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GERMANY (Ger. Deutschland)
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See also:GERMANY (Ger. Deutschland)
, or, more properly, THE See also:GERMAN See also:EMPIRE (Deutsches Reich), a See also:country of central See also:Europe
.
The territories occupied by peoples of distinctively See also:Teutonic See also:race and See also:language are commonly designated as German, and in this sense may be taken to include, besides See also:Germany proper (the subject of the See also:present See also:article), the German-speaking sections of See also:Austria, See also:Switzerland and See also:
The See also:area, including See also:rivers and lakes but not the See also: Sands surround the whole coast of the North Sea to such an extent that the entrance to the ports is not practicable without the aid of pilots . Heligoland is a rocky island, but it ' i.e. the territory once under the See also:jurisdiction of an imperial See also:Vogt or advocatus (see See also:ADVOCATE) . to the height of 12 or 13 ft. in the See also:Jade See also:Bay and at See also:Bremerhaven, and 6 or 7 ft. at Hamburg . The coast of the Baltic, on the other See also:hand, possesses few islands, the See also:chief being See also:Alsen and See also:Fehmarn off the coast of Schleswig-Holstein, and See also:Rugen off See also:Pomerania . It has no extensive sands, though on the whole very See also:flat . The Baltic has no perceptible tides; and a great part of its coast-line is in See also:winter covered with See also:ice, which also so blocks up the harbours that See also:navigation is interrupted for several months every year . Its haffs fronting the mouths of the large rivers must be regarded as lagoons or extensions of the river beds, not as bays . The Pommersche or See also:Oder Haff is separated from the sea by two islands, so that the river flows out by three mouths, the See also:middle one (See also:Swine) being the most considerable . The Frische Haff is formed by the Nogat, a See also:branch of the See also:Vistula, and by the Pregel, and communicates with the sea by means of the Pillauer Tief . The Kurische Haff receives the Memel, called Niemen in Russia, and has its outlet in the extreme north at Memel . See also:Long narrow alluvial strips called Nehrungen, See also:lie between the last two haffs and the Baltic . The Baltic coast is further marked by large indentations, the Gulf of Lubeck, that of Pomerania, east of Rugen, and the semicircular Bay of Danzig between the promontories of Rixhoft and Briisterort . The German coasts are well provided with lighthouses . See also:Surface.—In respect of See also:physical structure Germany is divided into two entirely distinct portions, which See also:bear to one another a ratio of about 3 to 4 . The See also:northern and larger part may be described as a See also:uniform plain . South and central Germany, on the other hand, is very much diversified in scenery . It possesses large plateaus, such as that of Bavaria, which stretches away from the See also:foot of the See also:Alps, fertile See also:low plains like that intersected by the Rhine, See also:mountain chains and isolated See also:groups of mountains, comparatively low in height, and so situated as not seriously to interfere with communication either by road or by railway . Bavaria is the only See also:division of the country that includes within it any part of the Alps, the Austro-Bavarian frontier See also:running along the See also:ridge of the Northern Tirolese or Bavarian Alps . The Mouatafas loftiest See also:peak of this See also:group, the Zugspitze (57 M . S. of and See also:Munich), is 9738 ft. in height, being the highest See also:summit plateaus. in the empire . The upper German plain sloping north- wards from the Bavarian Alps is watered by the See also:Lech, the See also:Isar and the See also:Inn, tributaries of the See also:Danube, all three rising beyond the limits of German territory . This plain is separated on the west from the Swiss plain by the Lake of Constance (Bodensee, 1306 ft. above sea-level), and on the east from the undulating grounds of Austria by the Inn . The See also:average height of the plain pay be estimated at about 'Soo ft., the valley of the Danube on its north border being from 1540 ft . (at See also:Ulm) to 920 ft .
(at See also:Passau)
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The plain is not very fertile
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In the upper part of the plain, towards the Alps, there are several lakes, the largest being the Ammersee, the Wurmsee or Starnberger See and the See also:Chiemsee
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Many portions of the plain are covered by See also:moors and swamps of large extent, called See also:Moose
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The See also:left or northern See also:bank of the Danube from See also:Regensburg downwards presents a See also:series of granitic rocks called the Bavarian See also:Forest (Bayrischer Wald), which must be regarded as a branch of the Bohemian Forest (See also:Bohmer Wald)
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The latter is a range of wooded heights on the frontier of Bavaria and Bohemia, occupying the least known and least frequented regions of Germany
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The summits of the Bayrischer Wald rise to the height of about 4000 ft., and those of the Bohmer Wald to 4800 ft., See also:Arber being 4872 ft
.
The valley of the Danube above Regensburg is flanked by plateaus sloping gently to the Danube, but precipitous towards the valley of the See also:Neckar
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The centre of this elevated See also:tract is the Rauhe See also:Alb, so named on See also:account of the harshness of the See also:climate
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The See also:plateau continuing to the north-east and then to the north, under the name of the Franconian See also:Jura, is crossed by the valley of the winding See also:Altmuhl, and extends to the Main
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To the west extensive undulating grounds or low plateaus occupy the area between the Main and the Neckar
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The south-western corner of the empire contains a series of better defined See also: Beginning with the See also:Black Forest (Schwarzwald), we find its See also:southern heights decline to the valley of the Rhine, above See also:Basel, and to the Jura . The summits are rounded and covered with See also:wood, the highest being the Feldberg (10 m . S.E. of See also:Freiburg, 4898 ft.) . Northwards the Black Forest passes into the plateau of the Neckarbergland (average height, loon ft.) . The heights between the lower Neckar and the Main See also:form the See also:Odenwald (about 1700 ft.); and the See also:Spessart, which is watered by the Main on three sides, is nothing but a continuation of the Odenwald . West of this range of hills lies the valley of the upper Rhine, extending about 18o m. from south to north, and with a width of only 20 to 25 m . In the upper parts the Rhine is rapid, and therefore navigable with difficulty; this explains why the towns there are not along the See also:banks of the river, but some 5 to 10 m. off . But from See also:Spires (Speyer) See also:town succeeds town as far down as See also:Dusseldorf . The western boundary of this valley is formed in the first instance by the See also:Vosges, where See also:granite summits rise from under the surrounding red Triassic rocks (Sulzer Belchen, 4669 ft.) . To the south the range is not continuous with the Swiss Jura, the valley of the Rhine being connected here with the See also:Rhone See also:system by low ground known as the See also:Gate of Miilhausen . The See also:crest of the Vosges is See also:pretty high and unbroken, the first convenient pass being near See also:Zabern, which is followed by the railway from See also:Strassburg to See also:Paris . On the northern See also:side the Vosges are connected with the See also:Hardt See also:sandstone plateau (Kalmit, 2241 ft.), which rises abruptly from the plain of the Rhine . The mountains south of See also:Mainz, which are mostly covered by vineyards, are lower, the Donnersberg, however, raising its See also:head to 2254 ft . These hills are bordered on the west by the high plain of Lorraine and the See also:coal-See also:fields of See also:Saarbrucken, the former being traversed by the river See also:Mosel . The larger part of Lorraine belongs to France, but the German part possesses great See also:mineral See also:wealth in its See also:rich layers of ironstone (siderite) and in the coal-fields of the See also:Saar . The tract of the Hunsriick, See also:Taunus and See also:Eifel is an extended plateau, divided into separate sections by the river valleys . Among these the Rhine valley from See also:Bingen to See also:Bonn, and that of the Mosel from See also:Trier to See also:Coblenz, are winding See also:gorges excavated by the rivers . The Eifel presents a sterile, thinly-peopled plateau, covered by extensive moors in several places . It passes westwards imperceptibly into the See also:Ardennes . The hills on the right bank of the Rhine also are in part of a like barren See also:character, without wood; the Westerwald (about 2000 ft.), which separates the valleys of the Sieg and See also:Lahn, is particularly so . The northern and southern limits of the Niederrheinische Gebirge present a striking contrast to the central region . In the south the declivities of the Taunus (2890 ft.) are marked by the occurrence of mineral springs, as at Ems on the Lahn, See also:Nauheim; Homburg, See also:Soden, See also:Wiesbaden, &c., and by the vineyards which produce the best Rhine wines . To the north of this system, on the other hand, lies the great coal See also:basin of Westphalia, the largest in Germany . In the south of the hilly duchy of Hesse rise the isolated mountain groups of the Vogelsberg (2530 ft.) and the Rhon (3117 ft.), separated by the valley of the See also:Fulda, which uniting farther north with the Werra forms the Weser .
To the east of Hesse lies Thuringia, a See also:province consisting of the far-stretching wooded ridge of the Thuringian Forest (Thiiringerwald; with three peaks upwards of 3000 ft. high), and an extensive elevated plain to the north
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Its rivers are the See also:Saale and Unstrut
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The plateau is bounded on the north by the Harz, an isolated group of mountains, rich in minerals, with its highest See also:elevation in the See also:bare summit of the See also:Brocken (3747 ft.)
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To the west of the Harz a series of hilly tracts is comprised under the name of the Weser Mountains, out of which above See also:Minden the river Weser bursts by the Porta Westphalica
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A narrow ridge, the Teutoburger Wald (1300 ft.), extends between the Weser and the Ems as far as the neighbourhood of See also:Osnabruck
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To the east the Thuringian Forest is connected by the plateau of the See also:Frankenwald with the See also:Fichtelgebirge
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This group of mountains, occupying what may be regarded as ethnologically the centre of Germany, forms a hydrographical centre, whence the Naab flows southward to the Danube, the Main westward to the Rhine, the See also:Eger eastward to the See also:Elbe, and the Saale northward, also into the Elbe
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In the north-east the Fichtelgebirge connects itself directly with the See also:Erzgebirge, which forms the northern boundary of Bohemia, The southern sides of this range are comparatively steep; on the north it slopes gently down to the plains of See also:Leipzig, but is intersected by the deep valleys of the See also:Elster and See also:Mulde
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Although by no means fertile, the Erzgebirge is very thickly peopled, as various branches of See also:industry have taken See also:root there in numerous small places
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Around See also:Zwickau there are productive coal-fields, and See also:mining for metals is carried on near See also:Freiberg
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In the east a tableland of sandstone, called Saxon Switzerland, from the picturesque outlines into which it has been eroded, adjoins the Erzgebirge; one of its most notable features is the deep See also:ravine by which the Elbe escapes from it
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Numerous quarries, which See also:supply the North German cities with See also: The standstone range of the Elbe unites in the east with the low Lusatian group, along the east of which runs the best road from northern Germany to Bohemia . Then comes a range of lesser hills clustering together to form the frontier between See also:Silesia and Bohemia . The most western group is the Isergebirge, and the next the See also:Riesengebirge, a narrow ridge of about 20 See also:miles' length, with bare summits . Excluding the Alps, the See also:Schneekoppe (5266 ft.) is the highest peak in Germany; and the southern declivities of this range contain the See also:sources of the Elbe . The hills north and north-east of it are termed the Silesian Mountains . Here one of the See also:minor coal-fields gives employment to a population grouped See also:round a number of comparatively small centres . One of the main roads' into Bohemia (the pass of See also:Landshut) runs along the eastern See also:base of the Riesengebirge . Still farther to the east the mountains are grouped around the hollow of See also:Glatz, whence the See also:Neisse forces its way towards the north . This hollow is shut in on the east by the Sudetic group, in which the Altvater rises to almost 4900 ft . The eastern portion of the group, called the Gesenke, slopes gently away to the valley of the Oder, which affords an open route for the inter-See also:national See also:traffic, like that through the Miilhausen Gate in Alsace . Geographers See also:style this the Moravian Gate . The North German plain presents little variety, yet is not absolutely uniform . A See also:row of low hills runs generally parallel to the mountain ranges already noticed, at a distance of 20 to 30 M. to the north . To these belongs the upper Silesian coal-basin, which occupies a considerable area in south-eastern Silesia . North of the middle districts of the Elbe country the heights are called the Flaming hills . Westward lies as the last See also:link of this series the Liineburger See also:Heide or See also:Heath, between the Weser and Elbe, north of See also:Hanover . A second tract, of moderate elevation, sweeps round the Baltic, without, however, approaching its shores . This plateau contains a considerable number of lakes, and is divided into three portions by the Vistula and the Oder . The most eastward is the so-called Prussian Seenplatte . Spirdingsee (430 ft. above sea-level and 46 sq. m. in area) and Mauersee are the largest lakes; they are situated in the centre of the plateau, and 'ive rise to the Pregel . Some peaks near the See also:Russian frontier attain to moo ft . The Pomeranian Seenplatte, between the Vistula and the Oder, extends from S.W. to N.E., its greatest elevation being in the neighbourhood of Danzig (Turmberg, 1086 ft.) . The Seenplatte of Mecklenburg, on the other hand, stretches from S.E. to N.W., and most of its lakes, of which the Mfiritz is the largest, send their waters towards the Elbe . The finely wooded heights which surround the bays of the east coast of Holstein and Schleswig may be regarded as a continuation of these Baltic elevations . The lowest parts, therefore, of the North German plain, excluding the sea-coasts, are the central districts from about 52° to 53° N. See also:lat., where the Vistula, See also:Netze, See also:Warthe, Oder, Spree and See also:Havel form vast swampy lowlands (in German called Briiche), which have been considerably reduced by the construction of -canals and by cultivation, improvements due in large measure to See also:Frederick the Great . The See also:Spreewald, to the S.E. of See also:Berlin, is one of the most remarkable districts of Germany . As the Spree divides itself there into innumerable branches, enclosing thickly wooded islands, boats form the only means of communication . West of Berlin the Havel widens into what are called the Pavel lakes, to which the environs of See also:Potsdam owe their charms . In See also:general the See also:soil of the North German plain cannot be termed fertile, the cultivation nearly everywhere requiring severe and See also:constant labour . Long stretches of ground are covered by moors, and there See also:turf-cutting forms the See also:principal occupation of the inhabitants . The greatest extent of moorland is found in the westernmost parts of the plain, in Oldenburg and East Frisia . The plain contains, however, a few districts of the utmost fertility, particularly the tracts on the central Elbe, and the See also:marsh lands on the west coast of Holstein and the north coast of Hanover, Oldenburg and East Frisia, which, within the last two centuries, the inhabitants have reclaimed from the sea by means of immense dikes . Rivers.—Nine See also:independent river-systems may be distinguished: those of the Memel, Pregel, Vistula (Weichsel), Oder, EIbe, Weser, Ems, Rhine and Danube . Of these the Pregel, Weser and Ems belong entirely, and the Oder mostly, to the German empire . The Danube has its sources on German soil; but only a fifth part of its course is German . Its total length is 1750 m., and the Bavarian frontier at Passau, where the Inn joins it, is only 350 m. distant from its sources . It is navigable as far as Ulm, 220 M. above Passau ; and its tributaries the Lech, Isar, Inn and Altmuhl are also navigable . The Rhine is the most important river of Germany., although neither its sources nor its mouths are within the limits of the empire . From the Lake of Constance to Basel (122 m.) the Rhine forms the boundary between the German empire and Switzer-land; the See also:canton of See also:Schaffhausen, however, is situated on the northern bank of the river . From Basel to below See also:Emmerich the Rhine belongs to the German empire—about 470 m. or four-sevenths of its whole course . It is navigable all this distance as are also the Neckar from See also:Esslingen, the Main from Bamberg, the Lahn, the Lippe, the See also:Ruhr, the Mosel from Metz, with its affluents the Saar and Sauer . Sea-going vessels See also:sail up the Ems as far as Halte, and river See also:craft as far as Greven, and the river is connected with a widely branching system of canals, as the Ems-Jade and See also:Dortmund-Ems canals . The Fulda, navigable for 63 m., and the Werra, 38 m., above the point where they unite, form by their junction the Weser, which has a course of 271 m., and receives as navigable tributaries the Alter, the Leine from Hanover, and some smaller streams . Ocean-going steamers, however, cannot get as far as Bremen, and unload at Bremerhaven . The Elbe, after a course of 250 m., enters German territory near See also:Bodenbach, 490 m. from its mouth . It is navigable above this point through its tributary, the Moldau, to See also:Prague . Hamburg may be reached by vessels of 17 ft. See also:draught .. The navigable tributaries of the Elbe are the Saale (below See also:Naumburg), the Havel, Spree, Elde, Sude and some others . The Oder begins to be navigable almost on the frontier at See also:Ratibor, 48o m. from its mouth, receiving as navigable tributaries the Glatz Neisse and the Warthe . Only the lower course of the Vistula belongs to the German empire, within which it is a broad, navigable stream of considerable See also:volume . On the Pregel See also:ships of 3000 tons reach Konigsberg, and river See also:barges reach See also:Insterburg; the Alle, its tributary, may also be navigated . The Memel is navigable in its course of 113 M. from the Russian frontier . Germany is thus a country abounding in natural See also:water-ways, the total length of them being estimated at 7000 m . But it is only the Rhine, in its middle course, that has at all times sufficient volume of water to meet the requirements of a See also:good navigable river . Lakes.—The regions which abound in lakes have already been pointed out . The Lake of Constance or Bodensee (204; sq. m.) is on the frontier of the empire, portions of the northern banks belonging severally to Bavaria, Wurttemberg and Baden . In the south the largest lakes are the Chiemsee (33 sq. m.); the Ammersee and the Wurmsee . A good many smaller lakes are to be found in the Bavarian Alps . The North German plain is dotted with upwards of 500 lakes, covering an area of about 2500 sq. m . The largest of these are the three Haffs—the Oder Haff covering 370 sq. m., the Frische Haff, 332, and the Kurische Haff, 626 . The lakes in the Prussian and Pomeranian provinces, in Mecklenburg and in Holstein, and those of the Havel, have already been mentioned . In the west the only lakes of importance are the Steinhuder See also:Meer, 14 M. north-west of Hanover, and the Dummersee on the southern frontier of Oldenburg . (P . A . A.) See also:Geology.—Germany consists of a See also:floor of folded Palaeozoic rocks upon which See also:rest unconformably the comparatively little disturbed beds of the Mesozoic system, while in the North German plain a covering of See also:modern deposits conceals the whole of the older strata from view, excepting some scattered and isolated outcrops of Cretaceous and See also:Tertiary beds . The rocks which compose the See also:ancient floor are thrown into folds which run approximately from W.S.W. to E.N.E . They are exposed on the one hand in the neighbourhood of the Rhine and on the other hand in the Bohemian See also:massif . With the latter must be included the Frankenwald, the Thuringerwald, and even the Harz . The See also:oldest rocks, belonging to the Archaean system, occur in the south, forming the Vosges and the Black Forest in the west, and the greater part of the Bohemian massif, including the Erzgebirge, in the east . They consist chiefly of See also:gneiss and schist, with granite and other eruptive rocks . Farther. north, in the Hunsruck, the Taunus, the Eifel and Westerwald, the Harz and the Frankenwald, the ancient floor is composed mainly of Devonian beds . Other Palaeozoic systems are, however, included in the folds .
The See also:Cambrian, for example, is exposed at Leimitz near See also:Hof in the Frankenwald, and the important coal-See also: |