers).svg|frameless|upright=1.35]]
[[File:0472-0490R-Hessische Staatskanzlei.jpg|thumb|The state chancellery building in the capital city of [[Wiesbaden]]]]
[[File:Ffm_msu-2018-2241.jpg|thumb|[[Frankfurt am Main]] skyline]]
[[File:Schlosspark Wilhelmshöhe 001.jpg|thumb|[[Kassel]] with [[Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe]]]]
[[File:Luisenplatz.jpg|thumb|[[Darmstadt]]]]
[[File:Offenbach am main from drone.jpg|thumb|[[Offenbach, Hesse|Offenbach am Main]]]]
Hesse is divided into 21 districts (Kreise) and five independent cities, each with their own local governments. They are, shown with abbreviations as used on vehicle number plates:

# [[Kreis Bergstraße|Bergstraße]] <small>([[Heppenheim]])</small> (HP)
# [[Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg|Darmstadt-Dieburg]] <small>([[Darmstadt]])</small> (DA, DI)
# [[Groß-Gerau (district)|Groß-Gerau]] <small>([[Groß-Gerau]])</small> (GG)
# [[Hochtaunuskreis]] <small>([[Bad Homburg]])</small> (HG, USI)
# [[Main-Kinzig-Kreis]] <small>([[Gelnhausen]])</small> (MKK, GN, HU, SLÜ)
# [[Main-Taunus-Kreis]] <small>([[Hofheim am Taunus]])</small> (MTK)
# [[Odenwaldkreis]] <small>([[Erbach (Odenwald)|Erbach]])</small> (ERB)
# [[Offenbach (district)|Offenbach]] <small>([[Dietzenbach]])</small> (OF)
# [[Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis]] <small>([[Bad Schwalbach]])</small> (RÜD, SWA)
# [[Wetteraukreis]] <small>([[Friedberg, Hesse|Friedberg]])</small> (FB, BÜD)
# [[Gießen (district)|Gießen]] <small>([[Gießen]])</small> (GI)
# [[Lahn-Dill-Kreis]] <small>([[Wetzlar]])</small> (LDK, DIL, WZ)
# [[Limburg-Weilburg]] <small>([[Limburg an der Lahn|Limburg]])</small> (LM, WEL)
# [[Marburg-Biedenkopf]] <small>([[Marburg]])</small> (MR, BID)
# [[Vogelsbergkreis]] <small>([[Lauterbach, Hesse|Lauterbach]])</small> (VB)
# [[Fulda (district)|Fulda]] <small>([[Fulda]])</small> (FD)
# [[Landkreis Hersfeld-Rotenburg|Hersfeld-Rotenburg]] <small>([[Bad Hersfeld]])</small> (HEF, ROF)
# [[Kassel (district)|Kassel]] <small>([[Kassel]])</small> (KS, HOG, WOH)
# [[Schwalm-Eder-Kreis]] <small>([[Homberg (Efze)]])</small> (HR, ZIG, FZ)
# [[Werra-Meißner-Kreis]] <small>([[Eschwege]])</small> (ESW, WIZ)
# [[Waldeck-Frankenberg]] <small>([[Korbach]])</small> (KB, FKB, WA)

Independent cities:
# [[Darmstadt]] (DA)
# [[Frankfurt am Main]] (F)
# [[Kassel]] (KS)
# [[Offenbach am Main]] (OF)
# [[Wiesbaden]] (WI)

=== Rhenish Hesse ===
{{main article|Rhenish Hesse}}
The term "Rhenish Hesse" ({{langx|de|Rheinhessen}}) refers to the part of the former Grand Duchy of [[Grand Duchy of Hesse|Hesse-Darmstadt]] located west of the [[Rhine]]. It has not been part of the State of Hesse since 1946 due to divisions in the aftermath of World War II. This province is now part of the State of [[Rhineland-Palatinate]]. It is a hilly countryside largely devoted to vineyards; therefore, it is also called the "land of the thousand hills". Its larger towns include [[Mainz]], [[Worms, Germany|Worms]], [[Bingen am Rhein|Bingen]], [[Alzey]], [[Nieder-Olm]], and [[Ingelheim]]. Many inhabitants commute to work in Mainz, Wiesbaden, or Frankfurt.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}