UNTERFRANKEN

English Lower Franconia Regierungsbezirk (administrative district), northwestern corner of Bavaria Land (state), central Germany. Unterfranken is bordered by Thuringia Land to the northeast, the Regierungsbezirke of Oberfranken (Upper Franconia) and Mittelfranken (Middle Franconia) to the east, Baden-Wrttemberg Land to the south, and Hesse Land to the west. The district occupies an area within what was once the historical region of Franconia. The Spessart and Rhn plateaus in western Unterfranken form a natural frontier with the Land of Hesse. The Spessart is bounded by the rectangular course of the Main River to the west, south, and east. The undulating plateau is broken into a series of ridges by deep winding valleys. The steep scarp of the western Spessart overlooks the city of Aschaffenburg, situated along the Main. To the east more gentle slopes merge with the Franconian Plateaus. The Spessart upland, being almost completely covered with beech and oak forests, is sparsely populated but attracts many recreationists from nearby urban centres. Much of the forested land lies within the 660-square-mile (1,710-square-kilometre) area of the Bavarian Spessart Nature Park. The Sinn River separates the northern Spessart from the highlands of the Rhn plateau to the east and northeast. In the Rhn region, mixed forest interspersed with grassland dominates. Bad Kissingen, located in the Saale River valley, is one of Bavaria's leading health spas. Central Unterfranken lies on the Franconian Plateaus, an undulating region covered by fertile loess and clay soils. Large farms and open cultivated fields dominate the landscape, which forms one of Bavaria's leading agricultural areas. The chief crops produced include sugar beets, wheat, barley, rye, and potatoes. Livestock are fattened on locally grown fodder crops. The plateau is dissected by steep-sided valleys whose slopes are covered with vineyards, orchards, and forests. The largest among these is the Main River valley. In its course across the Franconian Plateaus, the Main River passes through Wrzburg, the largest city and administrative seat of Unterfranken, and Schweinfurt. Industry in Unterfranken is concentrated in the cities of Schweinfurt, Wrzburg, and Aschaffenburg. Schweinfurt, the chief industrial centre of the district, manufactures steel, ball bearings, small motors, and specialized machinery. Wrzburg is famous for its beer and is the principal centre of wine production and marketing in the district. It is also noted for its splendid Baroque architecture and sculpture. Aschaffenburg, together with surrounding towns, forms an important centre of the German clothing industry. The people of Unterfranken speak Franconian, one of three main German dialects in Bavaria. Higher education in the Regierungsbezirk is centred in Wrzburg and includes the University of Wrzburg (founded in 1582), the Music Academy, and a state technical college. The population of Unterfranken is predominantly Roman Catholic. Area 3,294 square miles (8,532 square km). Pop. (1992 est.) 1,273,400.