rland, and E. by the
kingdom of Wuerttemberg and part of Bavaria. The country has an area of
5823 sq. m. and consists of a considerable portion of the eastern half of
the fertile valley of the Rhine and of the mountains which form its
boundary. The mountainous part is by far the most extensive, forming,
indeed, nearly 80% of the whole area. From the Lake of Constance in the
south to the river Neckar in the north is a portion of the Black Forest or
_Schwarzwald_, which is divided by the valley of the Kinzig into two
districts of different elevation. To the south of the Kinzig the mean
height is 3100 ft., and the loftiest summit, the Feldberg, reaches about
4898 ft., while to the north the mean height is only 2100 ft., and the
Belchen, the culminating point of the whole, does not exceed 4480 ft. To
the north of the Neckar is the Odenwald Range, with a mean of 1440 ft., and
in the Katzenbuckel, an extreme of 1980 ft. Lying between the Rhine and the
Dreisam is the Kaiserstuhl, an independent volcanic group, nearly 10 m. in
length and 5 in breadth, the highest point of which is 1760 ft. The greater
part of Baden belongs to the basin of the Rhine, which receives upwards of
twenty tributaries from the highlands; the north-eastern portion of the
territory is also watered by the Main and the Neckar. A part, however, of
the eastern slope of the Black Forest belongs to the basin of the Danube,
which there takes its rise in a number of mountain streams. Among the
numerous lakes which belong to the duchy are the Mummel, Wilder, Eichener
and Schluch, but none of them is of any size. The Lake of Constance
(_Boden-See_) belongs partly to Bavaria and Switzerland.

Owing to its physical configuration Baden presents great extremes of heat
and cold. The Rhine valley is the warmest district in Germany, but the
higher elevations of the Black Forest record the greatest degrees of cold
experienced in the south. The mean temperature of the Rhine valley is
approximately 50deg F. and that of the high table-land, 43deg F. July is
the hottest and January the coldest month in the year.

[v.03 p.0185] The mineral wealth of Baden is not great; but iron, coal,
zinc and lead of excellent quality are produced, and silver, copper, gold,
cobalt, vitriol and sulphur are obtained in small quantities. Peat is found
in abundance, as well as gypsum, china-clay, potters' earth and salt. The
mineral springs of Baden are very numerous and have acquired great
celeb