KURISCHES HAFF

kurisches haff, a lagoon of germany, on the baltic coast of east prussia, stretching from labiau to memel, a distance of 60 m., has an area of nearly 680 sq. m. it is mostly shallow and only close to memel attains a depth of 23 ft. it is thus unnavigable except for small coasting and fishing boats, and sea-going vessels proceed through the memeler tief (memel deep), which connects the baltic with memel and has a depth of 19 ft. and a breadth of 800 to 1900 ft. the kurisches haff is separated from the baltic by a long spit, or tongue of land, the so-called kurische nehrung, 72 m. in length and with a breadth of 1 to 2 miles. the latter is fringed throughout its whole length by a chain of dunes, which rise in places to a height of nearly 200 ft. and threaten, unless checked, to be pressed farther inland and silt up the whole haff. see berendt, _geologie des kurischen haffs_ (konigsberg, 1869); sommer, _das kurische haff_ (danzig, 1889); a. bezzenberger, _die kurische nehrung und ihre bewohner_ (stuttgart, 1889); and lindner, _die preussische wuste einst und jetzt, bilder von der kurischen nehrung_ (osterwieck, 1898).