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Saarland is one of the 16 states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1.08 million inhabitants. In both area and population it is the smallest of the German i

The state borders France (département of the Moselle) in the south and west, Luxembourg in the west and Rhineland-Palatinate in the north and the east.

It is named after the Saar River, which is an affluent of the Moselle River and runs through the state from the south to the northwest. Most inhabitants live in a city agglomeration on the French border, surrounding the capital of Saarbrücken.

See also List of places in Saarland.

Saarland is divided into six districts:

The territory was established in 1920 in accordance with the Treaty of Versailles. It comprised portions of the Prussian Rhine Province and the Bavarian Rhenish Palatinate. The area was put under the control of the League of Nations represented by the following Chairmen of the Commission of Government:

1 April 1932 - 1 March 1935 Geoffrey George Knox (from 1935, Sir Geoffrey George Knox) (U.K.) (b. 1884 - d. 1958)

It was in practice administered by France for 15 years, very much against the wishes of almost all Germans both inside and outside the territory.

In 1933, a considerable number of anti-Nazi Germans fled to the Saar, as it was the only part of Germany left outside the Third Reich's control. As a result, anti-Nazi groups campaigned heavily for the Saarland to remain under French control as long as Adolf Hitler ruled Germany. However, long-held sentiments against France remained entrenched with only a small number sympathizing openly with France. When the original 15-year-term was over, a plebiscite was held in the territory on January 13, 1935: 90.3% of those voting wished to join Germany rather than follow Alsace and join France. The Nazis appointed Josef Bürckel (b. 1895 - d. 1944) on 1 March 1935 as i (the region's new name, meaning "Western March or Border"), till 28 Sep 1944 when he was succeeded by Willi Stöhr (b. 1903, also NSDAP), until 21 March 1945.

After World War II the Saarland came under French administration again, headed by a Military governor from 30 August 1945: Gilbert Yves Édmond Grandval (b. 1904 - d. 1981), who remained on 1 January 1948 as High Commissioner, and January 1952 - June 1955 as the first of two French 'Ambassadors', his successor being Eric de Carbonnel (b. 1910 - d. 1965) till 1956. However Saarland was allowed a regional administration very soon, consecutively headed by:

Chairman of the (until 15 Dec 1947, Provisional) Administration Commission, 8 June 1946 - 20 Dec 1947: Erwin Müller (b. 1906 - d. 1968) Non-party

In 1954, France and the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) developed a very detailed plan, called the i, to establish an independent Saarland, but a second plebiscite rejected this plan by 67.7%. French attempts to limit campaigning against this plan using undemocratic means did not sit well with the inhabitants, and made the plebiscite's result more decisive than had been expected. On October 27, 1956, the Saar Treaty established that Saarland should be allowed to rejoin the Federal Republic of Germany, which it did on January 1, 1957.

The Saarland's reunification with the Federal Republic of Germany was sometimes referred to as theikleine Wiedervereinigung' ('small reunification'). The French Franc remained for another year as the territory's currency, until West Germany's Deutsche Mark replaced it in 1958. The Saar Treaty established that French, not English as in the rest of West Germany, should remain the first foreign language taught in Saarland schools; this provision is largely followed until today, although no longer binding.

The Saar competed in the qualifying section of the 1954 football World Cup, but failed after coming second to West Germany but ahead of Norway. They also competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics (See Saarland at the 1952 Summer Olympics).

From 1920 to 1935, and then from 1947 to 1959, the inhabitants used postage stamps issued specially for the territory; see postage stamps and postal history of the Saar for details.