Kiel is the capital of the northernmost German state, Schleswig-Holstein. It is located on the eastern side of the base of the Jutland peninsula in the southeast corner of the Baltic Sea. Located on the Bay of Kiel at the head of the Kiel Fjord, the city has been one of the country's main naval bases since the 1860s, a center for German shipbuilders, and the eastern terminus of the busiest artificial waterway in the world, the Kiel Canal.

Kiel is famous for its sailing events, including Kiel Week, the biggest sailing event in the world. In 1936 and 1972, when the Olympic Games were held in Berlin and Munich respectively, the Olympic sailing competitions were held in Kiel-Schilksee. It had a population of 232,340 as of 31 December 2006.

A renowned university, the Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel (established 1665), is located in Kiel. The city is served by Kiel-Holtenau airport. The largest local newspaper is the Kieler Nachrichten.

In the vicinity of Kiel are seaside resorts such as Kiel-Strande, Kiel-Schilksee, Möltenort and Laboe. Laboe has an important naval memorial, as well as the WWII-era submarine U-995, a popular tourist site since 1972.

Sights in Kiel include:

* The Nikolaikirche (church of St Nicholas, 14th/15th century)
* Der Geistkämpfer (The Spirit Fighter), a sculpture by Ernst Barlach in front of the Nikolaikirche
* The ruins of the Castle (a 16th century castle not rebuilt after WWII)
* The Rathaus (town hall, 1911) which has an operating paternoster, or revolving wooden elevator.
* a WWII-era air raid bunker (not open for tourism)
* Fernmeldeturm Kiel (Transmission Tower)
* Holsteinstadion, home of the football club Holstein Kiel
* Sparkassen-Arena


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