Lake Constance

Lake Constance (German: Bodensee) is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee ("upper lake"), the Untersee ("lower lake"), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.

The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps. Specifically, its shorelines lie in the German federal states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, the Austrian federal state of Vorarlberg, and the Swiss cantons of Thurgau, St. Gallen and Schaffhausen. The Rhine flows into it from the south, with its original course forming the Austro-Swiss frontier.

Description

Freshwater Lake Constance is Central Europe's third largest, after Lake Balaton and Lake Geneva. It is 63 km (39 mi) long, and at its widest point, nearly 14 km (8.7 mi). It covers approximately 571 km² (220 sq mi), and is 395 m (1,296 ft) above sea level. The greatest depth is 252 metres (827 ft) in the middle of the eastern part (Obersee). Its volume is approximately 10×10^⁹ m³ (13×10^⁹ cu yd). The lake has four parts: the main section, called Obersee, 476 km² (184 sq mi); the north section, Überlinger See, 61 km² (24 sq mi); the west section, Untersee, 63 km² (24 sq mi); and the northwest section, the Zeller See and Gnadensee. The regulated Rhine flows into the lake in the southeast, through the Obersee, the city of Konstanz and the Untersee, and flows out near Stein am Rhein. Lake Constance provides fresh water to many cities in south Germany. The culminating point of the lake's drainage basin is the Tödi at 3,614 metres above sea level.

Bodenseekreis

Bodenseekreis ("Lake Constance district") is a district (Kreis) in the south-east of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from west, clockwise) Konstanz, Sigmaringen and Ravensburg, and in Bavaria, Lindau district. To the south, on the opposite shores of Lake Constance, lies Switzerland.

History

The district was created in 1973, when the previous district Tettnang was merged with most of the district Überlingen.

Geography

The district is located at the northern shore of Lake Constance (German: Bodensee), which also gives the district its name. The landscape covered by the district is called Oberschwäbisches Hügelland and Westallgäuer Hügelland, and as the name suggests it is mostly hilly landscape.

Partnerships

The district has a partnership with the Muldentalkreis in Saxony, Germany, as well as with the Polish district Częstochowa.

Coat of arms

Cities and towns

References

External links

Coordinates: 47°44′N 9°23′E / 47.733°N 9.383°E / 47.733; 9.383

Bodensee, Lower Saxony

Bodensee is a municipality in the district of Göttingen, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is part of the Eichsfeld.

References