and the Saarland. It is the ninth-largest state by area. Rhineland-Palatinate is part of the SaarLorLux euregion. With 42% of its area covered by forests, it is the most forested state along with Hesse. The state's major rivers are the Rhine, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site Middle Rhine, and the Moselle. Several crater lakes of volcanic origin are in the Eifel, the largest of which is the Laacher See. Climatically, Rhineland-Palatinate can be divided into two areas: The Rhenish Massif with a typically humid continental climate (Dfb). Summers here are usually warm with much precipitation and winters tend to be dry and cold. Snowfall is a common occasion. The deep Valleys of Rhine and Moselle with an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb), very closely bordering a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa). Summers are hot and moist, while winters are mild. Freezing temperatures are rare and snow usually melts within hours. The mild climate allows palm trees, fig trees, oleander shrubs, olive trees and other exotic plants to grow in this area. The Rhenish Massif forms roughly the northern half of the state, including the regions Eifel, Moselle Valley, Hunsrück, Westerwald, and parts of the Taunus. The Palatinate forms the biggest part of the southern half along with Rhenish Hesse. The Nahe Valley separates both parts. Politics Administration Rhineland-Palatinate is divided into 24 districts (Landkreise), 12 independent cities (Kreisfreie Städte). Districts Listing with Vehicle registration plates of Germany Ahrweiler (AW) Altenkirchen (Westerwald) (AK) Alzey-Worms (AZ) Bad Dürkheim (DÜW) Bad Kreuznach (KH) Bernkastel-Wittlich (WIL, BKS) Birkenfeld (BIR) Cochem-Zell (COC, ZEL) Donnersbergkreis (KIB, ROK) Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm (BIT, PRÜ) Germersheim (GER) Kaiserslautern (KL) Kusel (KUS) Mainz-Bingen (MZ, BIN) Mayen-Koblenz (MYK, MY) Neuwied (NR) Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (SIM, GOA) Rhein-Lahn-Kreis (EMS, DIZ, GOH) Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis (RP) Südliche Weinstraße (SÜW) Südwestpfalz (PS, ZW) Trier-Saarburg (TR, SAB) Vulkaneifel (DAU) Westerwaldkreis (WW) Independent cities Listing with Vehicle registration plates of Germany Frankenthal (Pfalz) (FT) Kaiserslautern (KL) Koblenz (KO) Landau in der Pfalz (LD) Ludwigshafen am Rhein (LU) Mainz (MZ) Neustadt an der Weinstraße (NW) Pirmasens (PS) Speyer (SP) Trier (TR) Worms (WO) Zweibrücken (ZW) Demographics Largest cities The following table shows the ten largest cities of Rhineland-Palatinate: Vital statistics Births from January–August 2016 = 24,871 Births from January–August 2017 = 24,784 Deaths from January–August 2016 = 30,572 Deaths from January–August 2017 = 32,167 Natural growth from January–August 2016 = -5,701 Natural growth from January–August 2017 = -7,383