Essen is a city located in Germany within the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It serves as the central city of the Ruhr region and is recognized as the largest urban area in Germany. The city is situated within the larger Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region, which ranks as the second-largest by GDP in the European Union.
With a population of 574,682, Essen is the tenth-largest city in Germany and the fourth-largest in North Rhine-Westphalia, following Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Dortmund. It is part of the cultural area of Rhineland and is frequently referred to as the "secret capital" of the Ruhr due to its central location.