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BELFORT, TERRITORY OF

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Originally appearing in Volume V03, Page 666 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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BELFORT, TERRITORY OF , administrative See also:division of eastern See also:France, formed from the See also:southern portion of the See also:department of Haut-Rhin, the See also:rest of which was ceded to See also:Germany by the treaty of See also:Frankfort (1871). It is bounded on the N.E. and E. by See also:German See also:Alsace, on the S.E. and S. by See also:Switzerland, on the S.W. by the department of See also:Doubs, on the W. by that of Haute-See also:Saone, on the N. by that of See also:Vosges. Pop. (1906), 95,421. With an See also:area of only 235 sq. m., it is, next to that of See also:Seine, the smallest department of France. The See also:northern See also:part is occupied by the southern offshoots of the Vosges, the southern part by the northern outposts of the See also:Jura. Between these two See also:highlands stretches the Trouee (depression) de Belfort, 182 m. broad, joining the basins of the See also:Rhine and the See also:Rhone, traversed by the See also:canal from the Rhone to the Rhine and by several See also:railways. A part of the natural See also:highway open from Frankfort to the Mediterranean, the Trouee has from earliest times provided the route for the See also:migration from See also:north to See also:south, and is still of See also:great commercial and strategical value. The northern part, occupied by the Vosges, rises to 4126 ft. in the Ballon d'Alsace, the northern termination and the culminating point of the department; to 3773 ft. in the See also:Planche See also:des Belles-Filles; to 3579 ft. in the See also:Signal des Plaines; to 3534 ft. in the Barenkopf; and to numerous other lesser heights. South of the Trouee de Belfort, there rise near Delle See also:limestone hills, in part wooded, on the frontiers of France, Alsace, and Switzerland, attaining 168o ft. in the Fortt de Florimont. The territory between Lachapelle-sous-Rougemont (in the north-See also:east), Belfort and Delle does not rise above 1300 ft. The See also:line of lowest See also:altitude follows the See also:river St See also:Nicolas and the Rhone-Rhine canal.

The See also:

chief See also:rivers are the Savoureuse, 24 M. See also:long, See also:running straight south from the Ballon d'Alsace, and emptying into the Allaine; the Allaine, from Switzerland, entering the territory a little to the south of Delle, and leaving it a little to the See also:west of Morvillars; the St Nicolas, 24 In. long, from the Barenkopf, running south-wards and then south-west into the Allaine. The See also:climate to the north of the See also:town of Belfort is marked by long and rigorous winters, sudden changes of temperature, and an See also:annual rainfall of 31 in. to 39 in. retained by an impervious subsoil; farther south it is milder and more equable with a rainfall of 23 in. to 31 in., quickly absorbed by the See also:soil or evaporated by the See also:sun. About one-third of the See also:total area is arable See also:land; See also:wheat, oats and See also:rye are the chief cereals; potatoes come next in importance. See also:Forest covers another third of the See also:surface; the chief trees are firs, pines, See also:oak and See also:beech; cherries are largely grown for the See also:distillation of See also:kirsch. Pasture and See also:forage crops See also:cover the remaining third of the Territory; only horned See also:cattle are raised to any extent. There is an unworked concession of See also:copper, See also:silver and See also:lead at Giromagny; and there are also quarries of See also:stone. The Territory is an active See also:industrial region. The two See also:main branches of manufacture are the See also:spinning and See also:weaving of See also:cotton and See also:wool, and the See also:production of See also:iron and iron-goods (See also:wire, railings, nails, files, &c.) and machinery. Belfort has important See also:locomotive and See also:engineering See also:works. Iloisery is manufactured at Delle, watches, clocks, agricultural machinery, petrol See also:motors, ironware and See also:electrical apparatus at the flourishing centre of Beaucourt, and there are numerous saw-See also:mills, See also:tile and See also:brick works and breweries. Imports consist of raw materials for the See also:industries, dyestuffs, See also:coal, See also:wine, &c., and the exports of manufactured goods. Belfort is the See also:capital of the Territory, which comprises one See also:arrondissement, 6 cantons and ro6 communes, and falls within the circumscriptions of the archbishopric, the See also:court of See also:appeal and the academie (educational division) of See also:Besancon.

It forms the 7th subdivision of the VII. See also:

army See also:corps. Both the Eastern and the See also:Paris-See also:Lyon-Mediterranee railways See also:traverse the Territory, and the canal from the Rhone to the Rhine accompanies the river St Nicolas for about 6 m.

End of Article: BELFORT, TERRITORY OF

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