RIESENGBIRGE

RIESENGBIRGE, or GIANT MOUNTAINS, a mountain chain of Germany, forming a part of the Sudetes, in the widest sense of that term, but a continuation of the chain strictly and properly so called. They extend from S.E. to N.W., separating Bohemia from Silesia, and rise above the Henschauer-Gebirge, which join it on the S.E., on the confines of Glatz, and the Iser-Gebirge, which form its continuation to the N.W. They are for the most part composed of granite and schist; and the scenery is very wild and romantic. The lower slopes are covered with forests of oak and beech; farther up, their place is supplied by pines; which in turn give place to shrubs and lichens. The principal summits are the following, arranged in their order from S.E. to N.W.: