The Federal Police is the national and principal federal law enforcement agency of the Federal Government of Germany. It is subordinate to the Federal Ministry of the Interior and is responsible for land and maritime border control, law enforcement at airports and on the railway system, and the protection of federal institutions. Before 1 July 2005, the agency was known as the Bundesgrenzschutz. It operates separately from the state police forces, which are responsible for general law enforcement within each of Germany's 16 federal states.