About the area:
Hanover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany. In addition to being the capital of Lower Saxony, Hanover was the capital of the administrative area Hanover region (Regierungsbezirk Hannover) until Lower Saxony's regions were disbanded at the beginning of 2005. It is, however, still part of the Hanover district (Region Hannover), which is a municipal body made up from the former district and city of Hanover.
With a population of just over 520,000 the city is a major center of northern Germany, known for hosting annual commercial expositions such as the Hanover Fair and the CeBIT.