POMERANIA (Ger. Pommern), a province of Prussia, bounded is. by the Baltic, e. by w Prussia, s. by Brandenburg, and w, by the duchies. Area, 11.600 sq. miles. Pop. (at the close of '75) 1,462,310. Pomerania is divided into the three gov ernmental districts of Stettin, Stralsund, and Kbslin.
This province, which is one of the lowest and flattest in Germany, and has few hills of even moderate height, is intersected by the Oder (q.v.), which forms numerous lakes and ponds, the largest of which is the Dammer lake. The waters of this lake and of the Oder are then carried into the Stettiner I-Taff, from which three outlets— those of the Peene, Swine, and Dievenow—lead into the Baltic. Between these three outlets are the two islands of Usedom and Wollin. After the Oder, the chief rivers of Pomerania are the Ihna. Rega, Persante, Wipper, and Stolpe. The shores in some parts are protected by dikes and sand-banks. The soil is generally sandy, and in many districts even stony, although near Pyritz and Stargard, on the Ploen and Maduc lakes, and at some points of the sea-coast, it presents a tolerably fruitful character, yielding good crops of wheat, and affording rich pasture. About half of the whole area is cul tivated; about a sixth is uncultivated, or under water; and time remainder is in pastures, heath, and wood. The chief vegetable products, most of which are grown in sufficient quantities to be largely exported, are—rye. wheat, and other grain, flax. hemp, tobacco, end timber. Among the other exports of Pomerania are horses, cattle, sheep. swine, geese of superior quality, feathers, butter, wool, hams, sausages, smoked poultry, etc. The sturgeon and salmon fisheries are very productive, and Pomerania is noted for its admirable lampreys, eels. and crayfish, which are largely exported in is pickled state. The mineral products, which are inconsiderable, include bog-iron, lime, marl. :duns. salt, amber found on the coast near Stolpe, and peat—which latter substance is obtained in enormous quantities, and extensively used for fuel, notwithstanding the abundant supply of wood yielded by the extensive and productive forests.
Linen and woolen fabrics, and leather, rank among the best of the industrial prod acts; but the manufactures of Pomerania are not of much importance. The principal
branches of industry are agriculture and the rearing of horses and cattle, while active transport-trade between the neighboring Prussian states and the Baltic ports con stitutes a very important source of wealth to the province. The main scat of Pomera nian trade is at Stettin (q.v.), which ranks as one of the most important commercial cities of Prussia.
Pomerania, like every other part of the Prussian dominions, is well provided with educational institutions, and, besides the university at Greifswald, it has thirteen gym nasia, several normal and training schools, and numerous classical and other schools.
Pomerania formed, in the earliest periods of its history, a part of the ancient king dom of the Wends or Vandals. From the year 1062 it had its own ducal rulers, and in the beginning of the 12th c. it adopted Christianity in consequence of the preaching of bishop Otto, of Bamberg. Bogislaus XIV., who died in 1637, was the last male repre sentative of the Wendish ducal line; and, on his death, the house of Brandenburg laid claim to the whole of the Pomeranian territories, in conformity with a compact which the latter family asserted to have been made between them and the Wendish dukes; but the country having been occupied by the Swedes during the thirty years' war, Prussia was obliged to content itself with the possession of Pomerania, or RinteiTom mern, which was assigned to it at the peace of Westphalia, while Sweden retained the remainder of Pomerania, with the island of Rugen (q.v.). After the death of Charles NIL, and the subsequent decline of the Swedish power, Prussia was able to make good her asserted claims on the territory of Pomerania at the peace of Stockholm; and in 1720 Sweden was compelled to cede s. Pomerania and the island of Rugen, retaining only a narrow strip of land between Mecklenburg and the Baltic, which was also incor porated with Prussia in 1815, after having been first transferred by Sweden to Den mark as part indemnification for the separation from the latter kingdom of Norway, and subsequently ceded to Prussia by the Danes in exchange for the duchy of Lanett burg, and on the payment of 24 million thalers to the latter, and of 3j million thalers to the Swedish government.