Natural regions of Germany

The natural region classification of Germany, as used today by the Federal Office for Nature Conservation (Bundesamt für Naturschutz or BfN) and by most state institutions, is largely based on the work in producing the Handbook of Natural Region Divisions of Germany between the years 1953 to 1962. This divided the present federal territory (then West and East Germany) into 86 so-called major landscape unit groups (Haupteinheitgruppen) each with a two-digit number between 01 and 90. These, in turn, were subdivided into up to ten, in some cases more, major landscape units (Haupteinheiten), each with a three-digit number. The handbook was accompanied by 1:100,000 scale mapping and, in the updated 1960 map, the major landscape unit groups were bundled together into major regions (Großregionen). of landscape regions and the major units form the fourth level. Many secondary landscape regions only have one major unit group (Mecklenburg Coastal Lowland, Harz, Thuringian Basin, Upper Main-Upper Palatine Hills, Southern Alpine Foreland), others group well-known major regions together (Rhenish Massif, South German Scarplands); others are entirely new groupings. In the subsequent work at 1:200,000 scale that lasted until the 1990s, that further split the landscape regions into a fifth and lower levels (using the three-digits numbers supplemented with further numbers placed after a decimal comma), it became apparent that the boundaries of major regions at the second and third levels had to be corrected in several places and, in individual cases, were no longer compatible with boundaries of the major unit groups. This has no impact on the numbering system of the lower levels, however. == New Classification by the Federal Office for Nature Conservation (BfN) ==

From 1992 to 1994, Axel Ssymank revised the major unit groups 01-90 under the direction of the BfN. Most groups retained their boundaries, however, in some cases two to four major units groups according to the handbook were combined, whilst in the North and Baltic Seas, one old group was divided into four new ones. The numbering of the new units, D01 to D73, is entirely new and runs from north to south not, as in the handbook, from south to north. So it is not compatible with the numbers of the main and subordinate landscape units, which is why it has not been adopted by the state institutions. Even the BfN has largely followed the older system in the handbook in its landscape fact files (Landschaftssteckbriefe). Ssymank combined the natural regions into eight so-called great landscapes (Großlandschaften), which are rather less finely divided than the secondary main regions (Großregionen 2. Ordnung) of the BfL. The only discrepancy between the two systems is the division of the North German Plain into western and eastern parts, which is based on their climatic division into Atlantic and Continental areas. The boundary runs randomly east of landscape units D22, D24, D28, D31, and D33. These great landscape definitions have yet to be used in the literature. == List of major landscape regions - levels 1 to 3 ==

Germany can be divided into three major geographical regions: the Northern Lowland or North German Plain, the Central Uplands, and the Alps running roughly west to east across the country. • In the map sheets from publication year 1964 this version was slightly changed: and Elkins (1972) where their classification corresponds closely to the handbook's. In such cases the source of the English name is referenced. The seven major regions are: the Northeast German Plain, the Northwest German Plain, the Western Central Uplands, the Eastern Central Uplands, the South German Scarplands, • 61 Lower Ems and Weser Marshes and Szczecin Lagoon (D02) • 72 Mecklenburg Ground Moraine Lowland • 444 Upper Lusatian Gefilde • Saxon Lowland (D15) • (to 44 Upper Lusatia (D14)) • major landscape unit 441 Lusatian Mountains • 40 Upper Palatine-Bavarian Forest (D63) Scarplands on either side of the Upper Rhine Valley Source: Nagelfluh Hills and Basins between Lake Constance and Wertach === Alps === The following 3 groups were still counted as part of (ex-)group 02 in the Handbook; the German sections form D67 (BfN). Nagelfluh Mountains of the Appenzell Alps • (to 02 Nagelfluh Hills and Basins – Alpine Foreland) • Molasse Ridges of St. Gallen–Appenzell (northeast of St. Peterzell 1170 m; CH) • (to 96 Swiss and Allgäu Nagelfluh Ridges) • Gäbris Ridges (Speer 1,950 m; CH) ==== Lower Bregenz Forest ==== • (to 02 Nagelfluh Hills and Basins – Alpine Foreland) • 020 Pfänder (Hirschberg 1,095 m; D and A) • 021.0–5 with 021.2 Sulzberg (1,041 m; A) • (to 96 Swiss and Allgäu Nagelfluh Ridges) • 960 Allgäu Nagelfluh Ridge (Rindalphorn 1,822 m) Swabian-Bavarian Pre-alps • (to 90 Basins and valleys between the main Alpine groups) • (to 900 Basins and valleys in the western Vorarlberg-Allgäu Alps) • (to 902 Inn Valley) • 902.4 Basins of Kiefer Fields and Inn Valley • 908 Inzell Basin • (to93 Northern Limestone Eastern Alps) • (930 Basins and valleys between the main groups of the Northern Limestone Eastern Alps (part)) • 935 Bavarian-Tyrolean Intermediate Limestone Alps (less 935.7) • 936 Border mountains of the Northern Limestone-Eastern Alps or Limestone Alp Border Mountains or Limestone Border Mountains • (to 94 Flysch Alps) • (to 941 East Allgäu Flysch Alps) • 941.1 Mountains around the Wertacher Hörnle • 941.2 Bayerstädter Kopf-Alpspitz-Edelsberg Group • 942 Trauchgau-Murnau (Ammergau) Flysch Alps • 943 Tölz-Tegernsee-Chiemgau Flysch Alps • 944 Western Salzburg Flysch Alps • (to 95 Northern Limestone Western Alps) • (to 950 Vorarlberg-Allgäu Quintner and Schrattenkalkgewölbe) • 950.0 Grünten (1,738 m) Austrian Pre-Alps Only the western end of the group, which lies entirely in Austria, was studied. • (to 93 Northern Limestone Eastern Alps) • 937 (unnamed) • (to 94 Flysch Alps) • 945 Eastern Salzburg Flysch Alps ==== Northern Limestone Alps (west) ==== The following group was counted as (ex-)group 01 in the Handbook; the German parts near Oberstdorf and Garmisch-Partenkirchen belong to D68 (BfN). • (to 90 Basins and valleys between the main Alpine groups) • Rhine Valley • Illtal • 900 Basins and valleys in the western part of the Vorarlberg-Allgäu Alps • 901 Oberstdorf Basin and side valleys (Illertal and Basins and valleys in the eastern part of the Vorarlberg-Allgäu Alps) • 902 Inn Valley (less 902.4) • (to 93 Northern Limestone Eastern Alps) • 930 Basins and valleys between the main groups of the Northern Limestone Eastern Alps (partly) • 931 Allgäu Alps • 932 Lechtal Alps • 933 Inn Valley Riffkalkketten (less 333.7) • (to 94 Flysch Alps) • 940 Vorarlberg and West Allgäu Flysch Alps • (to 941 East Allgäu Flysch Alps) • 941.0 Flysch Mountains around the Imberger Horn • (to 95 Northern Limestone Western Alps) • Alpstein Group (up to 2,502 m) • Rätikon (up to 2,964 m) • 950 Vorarlberg-Allgäu Quintner and Schrattenkalkgewölbe (less 950.0) ==== Northern Limestone Alps (east) ==== The following group was counted as part of (ex-)group 01 in the Handbook; the German parts near Berchtesgaden belong accordingly to D68 (BfN). Most of the group lies in Austria. • (to 90 Basins and valleys between the main groups of the Alps) • 909 Salzach-Saalach Alpine Perimeter Bay • 93 Northern Limestone Eastern Alps • 930 Basins and valleys between the main groups of the Northern Limestone Eastern Alps(in places) (to 933 Inn Valley Riffkalkketten) • 933.7 Kaisergebirge (up to 2,344 m) • 934 Salzburg Plateau Limestone Alps • (to 935 Bavarian-Tyrolean Intermediate Limestone Alps) • 935.7 Kirchdorf Dolomite Alps Central Alps The Central Alps lies completely outside of Germany and are only mapped at the fringes. • 91 Eastern Central Alps • 92 Slate Alps of the Northern Greywacke Zone tal • 900 Becken und Talböden im Westteil der Vorarlberg-Allgäuer Alpen • 901 Oberstdorfer Becken nebst Nebentälern (Illertal bzw. Becken und Talböden im Ostteil der Vorarlberg-Allgäuer Alpen) • 902 Inntal • 907 Becken und Talböden am Nordrand der Kitzbüheler Schieferalpen • 908 Inzeller Becken • 909 Salzach-Saalach-Alpenrandbucht • 91 Östliche Zentralalpen • 92 Schieferalpen der Nördlichen Grauwackenzone • 922 Westliche Kitzbüheler Schieferalpen • 923 Östliche Kitzbüheler Schieferalpen • 924 Taxenbacher Schieferalpen • 925 Radstädter Schieferalpen • 93 Nördliche Kalk-Ostalpen • 930 Becken und Talböden zwischen den Hauptgruppen der Nördlichen Kalk-Ostalpen • 931 Allgäuer Alpen • 932 Lechtaler Alpen • 933 Inntaler Riffkalkketten • 934 Salzburger Plateau-Kalkalpen • 935 Bayerisch-Tiroler Zwischenkalkalpen • 936 Randketten der Nördlichen Kalk-Ostalpen bzw. Kalkalpenrandketten bzw. Randkalkalpen • 937 (ohne Namen) • 94 Flyschalpen • 940 Vorarlberger und Westallgäuer Flyschalpen • 941 Ostallgäuer Flyschalpen • 942 Trauchgau-Murnauer (Ammergauer) Flyschalpen • 943 Tölz-Tegernsee-Chiemgauer Flyschalpen • 944 Westliche Salzburger Flyschalpen • 945 Östliche Salzburger Flyschalpen • 95 Nordliche Kalk-Westalpen • Alpsteingruppe • Rätikon • 950 Vorarlberg-Allgäuer Quintner- und Schrattenkalkgewölbe • 96 Schweizer und Allgäuer Nagelfluhschichtkämme • Gäbris-Schichtkämme • 960 Allgäuer Nagelfluhschichtkämme --> == See also ==