CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



its own parliament, ministers, and government, ' 

 and is so far self-regulative ; but there is also a 

 higher parliament, composed of delegates from 

 both parts of the empire, whose decisions are 

 final on imperial questions, such as foreign diplo- 

 macy, war, &c. The form of government is now 

 essentially constitutional, and, as far as liberal 

 reforms can give solid unity to a heterogeneous 

 mass of peoples, the thing is being done in Austria. 

 In 1881, the revenue of the empire, and of 

 Austria and of Hungary, was nearly ^90,000,000 ; 

 and its expenditure, .80,000,000, The debt in the 

 same year amounted to ^470,000,000. The army 

 in 1882 numbered 268,470 on the peace, and 

 1,031,700 on the war footing. The navy consisted 

 of 50 steamers (13 iron-clads), and 10 sailing- 

 vessels. Pola and Trieste are the two Austrian 

 war-harbours. Capital, Vienna, with 1,103,00x3 

 inhabitants (in 1880). 



GERMANY. 



Germany, so called from the Latin Gerntania, 

 is the English name of the country which the 

 natives call Deutschland, and the French, L'Alle- 

 magne. The word is sometimes employed to 

 denote the whole area of the European continent 

 within which the Germanic race and language 

 are dominant In this broad sense, it includes, 

 besides Germany proper, parts of Austria, Swit- 

 zerland, and perhaps even of the Netherlands ; 

 but using the word here to denote the territory 

 belonging to the new Germanic empire of 1871, 

 it may be said that Germany occupies the central 

 portions of Europe, and extends from 6 to 22 

 40' east longitude ; and from 49 7' to 55 50' 

 north latitude. It is bounded on the north by the 

 Danish peninsula, the German Ocean, and the 

 Baltic ; on the east, by Russia and Austria ; on 

 the south, by Austria, Italy, and Switzerland ; and 

 on the west, by France, Belgium, and the Nether- 

 lands. Its area is estimated at 208,000 square 

 miles, and its population, in 1880, at 45,234,000. 



With regard to physical configuration, Germany 

 presents two very distinct formations : I. A range 

 of high table-land, occupying the centre and 

 southern parts of the country, interspersed with 

 numerous ranges and groups of mountains, the 

 most important of which are, the Harz and 

 Teutoburgerwald, in the north ; the Taunus and 

 Thuringerwald, in the middle ; and the Schwarz- 

 wald and Rauhe Alps, in the south ; and con- 

 taining an area, including Alsace and Lorraine, 

 of 110,000 square miles. 2. A vast sandy plain, 

 which extends from the centre of the empire north 

 to the German Ocean, and the boundaries of 

 Jutland, and including Slesvig-Holstein, contains 

 an area of 98,000 square miles. This great plain, 

 stretching from the Russian frontier on the east, 

 to the Netherlands on the west, is varied by two 

 terrace-like elevations. The one stretches from 

 the Vistula into Mecklenburg, at no great distance 

 from the coast of the Baltic, and has a mean 

 elevation of 500 to 600 feet, rising in one point 

 near Danzig to 1020 feet ; the other line of eleva- 

 tions begins in Silesia, and terminates in the 

 moorlands of Liineburg in Hanover, its course 

 being marked by several summits from 500 to 

 800 feet in height. A large part of this sandy 

 tract is interspersed with deposits of peat ; but 

 other parts are moderately fertile, and admit of j 

 sis 



successful cultivation. In respect of drainage, 

 the surface of Germany belongs to three dif- 

 ferent basins (i.) The Danube, from its source 

 in the Black Forest to the borders of Austria, 

 belongs to Germany, and through this channel 

 the waters of the greater part of Bavaria are 

 poured into the Black Sea ; thus opening up com- 

 munication with the East (2.) The North Sea. 

 (3.) The Baltic. The chief German streams flowing; 

 into the North Sea are the Rhine, the Weser, and 

 the Elbe ; into the Baltic, the Oder and the 

 Vistula, The most important of the numerous 

 canals which connect together the great river 

 systems of Germany are Ludwig's Canal in- 

 Bavaria, which unites the Danube and Main, and 

 thus opens a communication between the Black 

 Sea and German Ocean ; the Finow and Fried- 

 rich-Wilhelm's Canals in Brandenburg ; the Plaue 

 Canal, which connects the Elbe and the Havel ^ 

 and the Kiel and Eyder Canal, uniting the Baltic 

 and German Ocean. Numerous lakes occur both 

 in the table-land of Southern Germany and in 

 the lowlands of the northern districts, but few 

 of them are of any great' size. Germany abounds- 

 in swamps and marsh lands, which are especially 

 numerous in the low northern districts. Its mine- 

 ral springs occur principally in Nassau, Wiirtem- 

 berg, Baden, Bavaria, and Rhenish Prussia. 

 Many of these springs have retained their high 

 reputation from the earliest ages. 



The climate of Germany is said to be 'less 

 variable than the nature of its mountain-system, 

 and the ranges of latitude within which it lies, 

 would lead us to imagine ; and its vegetation 

 resembles in its general character that of England 

 or the north of France.' Germany is rich in 

 mineral products, among which the most import- 

 ant are silver, found in the Harz Mountains ; iron 

 in numerous mountain ranges ; salt in many parts 

 of the country ; coal in Rhenish Prussia and 

 Silesia. Cobalt, arsenic, sulphur, saltpetre, alum, 

 gypsum, bismuth, pumice-stone, tripoli-slate, 

 kaolin, emery, ochre, and vitriol are all among- 

 the exports of Germany. The vegetable products 

 comprise a very large proportion of European- 

 flora. All the ordinary cereals are extensively 

 cultivated in the north, and largely exported ; 

 hemp and flax, madder, woad, and saffron grow 

 well in the central districts, where the vine, the 

 cultivation of which extends in suitable localities 

 as far north as 51, is brought to great perfection 

 the best wine-producing districts being the 

 valleys of the Danube, Rhine, Main, Neckar, and 

 Moselle, which are, moreover, noted for the excel- 

 lence of their fruits and vegetables. Tobacco is 

 grown in sufficient quantities for extensive export- 

 ation on the Upper Rhine, Werra, and Oder. 

 The hops of Bavaria have a high reputation, and 

 the chicory grown in that country, and in the dis- 

 trict between the Elbe and the Weser, finds its 

 way all over Europe as a substitute for coffee. 

 The most extensive forests are found in Central 

 Germany, and in some parts of Prussia, while the 

 north-western parts of the great plain are deficient 

 in wood, the place of which is in some degree 

 supplied by the abundance of turf yielded by the 

 marshy lands. Germany has long been noted for 

 its good breed of horses, while Saxony, Silesia, 

 and Brandenburg have an equal reputation for 

 their sheep-flocks, and the fine quality of their 

 wool The rich alluvial flats of Mecklenburg and 



for 

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