Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, sometimes translated as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is a state in northern Germany. The capital city is Schwerin. The state was formed through the merger of the historic regions Mecklenburg and Vorpommern after World War II, dissolved in 1952 and recreated prior to the German reunification in 1990. Due to its lengthy name, it is often abbreviated as MV or (colloquially) shortened to Meck-Pomm. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the sixth largest German state by territory, and the least densely populated one. The coastline of the Baltic Sea, including islands such as Rügen and Usedom, as well as the Mecklenburg Lake District are characterised by many holiday resorts and pristine nature, making Mecklenburg-Vorpommern one of Germany's leading tourist destinations. Three of Germany's fourteen national parks are in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in addition to several hundred nature conservation areas. The University of Rostock (est. 1419) and the University of Greifswald (est. 1456) are amongst the oldest in Europe. Major cities include Rostock, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Stralsund, Greifswald and Wismar. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was the site of the 33rd G8 summit in 2007.