Geographical names are mostly used in the singular number, without an article, and are of neuter gender. They are inflected as follows :
| Rules for geographical names without an article | Examples | |
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An -s is added in the genitive case singular of geographical names. |
Die Großstädte Deutschlands |
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| When the use of an article is necessary, the genitive ending can be omitted. | Die Geschichte des modernen Europa |
There are some geographical names that are used with an article. They are inflected as follows :
| Rules for geographical names with an article | Examples | |
| In geographical names of masculine and neuter gender, an -s is usually added to the genitive singular. | des Iraks | |
| Geographical names ending in s, ß, z, x, take the ending -es or no ending at all. | des Peloponnes oder des Peloponneses |
| Notes | Examples | ||
| 1 | The genitive is often replaced by the pronoun von + geographical name. | die Innenstadt von Hamburg | |
| 2 | Or by a noun that denotes the type or kind of something. | die Innenstadt der Stadt Hamburg | |
| 3 | Or by the corresponding adjectives. | die Hamburger Innenstadt | |