North Rhine-Westphalia is one of the 16 states that have formed the Federal Republic of Germany since the German reunification in 1990. It celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding in August 1996: On August 23, 1946, the two former Prussian provinces of Rhineland and Westphalia were merged into the state of North Rhine-Westphalia by a decree of the British occupying power (excluding the administrative districts of Trier and Koblenz, while the state of Lippe-Detmold was added shortly thereafter). North Rhine-Westphalia is the fourth largest state in the Federal Republic in terms of area (approximately 34,000 km²), behind Bavaria, Lower Saxony, and Baden-Württemberg. However, it surpasses all of them in terms of population. With nearly 18 million inhabitants, it has as many people as today’s new federal states. NRW is located somewhat closer to the western edge of the (new) Federal Republic than to the center.