Masurian Lake District
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The Masurian Lake District or Masurian Lake Land (Template:Langx) is a lake district in northeastern Poland within the geographical region of Masuria, in the past inhabited by Masurians who spoke the Masurian dialects. It contains more than 2,000 lakes. The district had been elected as one of the 28 finalists of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
The Lakeland extends roughly 290 km (180 mi) eastwards from the lower Vistula to the Poland–Russia border, and occupies an area of roughly Script error: No such module "convert".. Administratively, the Lake District lies within the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. Small parts of the district lie within the Masovian and Podlaskie Voivodeships.[1]
The lakes are well connected by rivers and canals, forming an extensive system of waterways. The 18th-century Masurian Canal links this system to the Baltic Sea. The whole area is a prime tourist destination, frequented by boating enthusiasts, canoeists, anglers, hikers, bikers and nature-lovers. It is one of the most famous lake districts in Central Europe and a popular vacation spot, with a high number of visitors every year.[1]
Geology
Script error: No such module "Unsubst". The lake district was shaped by glaciers during the Pleistocene ice age. Many of its hills are parts of moraines and many of its lakes are moraine-dammed lakes.
History
From the 13th century on, the Lakeland was successively part of the monastic state of the Teutonic Knights, the Duchy of Prussia, and the Prussian province of East Prussia. In modern times, while part of the German Empire, it was the location of the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes (1914) and the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes (1915) during World War I. At the end of World War II (1945) this region fell into the Soviet Union's Zone of Occupation. Stalin arbitrarily placed this zone (excluding the Kaliningrad enclave) under communist Polish administration[2] and its German residents were then brutally expelled, all their properties confiscated.[3]
Historical population
Mother tongue of the inhabitants of Masuria, by county, during the first half of the 19th century:
| County (German name) | Year | Polish-speakers | % | German-speakers | % | Lithuanian-speakers | % | Total population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gołdap (Goldap) | 1825 | 3940 | 16% | 17412 | 70% | 3559 | 14% | 24911 |
| Olecko (Oletzko) | 1832 | 23302 | 84% | 4328 | 16% | 22 | 0% | 27652 |
| Ełk (Lyck) | 1832 | 29246 | 90% | 3413 | 10% | 4 | 0% | 32663 |
| Węgorzewo (Angerburg) | 1825 | 12535 | 52% | 11756 | 48% | 60 | 0% | 24351 |
| Giżycko (Lötzen) | 1832 | 20434 | 89% | 2528 | 11% | 25 | 0% | 22987 |
| Pisz (Johannisburg) | 1825 | 28552 | 93% | 2146 | 7% | 0 | 0% | 30698 |
| Mrągowo (Sensburg) | 1825 | 22391 | 86% | 3769 | 14% | 5 | 0% | 26165 |
| Szczytno (Ortelsburg) | 1825 | 34928 | 92% | 3100 | 8% | 0 | 0% | 38028 |
| Nidzica (Neidenburg) | 1825 | 27467 | 93% | 2149 | 7% | 1 | 0% | 29617 |
| Ostróda (Osterode) | 1828 | 23577 | 72% | 9268 | 28% | 0 | 0% | 32845 |
| TOTAL | 1825/32 | 226,372 | 78% | 59,869 | 21% | 3,676 | 1% | 289,917 |
Climate
Masuria has a temperate climate with cold winters and warm summers.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
See also
References
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- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Balfour, Michael, & Mair, John, Four-Power Control in Germany and Austria 1945-1946, Oxford University Press, U.K., 1956.
- ↑ Schieder, Professor Theodor, editor-in-chief, The Expulsion of the German Population from the Territories East of the Oder-Neisse-Line, Published by the Federal Ministry for Expellees, Refuges and War Victims, Bonn, Germany, 1954.
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External links
- Official website of the World Tourism Organization
- Tourist information, at mazury.info.pl Template:In lang