a portion of Germany, geographically divided into a northern and a southern part; and politically into the two principalities of SCHWARZBURG-RUDOLSTADT and SCHWARZBURG-SONDERSHAUSEN.

The northern portion, called the Lower County (Unterherrschaft), lies close upon the valley called Guldene Aue, and is entirely surrounded by Prussia and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha; the southern or Upper County (Oberherrschaft) lies on the northern slope of the Thuringian Mountains, and is encircled by the Saxon duchies, having Weimar on the N., Altenburg on the E., Meiningen on the S.E. and S., and Gotha on the W. The country is divided between the principalities as follows:

| Sq. miles | Pop. 1855 | |-----------|-----------| | Rudolstadt, upper county | 235 | 54,012 | | lower do. | 85 | 14,902 | | Sondershausen, lower county | 189 | 35,127 | | upper do. | 138 | 26,925 |

Total of both principalities, 697 130,426

The lower county is traversed by a chain of hills called the Hainleite, stretching from the Harz to the Unstrut. They are well wooded, and at the highest part reach the height of 1419 feet above the sea. Here, also, is an isolated peak called Kyffhäuser, 1458 feet high. The principal heights in the upper county belong to the Thuringian chain, but no remarkable summits rise within the limits of the principality. The highest point is Wurzelberg, 2600 feet high. The surface of the whole is undulating, and the soil fertile, especially in the lower county. This portion, too, enjoys a milder climate than the upper county. Both counties are watered entirely by affluents of the Saale; which river itself forms for a short distance the boundary of the upper county. The Schwarza, Ilm, and Gera, in the upper county; the Wipper and Helbe, in the lower, are the chief rivers; the first two joining the Saale directly, and the others through its affluent, the Unstrut. Agriculture is well attended to; and the chief crops raised are corn, potatoes, and flax, which yield abundantly. The extensive forests also furnish a large amount of timber. Vines are grown in some places; and vegetables and fruit are plentiful. Horses, cattle, sheep, swine, and goats are reared, many of them of good breeds. Game abounds in the country, and fish in the rivers. The mineral riches of the land are great, and many of the inhabitants are employed in mining. Iron is the most important of the minerals; and of it Rudolstadt produces annually about 18,000 cwt., and Sondershausen, 9500 cwt. Salt is also obtained in the former principality, to the amount of 60,000 cts. yearly. Alum, vitriol, cobalt, marble, gypsum, building-stone, porcelain earth, etc., are found here. The manufactures of the country are not very important. Rudolstadt, however, has one peculiar to itself; that of oils and medicinal substances, chiefly carried on in the village of Oberweissbach. Woollen and linen weaving, brewing, distilling, paper-making, and the preparation of pitch, tar, and lamp-black, employ many people in both principalities. A considerable export trade is carried on, chiefly in salt, timber, corn, and manufactured goods. Education is well attended to in both principalities: each has numerous elementary schools and a normal seminary; while Rudolstadt has one, and Sondershausen two gymnasiaums. The religion of the princes and majority of the people in both states is the Lutheran. In both the constitution is a limited monarchy, the executive power being in the hands of a prince, and the legislative residing in a diet; that for Rudolstadt consisting of sixteen, and that for Sondershausen of fifteen members. The public revenue of the former, according to the budget for 1858, was L67,149; the expenditure, L66,578. Of the latter, according to the budget for 1856-59, the revenue was L80,167; and the expenditure L79,127. In Sondershausen, in 1856, the debt of the country amounted to L98,447; and that of the chamber of finance to L139,056. Both principalities belong to the Germanic confederation; and the contingent furnished by Rudolstadt is 809, that furnished by Sondershausen, 676 men. The history of Schwarzburg is distinguished by no event of any great importance. The most illustrious of the princes was Gunther XXI., who was chosen emperor by a party among the electors, in opposition to Charles IV., in 1347, but who soon after withdrew his pretensions. The Counts, as they were called then, of Schwarzburg, were originally, and for a long time, vassals of Saxony, but in 1699 obtained, for a compensation, their independence from the needy monarch of that country. The two reigning families are descended from the two sons of Gunther XI., who died in 1552; that of Sondershausen from the elder, and that of Rudolstadt from the younger son.