The Westphalian Lowland,[1] also known as the Westphalian Basin[2] is a flat landscape that mainly lies within the German region of Westphalia, although small areas also fall within North Rhine (in the extreme southwest) and in Lower Saxony (on the northern periphery). Together with the neighbouring Lower Rhine Plain to the west, it represents the second most southerly region of the North German Plain, after the Cologne Bight. It is variously known in German as the Westfälische Bucht (Westphalian Bay), the Münsterländer or Westfälische Tieflands- or Flachlandsbucht (Münsterland or Westphalian Lowland or Plain).
The Westphalian Basin (D34) within the North(west) German Plain
The Westphalian Lowland consists of the individual regions of Münsterland, the Emscherland in the (western) south, and regions even further south that flank the Sauerland around the Hellweg.
The Westphalian Lowland is classified as a major unit group within the natural regions of Germany and is number 54 in the Handbook of the Natural Regional Divisions of Germany (Handbuch der naturräumlichen Gliederung Deutschlands) and region D34 in the BfN system; both using the same boundaries.
The Westphalian Lowland has the character of a basin because it is bounded by ridges of the Lower Saxon Hills from the northeast to east and by the northern part of the Süder Uplands to the south. These hills rise to heights of several hundred metres above the basin floor.
The boundary of this natural region runs, clockwise from the north, as follows: From Rheine southeastwards along the southern edge of the Teutoburg Forest, from southwest of Osnabrück heading southwest of Bielefeld to the point where the Teutoburg Forest meets the Eggegebirge. From here the boundary runs to the Paderborn Plateau in front of the Egge heading south-southwest via Paderborn and Büren.
From east of Rüthen its boundary with the North Sauerland Oberland (including the Arnsberg Forest Nature Park) runs in a westerly direction, passing the Möhnesee immediately south of the Haarstrang and then runs south of the Hellweg to the edge of the Lower Sauerland to south of Dortmund, from where its course takes it further west, north of the Ardey Hills and the adjoining parts of the Lower Berg-Mark Hills (Niederbergisch-Märkisches Hügelland) heading south of Bochum and Essen to the vicinity of Mülheim.
The largest centres of population in the Westphalian Lowland are the cities of the central and eastern Ruhrgebiet north of the River Ruhr in the southwest of the region and the cities of Münster in the centre, Gütersloh in the north and Paderborn on the eastern periphery. The city of Bielefeld itself lies outside the region over the other side of the Teutoburg Forest, however parts of the borough lies within the northern part of the basin (Brackwede, Senne, Sennestadt).
The most populous cities in the Westphalian Lowland are (in brackets their population in thousands):
Emscherland: the almost entirely underground or canalised Emscher that gives the region its name.
Right tributaries of the Möhne and the lower reaches of the Ruhr play a rather small role in the extreme south by the Hellweg.
Meaning
The area is occasionally called in German, the Münsterländische Bucht (Münsterland Bay), because a large part of this low-lying plain lies in central and eastern Münsterland. It is therefore used pars pro toto for the whole region.
The use of the term Bucht ("bay" or "bight") stems from the geological origin of the region which is half surrounded by the ridges of the Central Uplands. At one time it formed a bay in the coastline of the Cretaceous Sea the shape of which can be discerned from the topography.
Population
The majority of the population of the Westphalian Lowland live in the area bordering the southern perimeter, in the region of the historic Hellweg east-west trade route through Germany, and especially in the northern Ruhr.
Palaeontology
At various sites in the Westphalian Lowland giant ammonites have been found in Cretaceous layers of rock below the surface, for example when the underground railway network was being built in Dortmund. These cephalopods, with a shell diameter of more than two metres are the largest known invertebrates.
^E. Meynen and J. Schmithüsen: Handbuch der naturräumlichen Gliederung Deutschlands - Bundesanstalt für Landeskunde, 6th edition, Remagen 1959 (9 editions in 8 books, 1953-1962, updated 1960 1:1,000,000 map with major units)
^Bundesamt für Naturschutz: Naturräumliche Haupteinheiten Deutschlands (pdf online, 1.22 MB)
^Map services of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation - Kartendienst „Schutzgebiete“ macht die Grenzen der Haupteinheitengruppe („Naturräume“) und der Haupteinheiten einblendbar, der etwas gröbere Kartendienst „Landschaften“ unterteilt die Naturräume noch etwas feiner.
External links
Natural region maps from the individual 1:200,000 map series of the Federal Institute for Regional Geography (Bundesinstituts für Landeskunde) - relevant natural units are those on map sheets beginning with "54":
Sheet 83/84 - Osnabrück/Bentheim
Sheet 85 - Minden (west)
Sheet 95/96 - Kleve/Wesel (east)
Sheet 97 - Münster
Sheet 98 - Detmold
Sheet 108/109 - Düsseldorf-Erkelenz (east)
Sheet 110 - Arnsberg (west)
NRW State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection
westphalian, lowland, also, known, westphalian, basin, flat, landscape, that, mainly, lies, within, german, region, westphalia, although, small, areas, also, fall, within, north, rhine, extreme, southwest, lower, saxony, northern, periphery, together, with, ne. The Westphalian Lowland 1 also known as the Westphalian Basin 2 is a flat landscape that mainly lies within the German region of Westphalia although small areas also fall within North Rhine in the extreme southwest and in Lower Saxony on the northern periphery Together with the neighbouring Lower Rhine Plain to the west it represents the second most southerly region of the North German Plain after the Cologne Bight It is variously known in German as the Westfalische Bucht Westphalian Bay the Munsterlander or Westfalische Tieflands or Flachlandsbucht Munsterland or Westphalian Lowland or Plain The Westphalian Basin D34 within the North west German Plain The Westphalian Lowland consists of the individual regions of Munsterland the Emscherland in the western south and regions even further south that flank the Sauerland around the Hellweg The Westphalian Lowland is classified as a major unit group within the natural regions of Germany and is number 54 in the Handbook of the Natural Regional Divisions of Germany Handbuch der naturraumlichen Gliederung Deutschlands and region D34 in the BfN system both using the same boundaries Contents 1 Natural region divisions 2 Location 2 1 Towns and cities 2 2 Rivers 3 Meaning 4 Population 5 Palaeontology 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksNatural region divisions EditFrom a natural region perspective the Westphalian Lowland major unit group is sub divided into the following three figure major units 3 4 to North German Plain Norddeutsches Tiefland 54 D34 Westphalian Basin Westfalische Bucht 540 East Munsterland Ostmunsterland 541 Kernmunsterland 542 Hellweg Borde Hellwegborden 543 Emscherland 544 West Munsterland Westmunsterland 545 West Hellweg Westenhellweg Location EditThe Westphalian Lowland has the character of a basin because it is bounded by ridges of the Lower Saxon Hills from the northeast to east and by the northern part of the Suder Uplands to the south These hills rise to heights of several hundred metres above the basin floor The boundary of this natural region runs clockwise from the north as follows From Rheine southeastwards along the southern edge of the Teutoburg Forest from southwest of Osnabruck heading southwest of Bielefeld to the point where the Teutoburg Forest meets the Eggegebirge From here the boundary runs to the Paderborn Plateau in front of the Egge heading south southwest via Paderborn and Buren From east of Ruthen its boundary with the North Sauerland Oberland including the Arnsberg Forest Nature Park runs in a westerly direction passing the Mohnesee immediately south of the Haarstrang and then runs south of the Hellweg to the edge of the Lower Sauerland to south of Dortmund from where its course takes it further west north of the Ardey Hills and the adjoining parts of the Lower Berg Mark Hills Niederbergisch Markisches Hugelland heading south of Bochum and Essen to the vicinity of Mulheim From east of Mulheim its unremarkable boundary with the Lower Rhine Plain runs northwards via Bottrop Dorsten Borken and finally along the state border with the Netherlands to Gronau 5 Towns and cities Edit The largest centres of population in the Westphalian Lowland are the cities of the central and eastern Ruhrgebiet north of the River Ruhr in the southwest of the region and the cities of Munster in the centre Gutersloh in the north and Paderborn on the eastern periphery The city of Bielefeld itself lies outside the region over the other side of the Teutoburg Forest however parts of the borough lies within the northern part of the basin Brackwede Senne Sennestadt The most populous cities in the Westphalian Lowland are in brackets their population in thousands Dortmund less the south 581 Essen less the south 576 Bochum less the south 376 Bielefeld only Sennestadt i e only 21 of 323 Munster 276 Gelsenkirchen 260 Oberhausen only minimal parts in the east small elements of 214 Hamm 182 Herne 166 Mulheim only the northwest small elements of 167 Paderborn only northeastern part parts of 145 Recklinghausen 119 Bottrop apart from the extreme west 117 Witten only the northern half part of 99 Gutersloh 96 Rivers Edit The most important river systems are Munsterland the upper Ems and Lippe Emscherland the almost entirely underground or canalised Emscher that gives the region its name Right tributaries of the Mohne and the lower reaches of the Ruhr play a rather small role in the extreme south by the Hellweg Meaning EditThe area is occasionally called in German the Munsterlandische Bucht Munsterland Bay because a large part of this low lying plain lies in central and eastern Munsterland It is therefore used pars pro toto for the whole region The use of the term Bucht bay or bight stems from the geological origin of the region which is half surrounded by the ridges of the Central Uplands At one time it formed a bay in the coastline of the Cretaceous Sea the shape of which can be discerned from the topography Population EditThe majority of the population of the Westphalian Lowland live in the area bordering the southern perimeter in the region of the historic Hellweg east west trade route through Germany and especially in the northern Ruhr Palaeontology EditAt various sites in the Westphalian Lowland giant ammonites have been found in Cretaceous layers of rock below the surface for example when the underground railway network was being built in Dortmund These cephalopods with a shell diameter of more than two metres are the largest known invertebrates See also EditGeography of Germany Natural regions of GermanyReferences Edit Dickinson Robert E 1964 Germany A regional and economic geography 2nd ed London Methuen Elkins T H 1972 Germany 3rd ed London Chatto amp Windus 1972 ASIN B0011Z9KJA E Meynen and J Schmithusen Handbuch der naturraumlichen Gliederung Deutschlands Bundesanstalt fur Landeskunde 6th edition Remagen 1959 9 editions in 8 books 1953 1962 updated 1960 1 1 000 000 map with major units Bundesamt fur Naturschutz Naturraumliche Haupteinheiten Deutschlands pdf online 1 22 MB Map services of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation Kartendienst Schutzgebiete macht die Grenzen der Haupteinheitengruppe Naturraume und der Haupteinheiten einblendbar der etwas grobere Kartendienst Landschaften unterteilt die Naturraume noch etwas feiner External links EditNatural region maps from the individual 1 200 000 map series of the Federal Institute for Regional Geography Bundesinstituts fur Landeskunde relevant natural units are those on map sheets beginning with 54 Sheet 83 84 Osnabruck Bentheim Sheet 85 Minden west Sheet 95 96 Kleve Wesel east Sheet 97 Munster Sheet 98 Detmold Sheet 108 109 Dusseldorf Erkelenz east Sheet 110 Arnsberg west NRW State Agency for Nature Environment and Consumer Protection LANUV information page natural landscape mapCoordinates 51 57 46 N 7 37 43 E 51 9629 N 7 6287 E 51 9629 7 6287 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Westphalian Lowland amp oldid 1065575053, 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