By Gary Miller
Company www.crabtreebooks.com Author: Gary Miller Editor: Barbara Bakowski Designer: Tammy West, Westgraphix LLC Photo Researcher: Edward A. Thomas Map Illustrator: Stefan Chabluk Indexer: Nila Glikin Project Coordinator: Kathy Middleton Crabtree Editor: Adrianna Morganelli Production Coordinator: Kenneth Wright Prepress Technician: Kenneth Wright Series Consultant: Michael E. Ritter, Ph.D., Professor of Geography, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Developed for Company by RJF Publishing LLC (www.rjfpublishing.com) Photo Credits: Cover: Carola Koserowsky/age fotostock/photolibrary 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 18, 20, 21: istockphoto 8: mediacolor's/alamy 11: Wotto/f1 Online/Photolibrary 13: Hendrik Holler/LOOK/Getty Images 14: Joern Sackermann/Alamy 16: Nicole Gordine/Shutterstock; 17: North Wind Photo Archives/Photolibrary 19: Getty Images 23: Armin Weigel/dpa/Landov 24: Werner Otto/age fotostock/photolibrary 25, 26, 27: AP Images Cover: The Castle Stahleck is one of about 30 castles that overlook a scenic stretch of the Rhine River in Germany. Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Miller, Gary, 1961- The Rhine : Europe's river highway / Gary G. Miller. (Rivers around the world) Includes index. ISBN 978-0-7787-7446-4 (bound).--isbn 978-0-7787-7469-3 (pbk.) 1. Rhine River--Juvenile literature. 2. Rhine River Valley--Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series: Rivers around the world DD801.R74M54 2010 j943'.4 C2009-906243-7 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Miller, Gary. The Rhine : Europe's river highway / by Gary Miller p. cm. -- (Rivers around the world) Includes index. ISBN 978-0-7787-7469-3 (pbk. : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-0-7787-7446-4 (reinforced library binding : alk. paper) 1. Rivers--Juvenile literature. 2. River life--juvenile literature. 3. Stream ecology--juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series. GB1203.8.M55 2010 943'.4--dc22 2009042409 Company Printed in the U.S.A./122009/BG20091103 www.crabtreebooks.com 1-800-387-7650 Copyright 2010 CRABTREE PUBLISHING COMPANY. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Company. Published in Canada 616 Welland Ave. St. Catharines, ON L2M 5V6 Published in the United States PMB 59051 350 Fifth Avenue, 59 th Floor New York, New York 10118 Published in the United Kingdom Maritime House Basin Road North, Hove BN41 1WR Published in Australia 386 Mt. Alexander Rd. Ascot Vale (Melbourne) VIC 3032
CONTENTS Chapter 1: The Magnificent Rhine.................... 4 Chapter 2: From the Alps to the Sea.................. 8 Chapter 3: People Along the Rhine.................. 14 Chapter 4: Travel and Commerce................... 20 Chapter 5: Restoring the Rhine..................... 24 Comparing the World s Rivers............. 28 Timeline.............................. 29 Glossary.............................. 30 Find Out More......................... 31 Index................................ 32 Words that are defined in the glossary are in bold type the first time they appear in the text.
CHAPTER 1 The Magnificent Rhine From a distance, the Rhine River and its surroundings look like something from a fairy tale. Thickly forested hills rise from the banks of the river. A stone castle sits on top of a bluff, its towers shining in the sun. Nearby, a village of houses, shops, and church steeples stands in a forest clearing. Beyond the village, vineyards stretch toward the horizon. The Rhine River is one of Europe s most economically and culturally important rivers. From the Alps in Switzerland, it flows 865 miles (1,390 kilometers) through Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France, and the Netherlands before emptying into the North Sea. The Rhine River s drainage basin, or the area of land drained by the river, is approximately 65,600 square miles (170,000 square km) in size. 4
From its source in the Swiss Alps, the Rhine River flows north and west along its course to the North Sea. Early Settlers People have lived along the Rhine River for thousands of years. Celtic people had settled there by about 700 BC. By 100 BC, Germanic people had settled along parts of the river, too. Early settlers were attracted to the Rhine River for the same reasons that bring people to the river today. The Rhine River is navigable, or able to be traveled by boat, for more than 500 miles (800 km), from the North Sea to Basel, Switzerland. The river serves as a travel route for people and a transportation route for products for trade. People use the water for drinking and to water crops. In the fertile farmland along the river, people grow fruits, vegetables, and grains. An Important Border In the past, the Rhine River has been a key military border. Over thousands of years, opposing armies struggled for control of the river and the lands that surround it. Whichever army controlled the Rhine River controlled the transportation along it. The river also provided a protective barrier against attack. Today, part of the Rhine LEFT: The middle section of the Rhine River flows through a scenic valley dotted with quaint villages, castles, and vineyards. 5
THE RHINE Portrait of a City: Strasbourg, France On the French side of the Rhine River, along the stretch of the river that forms the border between present-day France and Germany, lies the city of Strasbourg. It was originally settled by the Celts. Today, it is a major French port that is also linked by canals to the Rhône and Marne rivers. Strasbourg is a center, as well, for education and the communications industry. This neighborhood in Strasbourg, France, features picturesque half-timbered houses. River forms the border between the countries of France and Germany. More recently, the Rhine River has known peaceful times. A treaty known as the Mainz Convention of 1831 made FAST FACT Fertile soil along the Rhine River makes its banks an ideal location for vineyards. The region is a top producer of wines. the river an international waterway. People from any nation were free to travel on it. However, this treaty has not always been honored. During World War I (1914 1918) and World War II (1939 1945), Germany, France, and other nations battled for control of Europe. The nations armies fought fiercely for control of the Rhine River. Today, Europe is at peace, and the river is once again an international waterway. Cities and Industry Along the course of the Rhine River lie some of the most economically and politically important cities in Europe. Basel, Switzerland; Bonn, Germany; and Strasbourg, France, all sit on the banks of the Rhine River. These cities grew in 6