Regierungsbezirk

The vertical (federal) separation of powers across the federal government (white), the states (yellow), and the municipalities (brown).Federal LevelFederal StatesCity States(Governmental Districts)(Rural) Districts(Collective Municipalities)Municipalities(Municipalities)Urban Districts
Administrative divisions of Germany (clickable image)
Regierungsbezirke in Germany as of 1 August 2008. The map also shows the former Regierungsbezirke of Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony.

A Regierungsbezirk (German pronunciation: [ʁeˈɡiːʁʊŋsbəˌtsɪʁk] ) means "governmental district" and is a type of administrative division in Germany. Currently, four of sixteen Bundesländer (states of Germany) are split into Regierungsbezirke. Beneath these are rural and urban districts

Regierungsbezirke (pronounced [ʁeˈɡiːʁʊŋsbəˌt͡sɪʁkə] ) serve as regional mid-level local government units in four of Germany's sixteen federal states: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia. Each of the nineteen Regierungsbezirke features a non-legislative governing body called a Regierungspräsidium (governing presidium) or Bezirksregierung (district government) headed by a Regierungspräsident (governing president), concerned mostly with administrative decisions on a local level for districts within its jurisdiction.[1] Saxony has Direktionsbezirke (directorate districts) with more responsibilities shifted from the state parliament.