▁was ▁a ▁French ▁v ass al ▁state . ▁This ▁state ▁only ▁shared ▁the ▁name ▁with ▁the ▁historical ▁region ; ▁it ▁contained ▁only ▁a ▁relatively ▁small ▁part ▁of ▁West phal ia , ▁consisting ▁instead ▁mostly ▁of ▁H ess ian ▁and ▁East phal ian ▁regions . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Congress ▁of ▁Vienna , ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Pr uss ia ▁received ▁a ▁large ▁amount ▁of ▁territory ▁in ▁the ▁West phal ian ▁region ▁and ▁created ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁West phal ia ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 5 . ▁The ▁northern most ▁port ions ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁kingdom , ▁including ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Os nab r ück , ▁had ▁become ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁states ▁of ▁Han over ▁and ▁Old enburg . ▁ ▁North ▁Rh ine - West phal ia ▁ ▁Cre ation ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁The ▁state ▁of ▁North ▁Rh ine - West phal ia ▁was ▁established ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁military ▁administration ' s ▁" Operation ▁Mar riage " ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁by ▁mer ging ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁West phal ia ▁and ▁the ▁northern ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Rh ine ▁Province , ▁both ▁being ▁political ▁divisions ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁state ▁of ▁Pr uss ia ▁within ▁the ▁German ▁Reich . ▁On ▁ 2 1 ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁the ▁former ▁state ▁of ▁Li ppe ▁was ▁merged ▁with ▁North ▁Rh ine - West phal ia . ▁The ▁constitution ▁of ▁North ▁Rh ine - West phal ia ▁was ▁then ▁rat ified ▁through ▁a ▁refer endum . ▁ ▁Geography ▁ ▁North ▁Rh