It incorporates parts of the historic territories of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz (parts of the former Principality of Ratzeburg around the town of Schönberg (Mecklenburg)) and of Saxe-Lauenburg (the Prussian municipalities allocated to the former Soviet Zone of Occupation by the Barber-Lyashchenko Agreement).
[2] The centre for the region is the state capital of Schwerin; other important towns are Parchim, Ludwigslust, Wismar, Gadebusch, Klütz, Grevesmühlen and Hagenow.
West Mecklenburg is an undulating morainic terrain in the Baltic Uplands interspersed with inland lakes and formed by the Weichsel glaciation.
Based on the decision by the state parliament (Landtag) on 5 April 2006 a major new district, Westmecklenburg, was to have been created on 1 October 2009 with its capital at Schwerin.
This megadistrict was to have incorporated the old districts of Ludwigslust, Nordwestmecklenburg and Parchim as well as the formerly independent towns of Schwerin and Wismar.