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Dynasties, Sovereigns, and Governments of France: German
German Emperor, William II., King of Prussia. son of Frederic III. and the Empress Victoria, Princess Royal of Great Britain. Succeeded his father, June 15, 1888. Married February 27, 1881, Augusta Victoria; born October 22, 1858, daughter of the late Frederick Duke of Schleswig-Holstein. Heir-apparent-German Crown Prince, Prince Royal of Prussia; born May 6, 1882. German Emperors-William I., 1871; Frederick III., 1888; William 11., 1888.
The German Empire is, next to Russia, the most extensive division of Europe. It lies between latitude 47° 17′ and 55° 52′ N., and longitude 5° 45′ and 22° 52′ E., and has an area of 208,590 miles. The Baltic, Denmark and the North Sea form the N. boundary; Russia, the E.; Austria, the S.-E.; Switzerland and Austria, the S.; and France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, the W. The coast line is comparatively small, and includes only a few good harbors, but Germany is well supplied with navigable rivers, which are of the greatest commercial service. Much of the surface consists of a great plain, which occupies the whole of the N. and E.
The Austrian, Bohemian and part of the French frontiers are guarded by mountain chains, and the W. and S. divisions include many broken ranges of hills and mountains of moderate elevation, none of the peaks being over 5,000 feet in height. The chief rivers are the Rhine, Danube, Elbe, Oder and Weser, with their tributaries. The Niemen and Vistula both belong properly to Russia, but have part of their course within Germany. The Oder drains the N.-E. and empties into the Baltic; the Elbe and Weser with their affluents drain the central portion and discharge their waters into the North Sea. The Danube has its source in the Black Forest and flows for about 400 miles through Baden, Wurtemberg and Bavaria, entering Austria at Passau. The Rhine, which takes its rise in the Swiss Lake Constance, forms in part the southern boundary, flows N. and E. to its junction with the Main, and thence N.-W. to the boundary of the Netherlands, receiving the Moselle and many smaller streams. The Ems drains a small area in the extreme N.-W.
VEGETATION.-Some divisions of Germany are extremely productive, but in others the land is sterile and almost barren. The product are those of the N. temperate zone, including all the cereals, potatoes, peas and beans, tobacco, flax, hemp, hops and beets.
The culture of the vine extends N. to latitude 51° 30', and apples and other of the hardier fruits attain perfection in every district. The greater part of the surface was formerly covered by dense forests, but in the course of years most of these were destroyed, and although great attention is now paid to forestry the land as a whole is not heavily timbered.
MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE. - Germany held, during the Middle Ages, the foremost position as a manufacturing country in all Europe, but it was long ago distanced by England, Belgium, and other countries. But under a wise system of commercial laws admitting of free commerce between all the States composing the Zollverein great progress has been made, and Germany again occupies a position in the front rank of the manufacturing nations of Continental Europe. The linen, woolen and silk manufactures are the most important. Very large quantities of iron and steel, manufactures of wood, paper, machinery, glassware, leather goods, porcelain, and jewelry are produced. Brewing, the manufacture of sugar, and of furniture, toys, and fine textile fabrics, are large and important industries employing a great many persons. At Essen is the largest cannon foundry in the world, and the machine shops of Prussia, Saxony, Baden and Bavaria rival, if they do not excel, the largest establishments of England. Germany imports largely of raw materials such as cotton and wool, and after manufacturing these goods exports the products. In the manufacture of toys and the choicest kinds of cabinet furniture, Germany is unrivalled. Its silks are equal in quality to those of France and England; while the glassware of Silesia and the porcelain of Dresden and Saxony are known the world over. The cotton industry has lately assumed very large dimensions, and it is estimated that there are over 8,000,000 spindles in the empire.