N. by the Maros,
and has an [v.03 p.0306] area of 11,260 sq. m. It is mountainous in the
south and south-east, while in the north, west and south-west it is flat
and in some places marshy. The climate, except in the marshy parts, is
generally healthy. It is well-watered, and forms one of the most fertile
districts of Hungary. Wheat, barley, oats, rye, maize, flax, hemp and
tobacco are grown in large quantities, and the products of the vineyards
are of a good quality. Game is plentiful and the rivers swarm with fish.
The mineral wealth is great, including copper, tin, lead, zinc, iron and
especially coal. Amongst its numerous mineral springs, the most important
are those of Mehadia, with sulphurous waters, which were already known in
the Roman period as the _Thermae Herculis_. The Banat had in 1900 a
population of 1,431,329 inhabitants. According to nationality there were
578,789 Rumanians, 362,487 Germans, 251,938 Servians and 170,124 Magyars.
The chief town is Temesvar (pop. 53,033), and other places of importance
are Versecz (25,199), Lugos (16,126), Nagybecskerek (26,407), Nagykikinda
(24,843) and Pancsova (19,044).

The Banat was conquered by the Turks in 1552, and remained a Turkish sanjak
(province) till 1716, when Prince Eugene of Savoy liberated it from the
Turkish yoke. It received the title of Banat after the peace of Passarowitz
(1718), and remained under a military administration until 1751, when Maria
Theresa introduced a civil administration. During the Turkish occupation
the district was nearly depopulated, and allowed to lie almost desolate in
marsh and heath and forest. Count Claudius Mercy (1666-1734), who was
appointed governor of Temesvar in 1720, took numerous measures for the
regeneration of the Banat. The marshes near the Danube and Theiss were
cleared, roads and canals were built at great expense of labour, German
artisans and other settlers were attracted to colonize the district, and
agriculture and trade encouraged. Maria Theresa also took a great interest
in the Banat, colonized the land belonging to the crown with German
peasants, founded many villages, encouraged the exploitation of the mineral
wealth of the country, and generally developed the measures introduced by
Mercy. In 1779 the Banat was again incorporated with Hungary. After the
revolution of 1848-1849, the Banat together with another county (Bacs) was
separated from Hungary, and created into a distinctive Austrian crown land,
but i