RHINE, Lower, a department of France, formed out of the German dominion of Alsace, and the territories of the former princes who were sovereigns of the several subdivisions. It is situated between 48. 12. and 49. 8. of north latitude, and between 6. 49. and 8. 9. of east longitude. It is bounded on the north by the department of the Moselle, and by the Bavarian province of the Rhine, from which it is separated by the river Lauter. On the east the Rhine is the boundary which divides it from the duchy of Baden. On the south it joins the department of the Upper Rhine, and on the west that of the Vosges and of the Meurthe. It extends over 1,045,760 acres, equal to 1634 square miles; and it contains 561,859 inhabitants of German origin, and the greater part of whom speak only that language. Though the majority adhere to the Catholic Church, the two sects of Protestants are numerous; the Lutherans being estimated at 160,000, and the Calvinists at 28,000. The eastern part is a rich level plain extending along the side of the Rhine, and watered by small streams issuing from the hills in the western part, and emptying themselves into that stream, after fertilizing the soil. The state of culture is good; and the land, cultivated like a garden, produces most abundant crops. In proceeding westward from the river, the ground rises gradually from hills 300 feet in height to
mountains between 2500 and 4000 feet of elevation. In this mountainous district the soil is stony or sandy, and of ungrateful kind; but it abounds with extensive and valuable woods, whilst in the valleys some rich pasture-land is found. In the lower districts the chief bread-corn grown is wheat or winter barley, on the hilly parts rye and oats; but the whole department has a surplus of grain to aid the districts around them with one twelfth of its produce. On the levels great crops are raised of hemp, flax, tobacco, mustard, aniseed, hops, coriander seeds, poppy and other oil plants, and abundance of madder scarcely inferior to that of Holland. The hills afford fuel and timber, and their sides are covered with vineyards yielding abundance of wine of various kinds, and some very highly esteemed. Apples, pears, and plums, are abundant everywhere. Wine and fruit are considerable branches of the export trade. The mineral productions are insignificant, and confined to small portions of iron and some coals. There are various manufactures carried on in other parts of the district, but the chief are in and about Strasburg. They are ironmongery and fire-arms (including cannon), linen-weaving, spinning and weaving cottons, tanning leather, making paper, and some porcelain, and several minute commodities. The Rhine facilitates commerce with Germany, with Holland, and with Switzerland, all of which branches are on the increase. The department elects four deputies to the legislative chamber. It contains four arrondissements, thirty-three cantons, and 554 communes. Strasburg is the capital, with a population of 57,885 inhabitants.