Hanover was a Regierungsbezirk of the German state of Lower Saxony from 1946 until 2004. It was located in the south of the state, centered around the Lower Saxon capital of Hanover.

Hanover Region is a sui generis district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Heidekreis, Celle, Gifhorn, Peine, Hildesheim, Hamelin-Pyrmont, Schaumburg and Nienburg.