(Germ. Sachsen-Meiningen), a duchy of Germany, lying between N. Lat. 50° 13' and 50° 58'; E. Long. 9° 28' and 11° 25'; bounded on the N. by parts of Hesse-Cassel, Prussia, Gotha, Weimar, and Altenburg; E. by Schwartzburg and Reuss; S. by Bavaria and Coburg; and W. by Weimar. It has the form of a semi-circle or bow, curving towards the south; and its area is 981 square miles. The surface is throughout hilly, and in some parts mountainous. It is divided into the upper and the lower land; the former occupying the eastern part of the duchy, which is traversed by the range of the Thuringian Forest; the latter in the west, being occupied by the south-western slope of these mountains, and by the eastern part of the Rhön range. About the middle, between the two, lies the principality of Hildburghausen; and to the north-east of the high land that of Saalfeld; both of which are now included in the duchy of Meiningen. The principal summits are Kieferle, in the Thuringian range, 2786 feet high; and Gebahre, in the Rhön mountains, 2378 feet high. The principal river in the duchy is the Werra, which is formed by the union of two small streams, and flows in a north-west direction. The Saale crosses the north-east of the country; and the Milz, Steinach, and Itz, which all flow into the Main, take their rise in Saxe-Meiningen. There are several lakes in the country; and mineral springs at Salzungen and Liebenstein. With the varying altitude of the ground, the character of the climate varies; in the lowland regions it is much milder than in the highland, where frost and snow sometimes occur as early as September. In many natural productions the territory of Meiningen is very rich. The extent of arable land in the country is about 243,700 acres; of wood, 224,900 acres; of meadow land, 42,500 acres; of gardens and vineyards, 12,600 acres; and of waste land nearly 90,000 acres. Agriculture is actively carried on, though not in all parts of the country, on account of its mountainous character. Besides wheat, which is cultivated chiefly in the lowland region, potatoes and other vegetables, as well as hemp, flax, tobacco, &c., are raised. The forests furnish an important article of export; the amount of wood exported annually being more than 12,000,000 cubic feet. The live stock of the country in 1849 included 4060 horses, 68,464 horned cattle, 107,355 sheep, 19,673 goats, and 49,598 pigs. The mineral produce is also considerable. Iron, pure and argentiferous copper, cobalt, coal, porcelain earth, sulphur, marble, and salt, are obtained; and the working of the various mines employed, in 1822, 3820 hands. Manufactures are actively carried on in the country. Iron is worked; glass and porcelain are made; woollen, cotton, and linen fabrics are woven; paper is manufactured; brewing, distilling, and various other branches of industry are carried on. The trade of the duchy is considerable. The principal exports are timber, which is generally floated down the Werra; iron, hardware, glass, porcelain, paper, &c., which are conveyed to various countries, especially to America. The education of the people is well attended to in Saxe-Meiningen. There were, in 1853, 234 elementary schools, 2 gymnasia, a normal school, and various other institutions. The constitution of the state is monarchical; at the head of it stands the duke, who exercises the executive power; and is limited in his legislative functions by a diet. This assembly consists of 24 deputies; two appointed by the duke, six by the landowners, eight by the inhabitants of the towns, and eight by those of the country. The duke, and the majority of the people, belong to the Lutheran religion; and there are only about 1000 Roman Catholics, 1550 Jews, and 80 Mennonites. The judicial establishments consist of a court of appeal at Hildburghausen, subordinate to that of Jena, and several inferior tribunals. The army consists of a regiment of infantry, 1726 strong. For the period 1856-59, the annual public revenue is estimated at L.137,026, and the expenditure at L.154,993. The amount of debt on the 31st of March 1857 was L.302,507. Pop. (1857) 165,662. The present ducal family of Meiningen is descended from Bernhard, the third son of Ernest the Pious, of Gotha, who received, in the partition of 1680, the duchy of Meiningen, comprising the greater part of the county of Henneberg, which had fallen, in 1583, to the Saxon states. When the line of Coburg became extinct in 1699, Meiningen entered into a protracted contest with Gotha, Hildburghausen, and Saalfeld, for the possession of its territories; which were at last, in 1723, adjudged by the Aulic Council to Meiningen, Hildburghausen, and Saalfeld, in equal portions. Similar disputes arose on the extinction, in 1710, of the line of Römhild, part of whose possessions were adjudged, in 1714, to Meiningen. The most important changes of territory in subsequent times occurred in 1826. In the partition which then took place, Meiningen received nearly the whole duchy of Hildburghausen, whose duke obtained Altenburg in exchange; the principality of Saalfeld, and other districts, from Coburg; from Gotha, the portion of Römhild which had previously belonged to that duchy; and from Altenburg some small districts. Since that period no alterations of territory have taken place.