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The Rhineland lies in the heart of North Rhine-Westphalia. The main cities include Bonn, Cologne and Leverkusen. Together with the districts Oberbergischer Kreis, Rhein-Erft-Kreis, Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis and Rhein-Sieg-Kreis, around 2.66 million people live here on 3,474 square kilometers with an average population density of 766 inhabitants per square kilometer.
More than one million employees subject to social security contributions work in the region's companies, not counting freelancers and self-employed people. The economy of the Rhineland features highlights from the sectors automotive/mechanical engineering, chemicals, finance and insurance, trade, IT/telecommunications, logistics, media, fashion, advertising and biotechnology. Renowned companies such as Axa, Kaufhof, C&A, Deutsche Post, WDR and RTL are at home here. With the largest and probably best-known illuminated advertisement in the world, the Bayer cross, global player Bayer dominates the cityscape of Leverkusen. The city is consequently regarded as one of the top locations of the chemical industry in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Many foreign companies such as Ford, Toyota, Procter & Gamble and Sony have also settlement in the Rhineland.
The Rhineland possesses enormous potential in terms of high-qualified labor. Around 123,000 students of all subjects are registered at the region's two universities and various colleges and universities of applied science. Together with the numerous research facilities of the various Max Planck and Fraunhofer institutes and the German Aerospace Center DLR, the Rhineland has a dense network for research and science.
The Cologne trade fair center Kölnmesse is an important location factor for the Rhineland. Every year, leading trade fairs such as Anuga or Photokina bring numerous foreign companies and visitors to the cathedral city. Cologne Cathedral, the city's landmark, is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and a tourist attraction for thousands of people.
Besides Cologne, Bonn occupies an important position as a UN city. Due to its favorable location conditions on the Rhine, as well as its cultural and historical significance, the former federal capital has developed into the "Germany city of the United Nations". With a total of 17 organizations and programs the former West German capital provides jobs for around 650 people in Rhineland.
The Rhine is not only the heart of the region's identity, but also forms the backbone of its infrastructure. The North Sea ports and the European hinterland can be reached quickly and cost-effectively via this highly efficient waterway. Cologne/Bonn airport, the European high-speed trains ICE and Thalys, and the dense freeway network ensure all further connections to Germany, Europe and the rest of the world.
