ALSACE-LORRAINE
017
Area and Population.
The Reiclisland lias an area of 14,507 square kilometers or 5,601 English square miles. It is administratively divided into three Bezirke, or districts, called Ober-Elsass, Unter-Elsass, and Lothringen, the first of which is sub- divided into six, and the other two each into eight Kreise, or circles. The following table shows the area, population, and the inhabitants per square mile of each of the districts and of the whole : —
Districts
Area, English square miles
Population
•
Density per
sq. mile
1895
1890
1895
Ober-Elsass
Unter-Elsass
Lothringen
Total .
1,354
1,846 2,401
471,609 621,505 510,392
477,477 638,624
524,885
352-6 346-0 218-6
5,601
1,603,506 1,640,986
2930
The annual increase of population from 1875 to 1880 amounted to 0*45 per cent., while from 1880 to 1885 there wasayearly decrease of 0-03 percent., and from 1885 to 1890 as well as from 1890 to 1895an annual increase of O'o per cent. Of the population in 1895, 833,173 were males and 807,813 (or 97*0 per 100 males) were females. According to an official estimate (1890), 210,000 are of French origin (Sprachstamme), and 1,431,000 of German origin. Foreigners numbered 48,507 in 1895, a larger number in proportion to population than any of the other States of the Empire. The garrison consisted of 79,405 men. In 1895, 45-2 per cent, of the population resided in towns of 2,000 inhabitants and upwards ; 54-8 per cent, in rural com- munes. The three largest towns are Strassburg (135,608 inhabitants in 1895), the capital of Alsace-Lorraine ; Miilhausen (82,986 inhabitants), in Ober-Elsass ; and Metz (59,794 inhabitants), in Lothringen. Marriages, 1897, 12,179; births, 52,271; deaths, 35,109; surplus of births, 17,162. Of the births, 1,635 (3-13 per cent.) were still-born, and 4,359 (8-34 per cent.) were illegitimate. The emigration via German and Dutch ports to extra-European countries was as follows in eight years : —
1890
1891
1892
1893
1894
1895
1896
1897
923
1,138
922
794
245
250
268
209
Religion, Instruction, Justice and Crime.
At the census of December 2, 1895, there were in the Reiclisland 1,246,791 Catholics, 356,458 Protestants, 4,367 members of other Chri.stian sects, 32,859 Jews ; other religions, 15, and 496 uncla-ssilied. (Sec also German Empirr, pp. 536-41.)
In 1897 the Reiclisland contained a university (at Stra.s.sl)urg, .see German Enijnrc, p. 541), 17 Gymnasia, 7 Piogymnasien, 3 higher Rcalschiilen, 9 Real- schulen (4 united with gymnasia), 1 agricultural school, 8 seminaries, 4 pre- paratory schools for teachers, 68 higher girls' schools, 2,894 elementary schools, 436 infant schools, 100 finishing schools, 28 intermediate schools, 4 institutions for the deaf and dumb, 2 for the blind, 2 for idiots.
