Pomerania
a province of Prussia, bounded by the Baltic, Mecklenburg, Brandenburg, and West Prussia; area, 11,630 square miles; pop. about 1,800,- 000. The chief islands along the coast are Rügen, Usedom, and Wollin. The interior is flat and, in parts, marshy.
The principal rivers are the Oder, Persante, and Stolpe. The soil is generally sandy and indifferent, but there are rich alluvial tracts, producing a quantity of grain. Flax, hemp, and tobacco are also cultivated. The forests are of large extent. There are few minerals. Manufactures include woolen and other fabrics. A considerable general and transit trade is carried on. The center of trade is Stettin, which ranks as one of the chief commercial cities of Prussia.
Pomerania appears to have been originally inhabited by Goths, Vandals, and Slavs. The present inhabitants are of Saxon stock. The first mention of it in history is in 1140. It long remained an independent duchy, and in 1637, on the extinction of the ducal family, it was annexed to Sweden. On the death of Charles XII. it was ceded to the electoral house of Brandenburg, with the exception of a part which subsequently was also obtained by Prussia.
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