Pomerania

Lore & Background

Pomerania has a relatively low population density, with its largest cities being Gdańsk and Szczecin. Outside its urban areas, it is characterized by farmland, dotted with numerous lakes, forests, and small towns. In the west of Pomerania lie several islands, the largest of which are Rügen, Usedom/Uznam, and Wolin. The region has a rich and complicated political and demographic history at the intersection of several cultures. The name Pomerania is of Slavic origin and means 'land by the sea'.

Reader's Guide

Pomerania is the area along the Bay of Pomerania of the Baltic Sea between the rivers Recknitz, Trebel, Tollense and Augraben in the west and Vistula in the east. Most of the region is coastal lowland, being part of the Central European Plain. Its southern, hilly parts belong to the Baltic Ridge. The western coastline is jagged with many peninsulas and islands; the eastern coastline is smooth. The Pomeranian region has administrative divisions including Western Pomerania in Germany, the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, the Pomeranian Voivodeship, and the northern half of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland.

Did You Know?

• The largest cities in Pomerania are Gdańsk and Szczecin.
• The name Pomerania means 'land by the sea' in Slavic.
• The region is split between Poland and Germany.
• The largest island in Germany, Rügen, is in western Pomerania.