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VOSGES

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Originally appearing in Volume V28, Page 214 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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VOSGES , a frontier See also:

department of eastern See also:France, formed in 1790 chiefly of territory previously belonging to See also:Lorraine, together with portions of Franche-See also:Comte and See also:Champagne, and bounded N. by the department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, E. by See also:Alsace, S.E. by the territory of See also:Belfort, S. by the department of Haute-See also:Saone, W. by Haute-See also:Marne and N.W. i (q.v.). The rounded summits of the Grandes Vosges are called by See also:Meuse. Pop. (1906) 429,812; See also:area, 2279 sq. m. The ' ballons." The departments of Vosges and Haute Saone are Vosges mountains (see be_ow) See also:form a natural boundary on divided from Alsace and the territory of Belfort by the Ballon d'Alsace the See also:east, their highest See also:French See also:eminence, the Hohneck, attaining 4ASI ft. The Monts Faucilles See also:traverse the See also:south of the department to a broad See also:curve declining on the See also:north into elevated plateaus, on the south encircling the upper See also:basin of the Saone. This See also:chain, dividing the basins of the See also:Rhone and the See also:Rhine, forms See also:part of the See also:European See also:watershed between the basins of the Mediterranean and See also:Atlantic. The Moselle and the Meuse, tributaries of the Rhine, have the largest drainage areas in the department; a small See also:district in the N.W. sends its See also:waters to the See also:Seine, the See also:rest belongs to the basin of the Rhone. The Moselle rises in the See also:Col de Bussang in the extreme south-east, and in a N.N.W. course of about 70 M. in the department receives the Moselotte and the Vologne on the right; the See also:Mortagne and Meurthe on the right and the Madon on the See also:left See also:bank also belong to this department though they join the Moselle outside its See also:borders. The source of the Saone is on the See also:southern slope of the Faucilles. On the See also:shore of See also:Lake See also:Gerardmer lies the beautifully situated See also:town of Gerardmer, a well-known centre for See also:mountain excursions. The See also:elevation and the northward exposure of the valleys make the See also:climate severe, and a See also:constant dampness prevails, owing both to the abundance of the rainfall and to the impermeability of the subsoil.

The See also:

average temperature at Epinal (1070 ft.) is 49° F. The See also:annual rainfall at Epinal is 28 in., at St See also:Die 32 in. and in the mountains more. Arable farming flourishes in the western districts where See also:wheat, oats and potatoes are largely grown. The See also:vine is cultivated on the See also:river See also:banks, to best See also:advantage on those of the Moselle. Pasture is abundant in the mountainous region, where See also:cheese-making is carried on to some extent, but the best grazing is in the central valleys. Forests, which occupy large tracts on the flanks of the Vosges, See also:cover about one-third of the department, and are a See also:principal source of its See also:wealth. Sawmills are numerous in the Vosges and the manufacture of See also:furniture, sabots, brushes and See also:wood-working in See also:general are prominent See also:industries. The department has mines of See also:lignite and See also:stone quarries of various kinds. There are numerous See also:mineral springs, of which those of See also:Contrexeville, Plombieres, Vittel, Bains-See also:les-Bains, Martigny-les-Bains and Bussang may be named. The manufacture of textiles is the See also:chief See also:industry, comprising the See also:spinning and See also:weaving of See also:cotton, See also:wool, See also:silk, See also:hemp and See also:flax, and the manufacture of See also:hosiery and of See also:embroidery and See also:lace, Mirecourt (pop. 5092) being an important centre for the two last. The department forms the See also:diocese of St Die (See also:province of See also:Besancon), has its See also:court of See also:appeal and educational centre at See also:Nancy, and belongs to the district of the NX.

See also:

Army See also:Corps. It is divided into the arrondissements of Epinal, Mirecourt, Neufchhtcau, See also:Remiremont and St Die, with 29 cantons and 530 communes.

End of Article: VOSGES

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