▁Low ▁Fran con ian : ▁; ▁Low ▁German : ▁; ▁, ▁commonly ▁short ened ▁to ▁NR W ▁in ▁both ▁written ▁and ▁spoken ▁language ) ▁is ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁Germany . ▁ ▁North ▁Rh ine - West phal ia ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁western ▁Germany ▁covering ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁. ▁With ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 1 7 . 9 ▁million ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁popul ous ▁state ▁of ▁Germany . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁most ▁dens ely ▁populated ▁German ▁state ▁apart ▁from ▁the ▁city - states ▁of ▁Berlin , ▁Bre men , ▁and ▁Hamburg , ▁and ▁the ▁fourth - larg est ▁by ▁area . ▁The ▁state ▁capital ▁is ▁Düsseldorf . ▁North ▁Rh ine - West phal ia ▁features ▁ 3 0 ▁of ▁the ▁ 8 1 ▁German ▁cities ▁with ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁inhabitants , ▁including ▁C ologne ▁( over ▁ 1 ▁million ), ▁Düsseldorf , ▁Dort mund ▁and ▁Ess en ▁( all ▁between ▁ 5 8 0 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 6 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁inhabitants ) ▁and ▁other ▁cities ▁pre domin antly ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁Rh ine - R u hr ▁metropol itan ▁area , ▁the ▁largest ▁urban ▁area ▁in ▁Germany ▁and ▁the ▁third - larg est ▁on ▁the ▁European ▁continent . ▁ ▁North ▁Rh ine - West phal ia ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁after ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁from ▁the ▁Pr uss ian ▁provinces ▁of ▁West phal ia ▁and ▁the ▁northern ▁part