Editing Franconia (section)

== Geography ==
=== Overview ===
The Franconian lands lie principally in Bavaria, north and south of the sinuous [[Main (river)|River Main]] which, together with the left (southern) [[Regnitz]] tributary, including its [[Rednitz]] and [[Pegnitz (river)|Pegnitz]] headstreams, drains most of Franconia. Other large rivers include the upper [[Werra]] in Thuringia and the [[Tauber]], as well as the upper [[Jagst]] and [[Kocher]] streams in the west, both right tributaries of the [[Neckar]]. In southern Middle Franconia, the [[Altmühl]] flows towards the [[Danube]]; the [[Rhine–Main–Danube Canal]] crosses the [[European Watershed]]. The man-made [[Franconian Lake District]] has become a popular destination for day-trippers and tourists.

The landscape is characterized by numerous ''[[Mittelgebirge]]'' ranges of the German [[Central Uplands]]. The Western natural border of Franconia is formed by the [[Spessart]] and [[Rhön Mountains]], separating it from the former [[Rhenish Franconia]]n lands around [[Aschaffenburg]] (officially part of Lower Franconia), whose inhabitants speak [[Hessian dialects]]. To the north rise the [[Rennsteig]] ridge of the [[Thuringian Forest]], the [[Thuringian Highland]] and the [[Franconian Forest]], the border with the [[Upper Saxony|Upper Saxon]] lands of [[Thuringia]]. The Franconian lands include the present-day South Thuringian districts of [[Schmalkalden-Meiningen]], [[Hildburghausen (district)|Hildburghausen]] and [[Sonneberg (district)|Sonneberg]], the historical ''[[Gau (country subdivision)|Gau]]'' of [[Grabfeld]], held by the [[House of Henneberg]] from the 11th century and later part of the [[House of Wettin|Wettin]] duchy of [[Saxe-Meiningen]].
[[File:Franconia details.png|thumb|320px|left|The present-day Upper, Lower and Middle Franconian administrative districts (in blue), with adjacent East Franconian language areas in Thuringia (tan) and in Baden-Württemberg (yellow)]]

In the east, the [[Fichtel Mountains]] lead to [[Vogtland]], Bohemian [[Egerland]] (''Chebsko'') in the [[Czech Republic]], and the Bavarian [[Upper Palatinate]]. The hills of the [[Franconian Jura]] in the south mark the border with the [[Upper Bavaria]]n region (''[[Altbayern]]''), historical [[Swabia]], and the Danube basin. The northern parts of the Upper Bavarian [[Eichstätt (district)|Eichstätt District]], territory of the historical [[Bishopric of Eichstätt]], are also counted as part of Franconia.

In the west, Franconia proper comprises the [[Tauber Franconia]] region along the Tauber river, which {{as of|2014||lc=y}} is largely part of the [[Main-Tauber-Kreis]] in Baden-Württemberg. The state's larger [[Heilbronn-Franken]] region also includes the adjacent [[Hohenlohe (district)|Hohenlohe]] and [[Schwäbisch Hall (district)|Schwäbisch Hall district]]s. In the city of [[Heilbronn]], beyond the [[Haller Ebene]] plateau, [[South Franconian German|South Franconian]] dialects are spoken. Furthermore, in those easternmost parts of the [[Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis]] which had formerly belonged to the [[Bishopric of Würzburg]], the inhabitants have preserved their Franconian identity. Franconian areas in [[East Hesse]] along Spessart and Rhön comprise [[Gersfeld]] and [[Ehrenberg, Hesse|Ehrenberg]].

The two largest cities of Franconia are [[Nuremberg]] and [[Fürth]]. Though located on the southeastern periphery of the area, the Nuremberg metropolitan area is often identified as the economic and cultural centre of Franconia. Further cities in Bavarian Franconia include [[Würzburg]], [[Erlangen]], [[Bayreuth]], [[Bamberg]], [[Aschaffenburg]], [[Schweinfurt]], [[Hof, Bavaria|Hof]], [[Coburg]], [[Ansbach]] and [[Schwabach]]. The major (East) Franconian towns in Baden-Württemberg are [[Schwäbisch Hall]] on the Kocher — the [[Free imperial city|imperial city]] declared itself "Swabian" in 1442 — and [[Crailsheim]] on the Jagst river. The main towns in Thuringia are [[Suhl]] and [[Meiningen]].

<gallery widths="200px" heights="175px">
File:Rothenburg BW 4.JPG|[[Rothenburg ob der Tauber|Rothenburg]] is one of the best known towns in Franconia
File:Walberla 2008.jpg|[[Ehrenbürg|Walberla]] in Franconia
File:Möhrendorf Vierzigmannrad Flügel.jpg|Water wheel at the [[Regnitz]]
File:Nuremberg panorama morning 3.jpg|Nuremberg is the largest city of Franconia
File:Aerial image of the Coburg Fortress.jpg|Aerial view of the [[Veste Coburg]]
</gallery>

=== Extent ===
[[File:Sakristei-Mgn.jpg|thumb|The ''[[Franconian Rake]]'' may be used as an indicator of whether a place is part of Franconia.<br />Here: the vestry of Meiningen's municipal church in South Thuringia. The Franconian Rake may be seen on the left]]
Franconia may be distinguished from the regions that surround it by its peculiar historical factors and its cultural and especially linguistic characteristics, but it is not a political entity with a fixed or tightly defined area. As a result, it is debated whether some areas belong to Franconia or not. Pointers to a more precise definition of Franconia's boundaries include: the territories covered by the former [[Duchy of Franconia]] and former [[Franconian Circle]],<ref name="reichskreis3">Rudolf Endres: ''Der Fränkische Reichskreis.'' In: ''Hefte zur Bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur 29,'' published by the House of Bavarian History, Regensburg, 2003, p.&nbsp;37, see [http://www.hdbg.de/basis/pdfs/downloads/reichskreis2.pdf online version] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304123455/http://www.hdbg.de/basis/pdfs/downloads/reichskreis2.pdf |date=2016-03-04 }} (pdf)</ref> the range of the [[East Franconian dialect group]], the common culture and history of the region and the use of the [[Franconian Rake]] on coats of arms, flags and seals. However, a sense of popular consciousness of being Franconian is only detectable from the 19th century onwards, which is why the circumstances of the emergence of a Frankish identity are disputed.<ref name="bayernradio"/> Franconia has many cultural peculiarities which have been adopted from other regions and further developed.<ref name="bayernradio"/>

The following regions are counted as part of Franconia today: the Bavarian [[Regierungsbezirk|provinces]] of [[Lower Franconia]], [[Upper Franconia]] and [[Middle Franconia]], the municipality of [[Pyrbaum]] in the county of [[Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz (district)|Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz]], the northwestern part of the [[Upper Bavaria]]n county of [[Eichstätt (district)|Eichstätt]] (covering the same area as the old county of Alt-Eichstätt), the East Franconian counties of [[South Thuringia]], parts of [[Fulda (district)|Fulda]] and the [[Odenwaldkreis]] in Hesse, the Baden-Württemberg regions of [[Tauber Franconia]] and [[Hohenlohe]] as well as the region around the Badenian [[Buchen (Odenwald)|Buchen]].

In individual cases the membership of some areas is disputed. These include the [[Bavarian language]] area of Alt-[[Eichstätt]]<ref name="bayernradio">[https://www.br.de/radio/bayern2/sendungen/zeit-fuer-bayern/franken-brauchtum-region-mundart-kueche-100.html ''Was ist fränkisch? Wie eine Region definiert wird''], Bayerischer Rundfunk, Bayern 2</ref> and the Hessian-speaking<ref>[http://sprachatlas.bayerische-landesbibliothek-online.de/ Sprachatlas der BLO] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629002123/http://sprachatlas.bayerische-landesbibliothek-online.de/ |date=2012-06-29 }}, retrieved 1 July 2014.</ref> region around [[Aschaffenburg]], which was never part of the Franconian Imperial Circle. The affiliation of the city of [[Heilbronn]], whose inhabitants do not call themselves Franks,<ref name="heilbronn">Ulrich Maier (Justinus-Kerner-Gymnasium Weinsberg): ''Schwäbisch oder fränkisch? Mundart im Raum Heilbronn Bausteine zu einer Unterrichtseinheit.'' [http://www.projekte-regional.de/inhalt/hn/bausteine/mundart.pdf see online pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304130208/http://www.projekte-regional.de/inhalt/hn/bausteine/mundart.pdf |date=2016-03-04 }}</ref> is also controversial. Moreover, the sense of belonging to Franconia in the Frankish-speaking areas of [[Upper Palatinate]], South Thuringia<ref>[http://www.sueddeutsche.de/bayern/thueringer-landkreise-zieht-es-nach-bayern-ominoeses-frankenbewusstsein-1.1596205 ''"Ominöses Frankenbewusstsein"''], ''[[Süddeutsche Zeitung]]'' dated 10 February 2013, retrieved 5 May 2016.</ref> and Hesse is sometimes less marked.

=== Administrative divisions ===
[[File:Franken 2.svg|thumb|upright|The Bavarian provinces of Upper, Middle and Lower Franconia]]
[[File:Baden Wuerttemberg Region Heilbronn-Franken.svg|thumb|left|The region of Heilbronn-Franconia in Baden-Württemberg]]
The region of Franconia is divided among the states of Hesse, Thuringia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The largest part of Franconia, both by population and area, belongs to the Free State of Bavaria and is divided into the three administrative regions (''Regierungsbezirke'') of [[Middle Franconia]] (capital: [[Ansbach]]), [[Upper Franconia]] (capital: [[Bayreuth]]) and [[Lower Franconia]] (capital: [[Würzburg]]). The name of these regions, as in the case of [[Upper Bavaria|Upper]] and [[Lower Bavaria]], refers to their situation with respect to the river [[Main (river)|Main]]. Thus Upper Franconia lies on the upper reaches of the river, Lower Franconia on its lower reaches and Middle Franconia lies in between, although the Main itself does not flow through Middle Franconia. Where the boundaries of these three provinces meet (the '[[tripoint]]') is the ''[[Dreifrankenstein]]'' ("Three Franconias Rock").<ref>
[http://dreifrankenstein.de/geschichte.htm ''Dreifrankenstein''] {{Webarchive
 |url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160322211734/http://dreifrankenstein.de/geschichte.htm
 |date= 2016-03-22
}}, retrieved 12 July 2014.
</ref>
Small parts of Franconia also belong to the Bavarian regions of [[Upper Palatinate]] and [[Upper Bavaria]].

The Franconian territories of [[Baden-Württemberg]] are the regions of [[Tauber Franconia]] and [[Hohenlohe]] (which belong to the [[Heilbronn-Franconia Region]] with its office in Heilbronn and form part of the [[Stuttgart Region]]) and the area around the Badenian [[Buchen (Odenwald)|Buchen]] in the [[Rhine-Neckar|Rhein-Neckar Region]].

The Franconian parts of Thuringia ([[Henneberg Franconia]]) lie within the Southwest Thuringia Planning Region.

The Franconian regions in Hesse form the smaller parts of the districts of [[Fulda (district)|Fulda]] ([[Kassel (region)|Kassel region]]) and the [[Odenwaldkreis]] ([[Darmstadt (region)|Darmstadt region]]), or lie on the borders with Bavaria or Thuringia.

=== Rivers and lakes ===
[[File:Aerial image of Großer Brombachsee (view from the southeast).jpg|thumb|Aerial view of [[Großer Brombachsee]] from the dam towards the west]]
The two most important rivers of the region are the [[Main (river)|Main]] and its primary tributary, the [[Regnitz]]. The tributaries of these two rivers in Franconia are the [[Tauber]], [[Pegnitz (river)|Pegnitz]], [[Rednitz]] and [[Franconian Saale]]. Other major rivers in the region are the [[Jagst]] and [[Kocher (river)|Kocher]] in Hohenlohe-Franconia, which empty into the [[Neckar]] north of Heilbronn in Baden-Württemberg, the [[Altmühl]] and the [[Wörnitz]] in Middle Franconia, both tributaries of the [[Danube]], and the upper and middle reaches of the [[Werra]], the right-hand headstream of the [[Weser]]. In the northeast of Upper Franconia rise two left-hand tributaries of the [[Elbe]]: the [[Saxon Saale]] and the [[Eger (Elbe)|Eger]].

The [[Main-Danube Canal]] connects the Main and Danube across Franconia, running from Bamberg via Nuremberg to [[Kelheim]]. It thus complements the Rhine, Main and Danube, helping to ensure a continuous navigable waterway between the [[North Sea]] and the [[Black Sea]]. In Franconia, there are only a few, often very small, natural [[lake]]s. This is due to fact that most natural lakes in Germany are [[glacial lake|glacial]] or [[volcanism|volcanic]] in origin, and Franconia escaped both influences in recent earth history. Among the largest waterbodies are [[reservoir]]s, which are mostly used as water reserves for the relatively dry landscapes of Franconia. These include the waters of the [[Franconian Lake District]], which was established in the 1970s and is also a tourist attraction. The heart of these lakes is the [[Großer Brombachsee]], which has an area of 8.7&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> and is thus the largest waterbody in Franconia by surface area.

=== Hills, mountains and plains ===
Several [[Central Upland]] ranges dominate the Franconian countryside. In the southeast, Franconia is shielded from the rest of Bavaria by the [[Franconian Jura]]. In the east, the [[Fichtel Mountains]] form the border; in the north are [[Franconian Forest]], the [[Thuringian Forest]], the [[Rhön Mountains]] and the [[Spessart]] form a kind of natural barrier. To the west are the [[Franconian Heights]] and the [[Swabian-Franconian Forest]]. In the Franconian part of South Hesse is the [[Odenwald]]. Parts of the southern [[Thuringian Forest]] border on Franconia. The most important hill ranges in the interior of the region are the [[Steigerwald]] and the Franconian Jura with their sub-ranges of [[Hahnenkamm (Altmühltal)|Hahnenkamm]] and [[Franconian Switzerland]]. The highest mountain in Franconia is the [[Schneeberg (Fichtel Mountains)|Schneeberg]] in the Fichtel Mountains which is {{Höhe|1051|DE-NHN|link=true}}.<ref name="geoquelle" /> Other well-known mountains include the [[Ochsenkopf (Fichtel Mountains)|Ochsenkopf]] (1,024m<ref name="geoquelle">Source: the [[BfN]] map</ref>), the [[Kreuzberg (Rhön)|Kreuzberg]] (927.8m<ref name="geoquelle" />) and the [[Hesselberg]] (689.4m<ref name="geoquelle" />). The [[inliers and outliers (geology)|outliers]] of the region include the Hesselberg and the [[Gleichberge]]. The lowest point in Franconia is the water level of the river Main in [[Kahl am Main|Kahl]] which lies at a height of 100 metres above sea level.

In addition to the hill and mountain ranges, there are also several very level areas, including the [[Middle Franconian Basin]] and the [[Hohenlohe Plain]]. In the south of Franconia are smaller parts of the flat [[Nördlinger Ries]], one of the best preserved impact craters on earth.

=== Forests, reserves, flora and fauna ===
[[File:Steinerne Rinne.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Steinerne Rinne]] near Rohrbach, [[Ettenstatt]], county of [[Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen]]]]
Franconia's flora is dominated by deciduous and coniferous forests. Natural forests in Franconia occur mainly in the ranges of the Spessart, Franconian Forest, Odenwald and Steigerwald. The Nuremberg ''Reichswald'' is another great [[forest]], located within the metropolitan region of Nuremberg. Other large areas of forest in the region are the [[Mönchswald]], the [[Reichsforst (Fichtel)|Reichsforst]] in the Fichtel Mountains and the [[Selb Forest]]. In the river valleys along the Main and Tauber, the countryside was developed for viticulture. In Spessart there are great oak forests. Also widespread are [[calcareous grassland]]s, extensively used [[pasture]]s on very [[Nutrient (plant)|oligotrophic]], poor sites. In particular, the southern [[Franconian Jura]], with the [[Altmühl Valley]], is characterized by poor grassland of this type. Many of these places have been designated as a [[protected area]]s.

Franconia has several regions with sandy habitats that are unique for south Germany and are protected as the so-called Sand Belt of Franconia or ''[[Sandachse Franken]]''.<ref>[http://www.sandachse.de/Sandwege.html ''Sandwege''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629134219/http://www.sandachse.de/Sandwege.html |date=2016-06-29 }}, Sandachse Franken, retrieved 23 May 2014</ref> When the [[Altmühlsee]] reservoir was built, a bird island was created and designated as a nature reserve where a variety of birds nest. Another important reserve is the [[Black Moor (Rhön)|Black Moor]] in the [[Rhön]], which is one of the most important bog areas in Central Europe.<ref>[http://www.frankentourismus.de/naturpark/bayerische-rhoen/ ''Naturpark Bayerische Rhön''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160729003235/http://www.frankentourismus.de/naturpark/bayerische-rhoen/ |date=2016-07-29 }}, retrieved 2 Jun 2014.</ref> A well known reserve is the [[Luisenburg Rock Labyrinth]] at [[Wunsiedel]], a [[felsenmeer]] of [[granite]] blocks up to several metres across. The establishment of the first Franconian [[national park]] in the Steigerwald caused controversy and its designation was rejected in July 2011 by the [[Bavarian government]].<ref name="natur"/> The reason was the negative attitude of local population. Conservationists are now demanding protection for parts of the Steigerwald by nominating it for a World Heritage Site.<ref name="natur">{{cite web |url=http://www.br.de/studio-franken/aktuelles-aus-franken/steigerwald-nationalpark-bund-naturschutz-ID1309161778345.xml |title=www.br-online.de: Bund Naturschutz zu Steigerwald – "Imagegewinn durch Nationalpark" |access-date=2017-03-29 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721023358/http://www.br.de/studio-franken/aktuelles-aus-franken/steigerwald-nationalpark-bund-naturschutz-ID1309161778345.xml |archive-date=July 21, 2012 }} Press report on the rejected Steigerwald National Park at BR-online, Studio-Franken</ref> There are several [[nature park]]s in Franconia, including the [[Altmühl Valley Nature Park]], which, since 1969, has been one of the largest in Germany.<ref>[http://www.naturpark-altmuehltal.de/wir_ueber_uns/ ''Wir über uns''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160703120912/http://www.naturpark-altmuehltal.de/wir_ueber_uns/ |date=2016-07-03 }}, www.naturpark.de, retrieved 28 May 2014.</ref>

Other [[nature park]]s are the [[Swabian-Franconian Forest Nature Park]] in Baden-Württemberg, and the nature parks of [[Bavarian Rhön Nature Park|Bavarian Rhön]], [[Fichtel Mountain Nature Park|Fichtel Mountains]], [[Franconian Heights Nature Park|Franconian Heights]], [[Franconian Forest Nature Park|Franconian Forest]], [[Franconian Switzerland-Franconian Jura Nature Park|Franconian Switzerland-Franconian Jura]], [[Haßberge Nature Park|Haßberge]], [[Spessart Nature Park|Spessart]] and [[Steigerwald Nature Park|Steigerwald]] in Bavaria, as well as the [[Bergstraße-Odenwald Nature Park]] which straddles Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Hesse. Nature parks cover almost half the area of Franconia.<ref>[http://www.frankentourismus.de/naturpark/ ''Naturparks in Franken''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730235534/http://www.frankentourismus.de/naturpark/ |date=2016-07-30 }}, retrieved 2 June 2014.</ref>

In 1991 [[UNESCO]] recognised the Rhön as a [[Biosphärenreservat Rhön|biosphere reserve]].<ref>[https://www.stmuv.bayern.de/umwelt/naturschutz/bio_rhoen/index.htm ''Biosphärenreservat Rhön''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419220559/http://www.stmuv.bayern.de/umwelt/naturschutz/bio_rhoen/index.htm |date=2016-04-19 }}, Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz, retrieved 28 May 2014.</ref> Among the most picturesque geotopes in Bavaria, are the Franconian sites of ''[[Fossa Carolina]]'', the Twelve Apostle Rocks (''Zwölf-Apostel-Felsen''), the [[Ehrenbürg]], the cave ruins of [[Riesenburg (cave)|Riesenburg]] and the lake of [[Frickenhäuser See]].<ref>[https://www.lfu.bayern.de/geologie/geotope_schoensten/index.htm ''Bayerns schönste Geotope''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160729083419/http://www.lfu.bayern.de/geologie/geotope_schoensten/index.htm |date=2016-07-29 }}, Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz, retrieved 28 May 2014.</ref> The [[European Bird Reserve]]s in Franconia are found mainly in uplands like the Steigerwald, in large forests like Nuremberg's Imperial Forest or along rivers like the Altmühl.<ref name="abc">[https://www.vogev.bayern.de/Mittelfranken/map/m10000.html Karte der Vogelschutzgebiete] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617090136/http://www.vogev.bayern.de/Mittelfranken/map/m10000.html |date=2016-06-17 }}: ''Mittelfranken'', stellvertretend für alle Europäischen Vogelschutzgebieten in Franken</ref> There are also numerous [[Special Areas of Conservation]] and [[protected landscape]]s. In Franconia there are very many [[tufa]]s, raised stream beds near river sources within the [[karst]] landscape that are known as 'stone runnels' (''[[Steinerne Rinne]]n''). There are protected examples at [[Käsrinne|Heidenheim]] and [[Steinerne Rinne (Wolfsbronn)|Wolfsbronn]].

Like large parts of Germany, Franconia only has a few large species of wild animal. Forest dwellers include various species of [[marten]], [[fallow deer]], [[red deer]], [[roe deer]], [[wild boar]] and [[red fox|fox]]. In natural areas such as the Fichtel mountains there are populations of [[European lynx|lynx]] and [[capercaillie]],<ref name = "Fichtel">[http://www.frankentourismus.de/naturpark/fichtelgebirge/ ''Fichtelgebirge Nature Park''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611170601/http://www.frankentourismus.de/naturpark/fichtelgebirge/ |date=2016-06-11 }}, retrieved 2 Jun 2014.</ref> and [[European beaver|beaver]] and [[European otter|otter]] have grown in numbers. There are occasional sightings of animals that had long been extinct in Central Europe, for example, the [[European wolf|wolf]].<ref>[https://www.br.de/themen/wissen/wildtiere-bayern-wolf-wildtier110.html ''Wildlife in Bavaria: The wolf - a Native Bavarian''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422132456/http://www.br.de/themen/wissen/wildtiere-bayern-wolf-wildtier110.html |date=2016-04-22 }}, Bayerischer Rundfunk, retrieved 16 August 2014.</ref>

=== Geology ===
==== General ====
[[File:Grube Wilhelmine 4.jpg|thumb|Opened-up, copper-ore-bearing, Spessart crystalline rock in [[Sommerkahl]] near Aschaffenburg]]
[[File:Seltenbachschlucht.jpg|thumb|Fine sandstone, siltstone and argillites of the [[bunter sandstone]] layer (Lower Triassic) in the [[Seltenbach Gorge]] in the Spessart]]
[[File:Judenhof+Turmkarst Tüchersfeld.jpg|thumb|Tower-like rocks of [[Upper Jurassic]]-[[Corallian Limestone]] in [[Tüchersfeld]], northern Franconian Jura (Franconian Switzerland)]]
Only in the extreme northeast of Franconia and in the Spessart are there [[Variscan]] [[outcrop]]s of the crystalline [[basement (geology)|basement]], which were uplifted from below the surface when the [[Alps]] exerted a northwards-oriented pressure. These are rocks of pre-[[Permian]] vintage, which were folded during various stages of [[Variscan orogeny]] in the [[Late Palaeozoic]] - before about 380 to 300&nbsp;million years ago - and, in places, were [[metamorphism (geology)|metamorphosed]] under high pressure and temperature or were crystallized by ascending [[magma]] in the [[Earth's crust]].<ref name="geobavaria_S4">Stefan Glaser, Gerhard Doppler and Klaus fword (eds.): ''GeoBavaria. 600 Millionen Jahre Bayern. Internationale Edition.'' Bayerisches Geologisches Landesamt, Munich, 2004 ([https://www.bestellen.bayern.de/shoplink/93019.htm online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073250/http://www.bestellen.bayern.de/shoplink/93019.htm |date=2016-03-04 }}), p.&nbsp;4</ref> Rocks which were unchanged or only lightly metamorphosed, because they had been deformed at shallow crustal depths, include the [[Mississippian (geology)|Lower Carboniferous]] shale and greywacke of Franconian Forest. The Fichtel mountains, the Münchberg Plateau and the Spessart, by contrast, have more metamorphic rocks ([[phyllite]], [[schist]], [[amphibolite]], [[gneiss]]). The Fichtel mountains are also characterized by large [[granite]] bodies, called post-kinematic [[Pluton (geology)|plutons]] which, in the late phase of Variscan orogeny, intruded into the metamorphic rocks. In most cases these are S-type granites whose melting was caused by heated-up sedimentary rocks sunk deep into the Earth's crust.<ref name = "geobavaria_S24">Stefan Glaser, Gerhard Doppler and Klaus fword. (eds.): ''GeoBavaria. 600 Millionen Jahre Bayern. Internationale Edition.'' Bayerisches Geologisches Landesamt, Munich, 2004 ([https://www.bestellen.bayern.de/shoplink/93019.htm online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073250/http://www.bestellen.bayern.de/shoplink/93019.htm |date=2016-03-04 }}), p.&nbsp;24</ref> While the Fichtel and Franconian Forest can be assigned to the Saxo-Thuringian Zone of Central European Variscan orogeny, the Spessart belongs to the Central German Crystalline Zone.<ref name="geobavaria_S4"/> The Münchberg mass is variously attributed to the Saxo-Thuringian or Moldanubian Zones.<ref>Alfons Baier, Thomas Hochsieder: ''[https://www.angewandte-geologie.geol.uni-erlangen.de/muenchbe.htm Zur Stratigraphie und Tektonik des SE-Randes der Münchberger Gneismasse (Oberfranken)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160907001253/http://www.angewandte-geologie.geol.uni-erlangen.de/muenchbe.htm |date=2016-09-07 }}.'' Website of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg with a summary of the essay of the same name in the ''Geologischen Blättern für Nordost-Bayern'', Vol. 39, No. 3/4, Erlangen, 1989</ref>

A substantially larger part of the shallow subsurface in Franconia comprises [[Mesozoic]], unmetamorphosed, unfolded rocks of the [[South German Scarplands]].<ref name="geobavaria_S26">Stefan Glaser, Gerhard Doppler and Klaus Schwerd (eds.): ''GeoBavaria. 600 million years Bavaria. International Edition. GeoBavaria. 600 Millionen Jahre Bayern. Internationale Edition.'' Bayerisches Geologisches Landesamt, Munich, 2004 ([https://www.bestellen.bayern.de/shoplink/93019.htm online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073250/http://www.bestellen.bayern.de/shoplink/93019.htm |date=2016-03-04 }}), p. 26</ref> The regional geological element of the South German Scarplands is the Franconian Platform (''Süddeutsche Großscholle'').<ref>Dickinson, Robert E (1964). ''Germany: A regional and economic geography'' (2nd ed.). London: Methuen, p 568. .</ref> At the so-called [[Franconian Line]], a significant [[fault (geology)|fault line]], the Saxo-Thuringian-Moldanubian basement was uplifted in places up to 2000&nbsp;m above the Franconian Platform.<ref>Walter Freudenberger: ''Tektonik: Deckgebirge nördlich der Donau.'' In: Walter Freudenberger, Klaus Schwerd (Red.): ''Erläuterungen zur Geologischen Karte von Bayern 1:500&nbsp;000.'' Bayerisches Geologisches Landesamt, Munich, 1996 ([https://www.bestellen.bayern.de/shoplink/10000.htm online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075943/http://www.bestellen.bayern.de/shoplink/10000.htm |date=2016-03-04 }}), p.&nbsp;259-265</ref> The western two-thirds of Franconia is dominated by the [[Triassic]] with its [[sandstone]]s, [[siltstone]]s and [[claystone]]s (so-called [[siliciclastic]]s) of the [[bunter sandstone]]; the [[limestone]]s and [[marl]]s of the [[Muschelkalk]] and the mixed, but predominantly siliciclastic, sedimentary rocks of the [[Keuper]]. In the [[Rhön]], the Triassic rocks are overlain and intruded by [[vulcanite|volcanic rock]] ([[basalt]]s, [[basanite (rocks)|basanites]], [[phonolite]]s and [[trachyte]]s) of the [[Tertiary]]. The eastern third of Franconia is dominated by the [[Jurassic]] rocks of the [[Franconian Jura]], with the dark shales of the [[Black Jura]], the shales and ferruginous sandstones of the [[Brown Jura]] and, the weathering-resistant limestones and [[dolomite (rock)|dolomitic rocks]] of the [[White Jura]], which stand out from the landscape and form the actual ridge of the Franconian Jura itself.<ref name="geobavaria_S26"/> In the Jura, mostly siliciclastic sedimentary rocks formed in the [[Cretaceous (geology)|Cretaceous]] have survived.

The Mesozoic sediments have been deposited in largescale basin areas. During the Triassic, the Franconian part of these depressions was often part of the mainland, in the Jurassic it was covered for most of the time by a [[marginal sea]] of the western [[Tethys (ocean)|Tethys Ocean]]. At the time when the limestones and dolomites of the White Jura were being deposited, this sea was divided into sponge reefs and intervening lagoons. The reef bodies and the fine-grained lagoon limestones and marls are the material from which the majority of the Franconian Jura is composed today.<ref name="geobavaria_S40ff">Stefan Glaser, Gerhard Doppler and Klaus Schwerde. (eds.): Stefan Glaser, Gerhard Doppler und Klaus Schwerd (Red.): ''GeoBavaria. 600 Millionen Jahre Bayern. Internationale Edition.'' Bayerisches Geologisches Landesamt, Munich, 2004 ([https://www.bestellen.bayern.de/shoplink/93019.htm online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073250/http://www.bestellen.bayern.de/shoplink/93019.htm |date=2016-03-04 }}), p.&nbsp;40&nbsp;ff.</ref> Following a drop in the sea level towards the end of the Upper Jurassic, larger areas also became part of the mainland at the beginning of the subsequent Cretaceous period. During the Upper Cretaceous, the sea advanced again up to the area of the Franconian Jura. At the end of the Cretaceous, the sea then retreated again from the region.<ref name="geobavaria_S40ff"/> In addition, large parts of South and Central Germany experienced a general uplift -or in areas where the basement had broken through a substantial uplift - the course of formation of the Alps during the Tertiary. Since then, Franconia has been mainly influenced by [[erosion (geology)|erosion]] and [[weathering]] (especially in the Jura in the form of [[karst]]), which has ultimately led to formation of today's landscapes.

==== Fossils ====
[[File:Plateosaurus skull.jpg|thumb|left|Skull and forward cervical spine of ''Plateosaurus engelhardti'', probably the replica of a skeleton from [[Ellingen]]]]
[[File:Archaeopteryx lithographica, replica of London specimen, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Germany - 20100925.jpg|thumb|left|The so-called London Exemplar of ''Archaeopteryx'' (here a replica) comes from the [[Langenaltheim]] Quarry, west of Solnhofen.]]
The oldest [[macrofossil]]s in Franconia, which are also the oldest in Bavaria, are [[archaeocyatha]], [[sponge]]-like, goblet-shaped marine organisms, which were discovered in 2013 in a limestone block of [[Cambrian|Late Lower Cambrian]] age, about 520&nbsp;million years old. The block comes from the vicinity [[Schwarzenbach am Wald]] from the so-called Heinersreuth Block Conglomerate (''Heinersreuther Blockkonglomerat''), a [[Mississippian (geology)|Lower Carboniferous]] [[wildflysch]]. However, the aforementioned archaeocyathids are not three-dimensional fossils, but two-dimensional [[thin section]]s. These thin sections had already been prepared and investigated in the 1970s but the archaeocyathids among them were apparently overlooked at that time.<ref>Hans-Georg Herbig, Thomas Wotte, Stefanie Becker: ''First proof of archaeocyathid-bearing Lower Cambrian in the Franconian Forest (Saxothuringian Zone, Northeast Bavaria).'' In: Jiři Žák, Gernold Zulauf, Heinz-Gerd Röhling (Hrsg.): ''Crustal evolution and geodynamic processes in Central Europe. Proceedings of the Joint conference of the Czech and German geological societies held in Plzeň (Pilsen), September 16–19, 2013.'' Schriftenreihe der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften. No.&nbsp;82, 2013, p.&nbsp;50 (full text: [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261258622_First_proof_of_archaeocyathid-bearing_Lower_Cambrian_in_the_Franconian_Forest_%28Saxothuringian_Zone_Northeast_Bavaria%29 Researchgate])</ref>

Better known and more highly respected fossil finds in Franconia come from the unfolded sedimentary rocks of the Triassic and Jurassic. The [[bunter sandstone]], however, only has a relatively small number of preserved whole fossils. Much more commonly, it contains [[trace fossil]]s, especially the [[tetrapod]] footprints of ''[[Chirotherium]]''. The [[type locality (biology)|type locality]] for these [[animal track]]s is [[Hildburghausen]] in the Thuringian part of Franconia, where it occurs in the so-called Thuringian Chirotherium Sandstone (''Thüringer Chirotheriensandstein'', main Middle Bunter Sandstone).<ref>Hartmut Haubold: ''Die Saurierfährten'' Chirotherium barthii ''Kaup, 1835&nbsp;- das Typusmaterial aus dem Buntsandstein bei Hildburghausen/Thüringen und das "Chirotherium-Monument".'' Publication by the Natural History Museum, Schleusingen, vol.&nbsp;21, 2006, pp.&nbsp;3–31</ref> ''Chirotherium'' is also found in the Bavarian and Württemberg parts of Franconia. Sites include [[Aura an der Saale|Aura]] near Bad Kissingen, [[Karbach (Lower Franconia)|Karbach]], [[Gambach (Karlstadt)|Gambach]] and [[Külsheim]].<ref name="haderer95">Frank-Otto Haderer, Georges Demathieu, Ronald Böttcher: ''Wirbeltier-Fährten aus dem Rötquarzit (Oberer Buntsandstein, Mittlere Trias) von Hardheim bei Wertheim/Main (Süddeutschland).'' Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, Serie B. No.&nbsp;230, 1995, [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30051209 online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929183731/http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30051209 |date=2017-09-29 }}</ref> There the deposits are somewhat younger (Upper Bunter Sandstone), and the corresponding [[stratigraphy (geology)|stratigraphic]] interval is called the Franconian Chirotherium Beds (''Fränkische Chirotherienschichten'').<ref name="haderer95"/> Among the less significant body fossil records of vertebrates are the [[Procolophonoidea|procolophonid]] ''Anomoiodon liliensterni'' from [[Reurieth]] in the Thuringian part of Franconia<ref>Laura K. Säilä: ''The Osteology and Affinities of ''Anomoiodon liliensterni'', a Procolophonid Reptile from the Lower Triassic Buntsandstein of Germany.'' Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Vol.&nbsp;28, No.&nbsp;4, 2008, pp.&nbsp;1199–1205, [[doi:10.1671/0272-4634-28.4.1199]]</ref> and ''Koiloskiosaurus coburgiensis'' from [[Rödental|Mittelberg]] near Coburg,<ref>Friedrich von Huene: ''Ueber die Procolophoniden, mit einer neuen Form aus dem Buntsandstein.'' Centralblatt für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paläontologie. 1911 issue, 1911, pp.&nbsp;78–83</ref> both from the Thuringian Chirotherium Sandstone, and the [[Temnospondyli|Temnospondyle]] ''[[Mastodonsaurus|Mastodonsaurus ingens]]'' (possibly identical with the mastodonsaurus, ''[[Heptasaurus cappelensis]]'') from the [[Röt Formation|Upper Bunter]] at Gambach.<ref>Rainer R. Schoch: ''Comparative osteology of ''Mastodonsaurus giganteus'' (Jaeger, 1828) from the Middle Triassic (Lettenkeuper: Longobardian) of Germany (Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Thüringen).'' Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, Series&nbsp;B. No.&nbsp;278, 1999, pp.&nbsp;21 and&nbsp;27 ([https://web.archive.org/web/20110428055058/http://www-alt.naturkundemuseum-bw.de/stuttgart/pdf/b_pdf/B278.pdf PDF] 3,6&nbsp;MB)</ref><ref>Emily J. Rayfield, Paul M. Barrett, Andrew R. Milner: Utility and Validity of Middle and Late Triassic 'Land Vertebrate Faunachrons'. In: ''Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.'' Vol.&nbsp;29, 2009, No.&nbsp;1, pp.&nbsp;80–87, [[doi:10.1671/039.029.0132]].</ref>

As early as the first decade of the 19th century [[George, Count of Münster]] began systematic fossil gathering and digs and in the Upper [[Muschelkalk]] at [[Bayreuth]]. For example, the [[Oschenberg]] hill near [[Laineck]] became the type locality of two relatively well-known marine reptiles of the Triassic period, later found in other parts of Central Europe: the "flat tooth lizard", ''[[Placodus]]''<ref>Olivier Rieppel: ''The genus ''Placodus'': Systematics, Morphology, Paleobiogeography, and Paleobiology.'' Fieldiana Geology, New Series, No.&nbsp;31, 1995, [[doi:10.5962/bhl.title.3301]].</ref> and the "false lizard", ''[[Nothosaurus]]''.<ref>Olivier Rieppel, Rupert Wild. ''A Revision of the Genus ''Nothosaurus'' (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the Germanic Triassic, with Comments on the Status of ''Conchiosaurus clavatus. Fieldiana Geology, New Series, No.&nbsp;34, 1996. [[doi:10.5962/bhl.title.2691]]</ref>

In Franconia's middle [[Keuper]] (the [[Feuerletten]]) is one of the best known and most common species of dinosaurs of Central Europe: ''[[Plateosaurus engelhardti]]'', an early representative of the [[sauropodomorpha]]. Its type locality is located at [[Heroldsberg]] south of Nuremberg. When the remains of ''Plateosaurus'' were first discovered there in 1834, it was the first discovery of a dinosaur on German soil, and this occurred even before the name "dinosauria" was coined. Another important ''Plateosaurus'' find in Franconia was made at [[Ellingen]].<ref>Markus Moser: Plateosaurus engelhardti ''MEYER, 1837 (Dinosauria: Sauropodomorpha) aus dem Feuerletten (Mittelkeuper; Obertrias) von Bayern.'' Zitteliana, Series B: Treatises of the Bavarian State Collection for Palaeontology and Geology. Vol. 24, 2003, pp. 3-186, {{URN|nbn|de:bvb:19-epub-12711-3}}</ref>

Far more famous than ''Plateosaurus'', ''Placodus'' and ''Nothosaurus'' is the ''[[Archaeopteryx]]'', probably the first bird geologically. It was discovered in the southern Franconian Jura, ''inter alia'' at the famous fossil site of Solnhofen in the Solnhofen Platform Limestone (''Solnhofener Plattenkalk'', (Solnhofen-Formation, early [[Tithonian]], Upper Jurassic). In addition to ''Archaeopteryx'', in the very fine-grained, laminated lagoon limestones are the pterosaur ''[[Pterodactylus]]'' and various [[bony fish]]es as well as numerous extremely detailed examples of invertebrates e.g. [[feather star]]s and [[dragonflies]]. [[Eichstätt]] is the other "big" and similarly famous fossil locality in the Solnhofen Formation, situated on the southern edge of the Jura in [[Upper Bavaria]]. Here, as well as ''Archaeopteryx'', the theropod dinosaurs, ''[[Compsognathus]]'' and ''[[Juravenator]]'', were found.

An inglorious episode in the history of paleontology took place in Franconia: fake fossils, known as [[Beringer's Lying Stones]], were acquired in the 1720s by Würzburg doctor and naturalist, [[Johann Beringer]], for a lot of money and then described in a [[monograph]], along with genuine fossils from the Würzburg area. However, it is not entirely clear whether the Beringer forgeries were actually planted or whether he himself was responsible for the fraud.<ref>Birgit Niebuhr: ''Wer hat hier gelogen? Die Würzburger Lügenstein-Affaire.'' Fossilien. No.&nbsp;1/2006, 2006, S.&nbsp;15–19 ({{cite web |url=https://www.fossilien-journal.de/cms/red/download/Fo-2006-01-PalGes.pdf |title=PDF |access-date=2016-01-11 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913060827/https://www.fossilien-journal.de/cms/red/download/Fo-2006-01-PalGes.pdf |archive-date=September 13, 2014 }} 886&nbsp;kB)</ref>

=== Climate ===
Franconia has a [[humid continental climate|humid]] [[cool temperate]] transitional climate, which is neither very continental nor very maritime. The average monthly temperatures vary depending on the area between about -1 to -2&nbsp;°C in January and 17 to 19&nbsp;°C in August, but may reach a peak of about 35&nbsp;°C for a few days in the summer, especially in the large cities. The climate of Franconia is sunny and relatively warm. For part of the summer, for example, Lower Franconia is one of the sunniest areas in Germany. Daily temperatures in the Bavarian part of Franconia are an average of 0.1&nbsp;°C higher than the average for Bavaria as a whole.<ref>[https://www.lfu.bayern.de/wasser/klima_wandel/bayern/lufttemperatur/index.htm ''Mittelwerte und Kenntage der Lufttemperatur''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701010816/https://www.lfu.bayern.de/wasser/klima_wandel/bayern/lufttemperatur/index.htm |date=2016-07-01 }}, Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt, retrieved 23 May 2014.</ref> Relatively less rain falls in Franconia, and likewise in the rest of North Bavaria rain than is usual for its geographic location; even summer storms are often less powerful than in other areas of South Germany.<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natur/neue-daten-fuer-alle-regionen-deutschlands-wahres-klima-a-700267-13.html ''Neue Daten für alle Regionen: Deutschlands wahres Klima''], [[Spiegel Online]], retrieved 23 May 2014</ref> In southern Bavaria about 2,000&nbsp;mm of precipitation falls annually and almost three times as much as in parts of Franconia (about 500–900&nbsp;mm) in the rain shadow of the Spessart, Rhön and Odenwald.<ref>[https://www.lfu.bayern.de/wasser/klima_wandel/bayern/niederschlag/index.htm ''Mittelwerte des Gebietsniederschlags''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701002232/https://www.lfu.bayern.de/wasser/klima_wandel/bayern/niederschlag/index.htm |date=2016-07-01 }}, www.lfu.bayern.de, Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt, retrieved 23 May 2014.</ref>

=== Quality of life ===
Franconia, as part of Germany, has a high [[quality of life]]. In the ''Worldwide Quality of Living Survey'' by [[Mercer (consulting firm)|Mercer]] in 2010, the city of Nuremberg was one of the top 25 cities in the world in terms of quality of life and came sixth in Germany.<ref name="mercer">{{cite web|url=https://www.mercer.de/referencecontent.htm?idContent=1381210|title=mercer.de|access-date=2016-07-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118090450/http://www.mercer.de/referencecontent.htm?idContent=1381210|archive-date=2012-01-18|url-status=dead}}</ref> In environmental ranking Nuremberg came thirteenth in the world and was the best German city<ref name="mercer"/> In a survey by the German magazine, ''[[Focus (German magazine)|Focus]]'', on quality of life in 2014, the districts of Eichstätt and Fürth were among the top positions in the table.<ref>[http://www.focus.de/immobilien/bauen/focus-titel-landkreis-eichstaett-ist-die-lebenswerteste-region-deutschlands_id_3693199.html ''Landkreis Eichstätt ist die lebenswerteste Region Deutschlands''], [[Focus Online]], retrieved 10 September 2014</ref> In the ''Glücksatlas'' by [[Deutsche Post AG|Deutsche Post]] Franconia achieved some of the highest scores,<ref>[http://www.gluecksatlas.de/cms/2012/regionen.html ''Deutsche Post Glücksatlas''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304225756/http://gluecksatlas.de/cms/2012/regionen.html |date=2016-03-04 }}, retrieved 10 September 2014.</ref> but the region slipped in 2013 to 13th place out of 19.<ref>[http://www.nordbayern.de/region/glucksatlas-2013-franken-sind-so-unglucklich-wie-nie-zuvor-1.3260187 ''Glücksatlas 2013: Franken sind so unglücklich wie nie zuvor''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917184704/http://www.nordbayern.de/region/glucksatlas-2013-franken-sind-so-unglucklich-wie-nie-zuvor-1.3260187 |date=2016-09-17 }}. Nordbayern.de, published 5 November 2013, retrieved 10 September 2014.</ref>