Zulawy

Zulawy (fens, plural from "żuława") is the alluvial delta area of Vistula, in large part reclaimed artificially by means of dykes, pumps, channels (over 17000 km of total length) and extensive drainage system. It is a forestless agricultural plain of ca 1000 square km, which falls from a base situated near Biala Gora where Vistula branches, from a height of just over 10 m., a.s.l. to -1.8 m. b.s.l., in the north and particularly north-east, forming a depression (28% of the area).

Farming features wheat, oats, colza, corn, white beets, cabbage and stockbreeding.Zulawy is traditionally divided according to the historical ownership into Zulawy Gdanskie - the western part, from Gdansk to Vistula, Zulawy Malborskie or Zulawy Wielkie (Greater Zulawy) between Vistula and its right arm Nogat and Zulawy Elblaskie - on the eastern bank of Nogat.

(..) Centuries of human activities are visible in the thousands of kilometers of canals and drainage ditches, a dense drainage network, the banking up of the rivers, pumping stations and the formation of a system of polders. In effect, the natural environment underwent such transformation that it would be difficult to find any fragments, which remain unchanged." (B. Augustowski, "Żuławy Wiślane", Gdańskie Towarzystwo Naukowe, Gdańsk 1976)

References

* "Żuławy Wiślane - Informator Krajoznawczy" (Demart, Warszawa, 2004
* "Changes in the area and depth of tbe depression in Zulawy Elblaskie", Joanna Fac-Beneda, "Peribalticum VIII", Gdańskie Towarzystwo Naukowe, Gdańsk 2000
* "Żuławy Wiślane" (Gdańskie Towarzystwo Naukowe, Gdańsk 1976)
* "Pomorze Gdańskie vol.3 - Żuławy Wiślane" (Gdańskie Towarzystwo Naukowe, Gdańsk 1966)

External links

* http://www.zulawy.art.pl/zulawy_outline/zulawy_what.html
* http://home.planet.nl/~farjo001/weichsel_uk.htm
* http://holland.org.pl/art.php?kat=art&dzial=zul&id=3&lang=en