Seeland (Switzerland)

The Seeland (French also Zealand ) in Switzerland comprises the area between the Biel, Neuchâtel and Lake Morat. It represents a part and a region of the Three Lakes country, working was formerly the great flood plain of the River Aare and was therefore very marshy. After the first Jura water correction, the cultivation area could be expanded significantly. The Seeland has become in our time the most important vegetable growing area of Switzerland, especially the Great Marsh.

Language

In Seeland both Swiss German and French are spoken. The cities of Biel / Bienne and Morat are bilingual, with Swiss German dominates. In the vicinity of the Canton of Neuchâtel and the largest city of Biel / Bienne as well or in some cases exclusively French is spoken. The rift, German-speaking Switzerland and French-speaking Switzerland demarcates, that runs through Zealand.

Geology

The landscape Zealand is part of the large geographic unit Swiss Plateau. The substrate consists mainly of rock layers of molasses that fills a basin between the Alps and the Jura mountains. These rocks are sandstones, conglomerates ( Nagelfluh ) and marl rocks. They are the alluvial during the Tertiary weathering products of former flows from the nearby mountains, which were deposited a lake. That's why they are called Freshwater. Under these layers are rocks of the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic ( here with a thin layer of salt ). At a depth of about 3000 meters lies the crystalline basement.

During the ice age period the landscape was covered by the Rhone glacier, which has left a glacial moraine surface embossing with after his retirement. This gravel are ubiquitous in the region and for the groundwater balance as well as for the construction work of great importance. The recent deposits form limnic sediments derived from periods originally larger Seeausdehnungen. It involves sands and muds and organic substances.

The slopes of the Jura fall steeply and almost without initial surveys down to Zealand. It is usually golden to light beige limestone. They limit the western edge of the Lakes region. In the north and east, close to other flat and gently undulating landscapes of the Central Plateau, such as the Fribourg region.

On the mountain slopes of the Jura limestone was mined in Gallo-Roman times at different locations and transported by ship over Lake Neuchatel. Up to the present, the agricultural use limestone deposits of the Jura for the architecture in the cities of the Lakes region of decisive influence.

Pictures

Typical landscape, here at BE ins

Ring in Biel

Biel, Chasseral in the background

Erlach Castle