Pays de Bitche

Pays de Bitche Bitscherland / Bitcherland
Natural region
Pond between Lambach and Lemberg
Pays de Bitche
Coordinates: 49°03′09″N 7°25′33″E / 49.0525°N 7.42583333333°E / 49.0525; 7.42583333333
Country	France
Region	Grand Est
Department	Moselle
Arrondissement	Sarreguemines
Capital	Bitche
Area
• Total	61,589 km2 (23,780 sq mi)
Population (1999)
• Total	35,873
• Density	0.58/km2 (1.5/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Bitcherlänner / Bitscherlänner
Vehicle registration	57
Website	bitscherland.fr

The Pays de Bitche (German: Bitscherland or Bitcherland) is a natural region located in the Moselle department of the Grand Est region of France. It corresponds to the present French part of the former principality of Zweibrücken-Bitsch and to the part of the Northern Vosges that lies within Lorraine.

The Pays de Bitche has a total of 47 municipalities. 46 of them are gathered into the Bitche canton and the remaining one, Kalhausen, is a part of the Sarreguemines canton.

The Pays de Bitche has a total of 47 municipalities and covers the part of the Northern Vosges Regional Nature Park that lies within Lorraine. In the west and southwest it forms part of the agriculturally dominated Westrich Plateau. To the south it borders the so-called Alsace bossue (German: Krumme Elsass), which belongs to the arrondissement of Saverne. To the east is the canton of Wissembourg. To the north it is adjoined by the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and the Saarland, whilst to the west it is bounded by the cantons of Sarralbe and Sarreguemines, both of the arrondissement of Sarreguemines, to which the Pays de Bitche also belongs. To the west it also reaches the River Saar. The north-south line from Liederschiedt to Rahling delineates the very sharp divide between its different landscapes. West of this line, the bedrock is almost exclusively characterised by limestone, whilst east of the line, stretch forested bunter sandstone hills, dissected by deep valleys. Since the 16th century many ponds and lakes have been laid out in this area, mostly for agricultural and industrial purposes.