a department of France, bounded on the N. by that of Moselle, E. by that of Bas Rhin, S. by that of Vosges, and W. by that of Meuse. It lies between Lat. 48° 20' and 49° 30', Long. 4° 40' and 7° 20'. Having a length of 70 miles, an average breadth of 35, and an area of 2353 square miles. The eastern part of the department is occupied by the Vosges Mountains, which rise to the height of 1148 feet; and the rest of the surface is diversified and undulating, being traversed by numerous low spurs of the same mountain range.
The principal river is the Moselle, which traverses the department in an irregular course from S. to N., and is joined near Nancy by the Meurthe, from which the department takes its name. The former of these rivers is navigable in this department for 21 miles, and the latter for 6. The department is also watered by the Seille and the Sarre, smaller tributaries of the Moselle; and it contains several lakes of small size. The nature of the soil is very various in different parts; but it is in general of great fertility, especially in the valley of the Seille. Of the whole area of 1,505,928 acres, 750,000 acres consist of arable land; 175,000 of pasture; 40,000 of vineyards; 290,000 of wood; 15,000 of waste land; &c. The quantity of wheat annually raised is about 3,240,000 bushels; and the amount of wine produced in ordinary years is 20,064,000 gallons, but its quality is by no means so remarkable as its quantity. Potatoes also, and leguminous plants, thrive well here; flax and rape are cultivated largely; and the hay furnished by the meadows of this department is of great excellence. The horses and cattle of Meurthe are not remarkable for the excellence of their breed; but pigs are reared in large numbers and with considerable success. The number of horses is about 75,000; of cattle, 92,000; of sheep, 180,000; and of pigs, 110,000; large numbers of which are exported. The mineral productions are not of much importance. They consist principally in rock-salt and salt springs, from which upwards of 44,000 tons of salt and nearly 1000 tons of soda are annually obtained. There are also numerous quarries of marble, granite, limestone, slate, &c., and a small amount of iron ore has been found, but not so much as to render the working of iron mines a profitable undertaking. The principal branches of industry prosecuted here are the manufacture of iron and glass; but those of lace, cotton and woollen stuffs, paper, glue, &c., are also carried on. The manufactures were formerly in a very low condition, but of late years they have increased greatly in prosperity. The commerce of the department consists chiefly in the productions of the agricultural and manufacturing industry of the inhabitants. The people of Meurthe are partly of French and partly of German origin, and the German language is still spoken in the east of the department.
The railway from Paris to Strasbourg runs through the department for a distance of more than 80 miles. Meurthe is divided into five arrondissements, as follows:
| Canton | Communes | Pop. (1851) | |--------|----------|-------------| | Nancy | 8 | 187 | 147,978 | | Château-Salins | 5 | 147 | 68,634 | | Luxeuil | 6 | 145 | 88,978 | | Sarrebourg | 5 | 116 | 76,667 | | Toul | 5 | 119 | 68,166 |
Total: 29 714 450,423
The total population in 1856 was 424,373. The capital is Nancy.
a river of France, rises near Mount Bonhomme, a summit of the Vosges range, in the department of Vosges, flows N. and N.W. through that department and the adjoining one of Meurthe, and after a course of 100 miles, falls into the Moselle below Nancy. It receives the Vezouze and the Mortagne; and is navigable as far up as Nancy, about 6 miles from its confluence with the Moselle. It frequently overflows its banks, and thus contributes greatly to the fertility of the surrounding country. Large quantities of timber are floated down this river. The chief towns on its banks are St Dié, Raon l'Etappe, Lunéville, and Nancy.