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Pomerania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pomerania (German: Pommern, Polish: Pomorze, Kashubian: Pòmòrze or Pòmòrskô, Latin: Pomerania or Pomorania) is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East.[1] It is inhabited primarily by Poles, Germans and Kashubians. Pomerania was strongly affected by 20th century, post-World War I and II border and population shifts.
Pomerania belongs to the lowlands of the North European Plain. Outside the few urban centers, most notably the Szczecin and Tricity metropolitan areas, the poor soil is mostly used as farmland, dotted with numerous lakes, forests, and small towns. Primary agriculture consists of raising livestock, forestry, fishery and the cultivation of cereals, sugar beets, and potatoes. Since the late 19th century, tourism has become an important sector of the economy, primarily in the numerous seaside resorts along the coast. Of the limited industrial zones, the most important products are ships, metal products, refined sugar, and paper.[1]
Geography
Pomerania is the area along the Bay of Pomerania of the Baltic Sea between the rivers Recknitz in the west and Vistula in the east.[1][2] It formerly reached as far south as the Noteć (Netze) and Warta (Warthe) rivers, but since 1250 its southern boundary has been placed further north. Most of the region is coastal lowland of the North European Plain, its southern, hilly parts belong to the Baltic Ridge, a belt of terminal moraines formed during the Pleistocene. Within this ridge, a chain of moraine-dammed lakes constitutes the Pomeranian Lake District. The soil is generally poor, often sandy or marshy.[1] The western coastline is jagged, with lots of peninsulae (e.g., Darß-Zingst) and islands (Rügen, Usedom, Wolin and other, small isles) enclosing numerous bays (Bodden) and lagoons (e.g., the Lagoon of Szczecin).
The eastern coastline is smooth. The lakes Łebsko, Jamno and Gardno were formerly bays but have been cut off from the sea. The easternmost coastline along the Gdańsk Bay (with Bay of Puck) and Vistula Bay has the Hel peninsula and the Vistula peninsula jut out into the Baltic.
Etymology
Pomerania in all languages is derived from Old Slavic po, meaning "by/next to/along", and more, meaning "sea", thus "Pomerania" is literally "seacoast", referring to its proximity to the Baltic Sea.[3]
Pomerania was first mentioned in an imperial document of 1046, referring to a Zemuzil dux Bomeranorum (Zemuzil, Duke of the Pomeranians).[4] Pomerania is mentioned repeatedly in the chronicles of Adam of Bremen (ca. 1070) and Gallus Anonymous (ca. 1113).
Subdivisions
Pomerania is currently divided between the following main regions:
- Vorpommern ("Western" or "Hither Pomerania") in Germany, stretching from the Recknitz River to the Oder–Neisse line. This region is part of the Federal State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The southernmost parts of historical Vorpommern (Gartz area) are now in Brandenburg, Germany, while its historical easternmost parts (Oder estuary, "Stettiner Zipfel") are in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. Vorpommern comprises the historical regions Principality of Rügen and County of Gützkow.
- Zachodniopomorskie ("West Pomeranian Voivodeship") in Poland, stretching from the Oder–Neisse line to the Słupia River.
- Pomerelia (most of the Pomeranian Voivodeship and northernmost parts of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship), stretching from the Słupia River to the Vistula delta in the vicinity of Gdańsk.
The bulk of historical Farther Pomerania is included within the modern West Pomeranian Voivodeship, its easternmost parts (Slupsk (Stolp) area) now constitute the northwestern Pomeranian Voivodeship. Farther Pomerania in turn comprised several other historical regions itself, most notably the Lands of Schlawe and Stolp, the Lauenburg and Bütow Land, the County of Naugard and the principality of the Cammin bishops. In the South, Farther Pomerania comprised historical Neumark regions, and former Grenzmark Posen-West Prussia was attached during World War II.
Parts of Pomerania and surrounding regions have constituted a euroregion since 1995. The Pomerania euroregion comprises Germany's Vorpommern and Uckermark, Poland's Zachodniopomorskie, and Scania in Sweden.
Terminology
The term "West(ern) Pomerania" is potentially ambiguous, since it may refer to either Vorpommern (in historical[5] and German usage), to the Polish West Pomeranian Voivodeship, or both (in Polish usage).
The term Eastern Pomerania may similarly carry different meanings, referring either to historical Farther Pomerania (in historical[5] and German usage), or the Pomeranian Voivodeship (in Polish usage).
< West Pomerania East >Stralsund Anklam Szczecin
(Stettin) Kolobrzeg
(Kolberg) Slupsk
(Stolp) Gdynia
(Gdingen) Gdansk
(Danzig)
Current regions Vorpommern
(Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) Zachodniepomorskie
(West Pomeranian Voivodeship) Pomerelia
(Pomeranian Voivodeship)
German terminology
(corresponding English term) Pommern[1]
(Pomerania) Pomerellen, Pommerellen[1]
(Pomerelia)[1]
Kaschubei
(Kashubia)
Vorpommern
in modern usage excluding Szczecin
(Western Pomerania)
(Hither/Upper Pomerania) Hinterpommern
(Farther/Further Pomerania)
Ostpommern
(Eastern Pomerania)
Polish terminology
(corresponding English term) Pomorze Zachodnie, Zachodniepomorskie
in historical usage including Slupsk
(Western Pomerania)
Pomorze Szczecińskie (Szczecin Pomerania)
Pomorze Nadodrzańskie (Oder Pomerania) Pomorze,[1] Pomorskie
in historical usage excluding Slupsk
(Pomerelia,[1] literally Pomerania)
Pomorze Gdanskie
(Gdansk Pomerania)
Pomorze Wschodnie
(Eastern Pomerania)
Pomorze Przednie
(Hither/Upper Pomerania) Pomorze Tylne
(Farther/Further Pomerania)
Kashubian terminology
(corresponding English term) Zôpadnô Pòmòrskô
(Western Pomerania) Pòrénkòwô Pòmòrskô
(Eastern Pomerania)