RHINE, Lower, a department in the east of France, consisting chiefly of the lower part of the ancient Alsace. It is extremely fertile, and produces corn of all kinds, maize, rapeseed, hemp, flax, tobacco, chesnuts, vines, excellent pasturage, and wood in abundance. Agriculture is more improved here than in most other parts of France. Fallows are now disused. Potatoes were introduced here earlier, and are cultivated more extensively, than in the other departments. The horses are good,—black cattle numerous,—but there are few sheep. There are mines of iron and coal, and quarries of building stone. The manufactures consist of fustians, tapestry, cutlery, &c. The extent of this department was 495,975 hectares, of which, about one-eighth part was cut off by the treaty of Paris in 1815. Its population in 1800 was 444,858; but in 1815, after the cessions, it was only 391,642. Its contributions in 1802 amounted to 3,609,442. Strasburg is the chief town.