Middle Franconia

Middle Franconia (Mittelfranken) is one of the three administrative regions of Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is in the west of Bavaria and adjoins the state of Baden-Württemberg. The administrative seat is Ansbach but the most populated city is Nuremberg.

Landkreise
These are similar to rural districts in Great Britain, or counties or parishes in the USA.
 * 1) Ansbach
 * 2) Erlangen-Höchstadt
 * 3) Fürth
 * 4) Neustadt (Aisch)-Bad Windsheim
 * 5) Nürnberger Land
 * 6) Roth
 * 7) Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen

Kreisfreie Städte
These are similar to urban districts in Great Britain: they are independent of the surrounding Landkreis. In the USA they are the same as independent cities.
 * 1) Ansbach (the administrative headquarters of Middle Franconia)
 * 2) Erlangen
 * 3) Fürth
 * 4) Nuremberg (Nürnberg)
 * 5) Schwabach

Brief history
The area, previously composed of independent principalities within the Holy Roman Empire, became a district of the Kingdom of Bavaria in Napoleonic times at the start of the 19th century. It gained its current name in 1838.