Germany is a federal parliamentary republic located in Central Europe. It is composed of 16 states, including Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the northeast. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has a population of around 1.6 million people and its capital and largest city is Schwerin. The state has a cold climate and was formed after World War 2 from the historical regions of Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania. Some popular sports in Germany include football, basketball, tennis, swimming, and winter sports like alpine skiing and snowboarding.