Pomerania

Quick Facts: Who was Pomerania?

Subject:

Pomerania

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Historical region on the southern Baltic shore, split between Poland and Germany.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Pomerania (Polish: Pomorze [pɔˈmɔʐɛ] ; German: Pommern [ˈpɔmɐn] ; Kashubian: Pòmòrskô; Swedish: Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The central and eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian, Pomeranian and Kuyavian-Pomeranian voivodeships of Poland, while the western part belongs to the German states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg. Pomerania's historical border in the west is the Mecklenburg-Western Pomeranian border Urstromtal, which now constitutes the border between the Mecklenburgian and Pomeranian part of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while it is bounded by the Vistula River in the east. The easternmost part of Pomerania is alternatively known as Pomerelia, consisting of four sub-regions: Kashubia inhabited by ethnic Kashubians, Kociewie, Tuchola Forest and Chełmno Land. Pomerania has a relatively low population density, with its largest cities being Gdańsk and Szczecin.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Outside its urban areas, it is characterized by farmland, dotted with numerous lakes, forests, and small towns. In the west of Pomerania lie several islands, the largest of which are Rügen, the largest island in Germany; Usedom/Uznam, and Wolin, the largest island in Poland. The region has a rich and complicated political and demographic history at the intersection of several cultures. The name Pomerania (po more) is of Slavic origin and means "land by the sea". Pomerania is the area along the Bay of Pomerania of the Baltic Sea between the rivers Recknitz, Trebel, Tollense and Augraben in the west and Vistula in the east.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

It formerly reached perhaps as far south as the Noteć river, but since the 13th century its southern boundary has been placed further north. Most of the region is coastal lowland, being part of the Central European Plain. Its southern, hilly parts belong to the Baltic Ridge, a belt of terminal moraines formed during the Pleistocene. Within this ridge, a chain of moraine-dammed lakes constitutes the Pomeranian Lake District. The soil is generally rather poor, sometimes sandy or marshy.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Pomerania

True or False: “The name Pomerania derives from a Slavic root meaning 'land by the sea'.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The prefix "po-" in Lechitic languages means along, which translates to 'Along the Sea' when applied to Pomorze.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Pomerania