Bentheim

Grafschaft Bentheim
Statistics
State:	Lower Saxony
Capital:	Nordhorn
Adm. Region:	Weser-Ems
Area:	981 km�
Inhabitants:	133,300 (2004)
pop. density:	136 inh./km�
Car identification:	NOH
Homepage:	http://www.grafschaft.de
Map
Missing image Lower_saxony_noh.png Map of Lower Saxony highlighting the district Grafschaft Bentheim

Bentheim (German: Grafschaft Bentheim; English: County of Bentheim) is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the Dutch provinces Overijssel and Drenthe, the district of Emsland, and the districts Steinfurt and Borken in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Contents

1 History

2 Geography

3 Coat of arms

4 Towns and municipalities

5 External link

History

Bentheim was a small medieval state. The district was once full of fens, just as the neighbouring Emsland. The small Vechte river offered the opportunity to found settlements along the banks. Bentheim became an earldom as early as 1050. In the following centuries it became a regional power by annexing the neighbouring earldoms of Steinfurt and Tecklenburg. Sandstone was the major export article in medieval times, ensuring the wealth of the earldom.

Geography

The small district of Bentheim is protruding into Dutch territory. The Vechte River (Dutch Vecht) crosses the district from south to north and leaves to the Netherlands. All major towns are situated along that river.

The district is roughly identical with the medieval earldom of Bentheim, but excluding Steinfurt and Tecklenburg.

Coat of arms

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Bentheim_district_coa.jpg
Coat of arms

The arms are identical to the arms of the medieval earldom of Bentheim. The origin of these arms is unknown.

Towns and municipalities

Towns	Samtgemeinden	Free municipalities
Bad Bentheim Nordhorn	Emlichheim¹ Neuenhaus¹ Sch�ttorf¹ Uelsen¹	Wietmarschen

¹ including city of the same name

External link

Official website (German)

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Flag of Lower Saxony

Rural and urban districts of Lower Saxony

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