Pomerania (Ger. Pommern), a province of Prussia, bounded N. by the Baltic, E. by West Prussia, S. by Brandenburg, and W. by Mecklenburg. Area, 11,620 sq. m. It is one of the lowest and flattest regions in Germany, and has few hills of even moderate height, but numerous lakes and ponds. The river Oder divides Hither Pomerania (next Mecklenburg) from Farther Pomerania. The shores of the latter are lined with sand-dunes. The islands of Wollin and Usedom form the northern side of the Stettiner Haff (Lagoon); and farther to the north-west lies the island of Rügen. Pomerania is essentially an agricultural province, more than 55 per cent. of the total area being in tillage, whilst meadows cover another 19½ per cent., and forests nearly 20 per cent. Rye and potatoes are the principal products; in a secondary degree come wheat, barley, oats, flax, beet-root, tobacco, hops, and fruit. More than 55 per cent. of the soil is owned by the nobility, as in Mecklenburg (q.v.). Commerce flourishes in the coast towns, Stettin and Stralsund being the most important. Apart from shipbuilding, machine-works, and the manufacture of sugar, chemicals, bricks, &c., which are carried on principally in the coast towns, the only industries are paper, tobacco, glass, and wooden wares. The fisheries are valuable. Much poultry is reared, especially geese, in Farther Pomerania. Greifswald in this province is the seat of a university; Stettin is the capital. Pomerania sends fourteen members to the imperial diet, and twenty-six to the Prussian Lower House. Pop. (1890) 1,520,889. See PRUSSIA.
Pomerania formed a part of the territory of the ancient Vandals. When they moved south in the 5th century, it was occupied by Slavic tribes, one of whom was called Pomerani; hence the name of the region. From about 1100 it had its own line of princely rulers, and about 1124 it adopted Christianity in consequence of the preaching of Bishop Otto of Bamberg. The native princes assumed the title of duke in 1170 and joined the German empire, being put under the suzerainty of Brandenburg. The duchy was overrun by the Imperialists in the Thirty Years' War, and Wallenstein besieged Stralsund; they were followed by the Swedes, who established themselves permanently in Hither Pomerania and in several towns of Farther Pomerania. In 1637 the last duke of the native dynasty died, whereupon Brandenburg claimed the duchy; the Swedes, however, stuck to what they held until 1720, and certain districts in Hither Pomerania were not given up to Prussia until 1815. See Histories by Kantzow (1835), Sell (3 vols. 1819-20), Fock (6 vols. 1861-72), and Klempin (3 vols. 1868-88).