HYDROGRAPHY. Among the rivers of Austria Hungary, the Danube is the most important, and is second only to the Volga in all Europe, its basin embracing about three-fourths of the total area of the country. It enters Upper Austria at Passau, and crossing Lower Austria in an easter ly direction, enters Hungary, which it traverses eastward to the Bakony Forest, then turns abruptly and flows due south to the border of Croatia, where it receives the Drave, then flows again eastward, receives from the north its prin cipal affluent, the Theiss, and from the 'west the Save, and at the Iron Gates breaks through the farther extremity of the Carpathian range, to descend thence into the great plains of Rumania and Bulgaria. The Danube is a very important factor in the economic life of the country, affording the largest navigable water way. Besides the Danube there are several large rivers in Austria-Hungary. The Theiss, with its largest tributary, the Maros. collects all the waters of eastern Hungary, and delivers them to the Danube at Titel. Two other great tributaries of the Danube, the Drave and Save, collect the drainage of Croatia, Slavonia, Bosnia, Carniola• Carinthia. and a great part of Styria, since the high mountains bordering the Adriatic coast prevent any streams from the interior reach ing that sea. The Elbe drains most of Bohemia,
while the Dniester traverses eastern Galicia, and the Vistula forms part of the boundary line be tween Russian Poland and Galicia. The Inn traverses northern Tyrol, and the Adige flows through the southern part of that province. The lakes are comparatively few and insignificant. The most important are the Plattensee and the Neusiedlersee. in the western part of Hungary. There are numerous small lakes, especially in the Alps, some of them situated at an altitude of over 7000 feet, and famous for their scenery. The uneven surface of Austria-Hungary is not favora ble for the construction of artificial waterways, and the canals of the country are few and com paratively unimportant. The Franzens Canal is the longest (137 miles). and connects the Danube with the Theiss. Austria-Hungary is famous for its hot and mineral springs, of which there are over 2S00. mostly situated in Bohemia. Hungary, and Transylvania. The most important of them are Karlshad, Marienbad, and Teplitz ( Bohemia ) .