If you were a late Mediaeval geographer in 1415 you would never have suspected that the tiny insignificant state of Brandenburg (not much bigger than Wales) would, a little over 500 years later, be in occupation of an area stretching from Bordeaux to Moscow.

Click on image link at top of these pages to see how it grew to become the state of Germany to 1914

http://fooddeserts.org/images/000FraGermany.htm (history to 31/12/1869)

http://fooddeserts.org/images/050FraGermany.htm (history from 1/1/1870)

Wonder what suprises European geography has in store for the next 500 years? Or maybe rather less, given the acceleration of change we are seeing?

Dr Hillary J. Shaw
Director and Senior Research Consultant
Shaw Food Solutions
Newport
Shropshire
TF10 8QE
www.fooddeserts.org