Today
Southern Schleswig is part of the German state (Bundesland) of Schleswig-Holstein, therefore its denotation as Landesteil Schleswig. It does not however form an administrative entity, but consists of the districts (Landkreise) of Schleswig-Flensburg, Nordfriesland, the urban district (Kreisfreie Stadt) of Flensburg and the northern part of Rendsburg-Eckernförde.
Beside Standard German, Low Saxon dialects (Schleswigsch) are spoken, as well as Danish (Sydslesvigsk or Sydslesvigdansk) and its South Jutlandic variant, furthermore North Frisian in the west. Many of the inhabitants who only speak German and not Danish do not consider the region any different from the rest of Schleswig-Holstein. This notion is disputed by those defining themselves as Danes, South Schleswigans or Schleswigans, particularly historians and people organised in the institutions of the Danish minority of Southern Schleswig, such as the South Schleswig Voter Federation. Last names found in the region are very often of Scandinavian or Danish form, with the -sen endings like Petersen.
The major cities of Southern Schleswig are Flensburg, Rendsburg, the city of Schleswig, and Husum.
Coordinates: 54°44′N 9°05′E / 54.733°N 9.083°E / 54.733; 9.083
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