Dresden is an important cultural, political and economic center in Germany, as well as an important scientific research center in "Silicon Valley of Germany". It is the capital of the German state of Saxony, an important cultural, political and economic center in eastern Germany. It is located in the southeastern part of Germany, the Elbe Valley. The south is only 30 km from the Czech border, 150 km from the Czech capital Prague, 200 km from the German capital Berlin, and 100 km from Leipzig, another large city in the north-west state of Saxony.