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LAKE OF CONSTANCE (called by the Romans Lacus Brigantinus or lake of Bregenz, and now usually named in German Bodensee, as well as the " Swabian Sea ")
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CONSTANCE, LAKE OF (called by the Romans Lacus Brigantinus or lake of Bregenz, and now usually named in German Bodensee, as well as the " Swabian Sea "), the most extensive sheet of water in the Alpine region, after the Lake of Geneva. It is situated on the north-east frontier of Switzerland, and is formed by the Rhine. Its shape is oblong, while at its north-western extremity it divides into two arms, the Untersee (from Con-stance to Stein-am-Rhein) and the Uberlingersee (running up to Ludwigshafen). The length of the lake from Bregenz to Steinam-Rhein is 462 m., while that from Bregenz to Ludwigshafen is but 40 M. Its surface is 1309 ft. above sea-level, the greatest width is 102 m., and the greatest depth 827 ft. The area of the lake is 204 sq. m., of which 814 sq. m. have belonged to Switzer-land since 1803, the canton of Thurgau holding 594 sq. in. and that of St Gall 212 sq. m. Austria has held Bregenz, at the south-eastern angle of the lake, since 1451, while the north end of the lake belongs to Baden (Constance held since 18os), and bits of its eastern shore form part of Wurttemberg (Friedrichshafen, formerly called Buchhorn, since 181o) and of Bavaria (Lindau since 18o5) . The first steamer was placed on its waters in 1824. Numerous remains of lake-dwellings have been found on the shores of this lake (see E. von Triiltsch, Die Pfahlbauten des Bodenseegebietes, Stuttgart, 1902). (W. A. B. C.)