Editing Westphalia (section)

==Identity==
[[File:Dialekte in Nordrhein-Westfalen.PNG|thumb|340px|Dialects in North Rhine-Westphalia: [[Central Franconian]] and [[Low Franconian Franconian]] dialects in red, [[Low German|Low German dialects]] in blue.]]
[[File:Westphalian (German) ladies peasant costume.jpg|thumb|Westphalian (German) ladies peasant costume – illustration by Percy Anderson for Costume Fanciful, Historical and Theatrical, 1906.]]
While the Northern Rhineland, Westphalia and Lippe are different historic territories of today's [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], the old border between the former [[Rhine Province]] and the [[Province of Westphalia]] is also a language border. While in Westphalia and Lippe, people tend to speak [[West Low German|West Low German dialects]] and especially the [[Westphalian language|Westphalian]] variant of the [[Low German language]], [[Central German]] and [[Low Franconian languages|Low Franconian]] dialects are spoken in the Northern Rhineland.<ref name="dialects" /><ref>[http://www.lwl.org/komuna/pdf/mundartregionen_westfalens.pdf LWL: Mundartenregionen Westfalens]</ref>

These different regional identities are often being emphasized by different majorities of denomination between [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] and [[Protestant Church in Germany|Lutheran Protestants]]. The different majorities date back to the days of the [[Kleinstaaterei|territorial fragmentation]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire|Holy Roman Empire (of the German Nation)]] which existed until 1806. The [[Münsterland]] and the region around [[Paderborn]] for instance are still mainly Catholic regions because of the former existence of the [[prince-bishop]]rics of [[Prince-Bishopric of Münster|Münster]] and [[Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn|Paderborn]]. The mainly Reformed [[Lippe (district)|Lippe]] was even able to retain its independence as a small state within [[German Reich|Germany]] in the form of a [[Principality of Lippe|principality]] until 1918 and as a [[Free State of Lippe|free state]] until 1946. This continues to influence the identity of its people who often distinguish themselves from neighbouring regions such as [[East Westphalia]].<ref name="1789 territories" />

In addition to these historic, lingual and religious aspects, there are some regional differences in culture and mentality. That is why many of the citizens of North Rhine-Westphalia rather see themselves either as "Rhinelanders", "Westphalians" or "Lippers" rather than as "North Rhine-Westphalians".