Grafschaft Bentheim | ||
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District | ||
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Country | Germany | |
State | Lower Saxony | |
Landkreis | Grafschaft Bentheim | |
Capital | Nordhorn | |
Area | ||
• Total |
980.8 km2 (378.7 sq mi) |
Grafschaft Bentheim (also known as Benteim District or County of Bentheim) is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the Dutch provinces Overijssel and Drenthe, the district of Emsland, and the districts Steinfurt and Borken in North Rhine-Westphalia.
History[]
Main article: Wikipedia:County of Bentheim
Bentheim was a small medieval county. The district was once full of fens, just like the neighbouring Emsland. The small Vechte river offered the opportunity to found settlements along the banks. Bentheim became an earldom as early as 1050. In the following centuries it became a regional power by annexing the neighbouring earldoms of Steinfurt and Tecklenburg. Sandstone was the major export article in medieval times, ensuring the wealth of the earldom.
Geography[]
The small district of Bentheim protrudes into Dutch territory. The Vechte River (Dutch Vecht) crosses the district from south to north and runs into the Netherlands. All major towns are situated along that river.
The district is roughly identical with the medieval earldom of Bentheim, but excluding Steinfurt and Tecklenburg.
Coat of arms[]
The arms are identical to the arms of the medieval earldom of Bentheim. The origin of these arms is unknown. |
Towns and municipalities[]
Towns | Samtgemeinden | |
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1seat of the Samtgemeinde; 2town |
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External links[]
- Official website (German)
- History from official district website (German)
- Wikipedia:List of administrative divisions of Germany
This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Grafschaft Bentheim District. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License. |