BOHEMIAN FOREST

German Bhmer Wald, or Bhmerwald, Czech umava forested southwestern highlands of the Bohemian Massif largely on the GermanCzech Republic frontier and extending from the upper valley of the Ohre River, in the northwest, to a section of the Danube River valley in Austria (between Melk and Krems), in the southeast. The nomenclature of the subranges that compose the highlands is intricate and confused. The main group, the umava in the Czech Republic and Hinterer Wald in Germany, averages 3,500 feet (1,100 m) and rises to the summits of Grosser Arber (Javor; 4,777 feet ) on the Bavarian (western) side and Plech (Plckenstein; 4,521 feet ) on the Czech (eastern) side. The umava is the source for the Vltava (German: Moldau) River, which cuts a broad trough through part of the region and is a source of hydroelectric power. Forests, both coniferous and deciduous, cover more than a third of the range, and the population is sparse. There are some mineral deposits and stone quarries. To the northwest, the much lower range of the Cesk les (Oberpflzerwald Mountains) is separated from the main group (the umava and Hinterer Wald) by a depression that extends roughly between the towns of Cham, Furth im Wald, and Domazlice (German: Taus). The gradients there are gentler and the hills largely cleared for upland farming. The Regen and Ilz rivers also rise in the Bohemian Forest. The parallel and lower ranges of the Bavarian Forest (Bayerischer Wald) lie in German territory to the southwest. The Bohemian Forest is noted for its glass industry and its lumber-milling activities.