View source for Obersee (Lake Constance)

{{Short description|Lake in Austria, Germany and Switzerland}}
{{Other uses|Obersee (disambiguation)}}
{{infobox body of water
| name = Upper Lake Constance ({{lang|de|Obersee}})
| image = Lake Constance from Winterstaude (East to West) (cropped).JPG
| caption = View over Lake Constance's Obersee from [[Winterstaude]] mountain at dusk 
| location = Tripoint of Germany, Austria and Switzerland
| coordinates = {{coord|47.61|09.44|type:landmark_region:DE-BW|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| inflow = [[Alpine Rhine]], [[Bregenzer Ach]], [[Argen]], [[Alter Rhein (Fußacher Durchstich)]], [[Schussen]], [[Dornbirner Ach]], [[Seefelder Aach]], [[Rotach]], [[Stockacher Aach]] and smaller streams
| outflow = [[Seerhein]]
| islands = [[Lindau (island)|Lindau]], [[Mainau]]
| cities = [[Überlingen]], [[Meersburg]], [[Friedrichshafen]], [[Lindau (Bodensee)|Lindau]], [[Bregenz]], [[Rorschach, Switzerland|Rorschach]], [[Konstanz]]
| elevation = {{convert|395.33|m}}
| area = {{convert|472|km2}}<ref name="IGKB">''Gestalt und Funktionen des Bodensees und seines Einzugsgebietes.'' In: [[Internationale Gewässerschutzkommission für den Bodensee]] (publishers): ''Der Bodensee: Zustand - Fakten - Perspektiven.'' 1st edition. Bregenz, 2004, {{ISBN|3-902290-04-8}}, pp. 8-11 ([http://www.hydra-institute.com/igkb/IGKB%201.2.pdf pdf; 1.1 MB]).</ref>
| length = {{convert|63|km}}<ref name="Daten">[http://www-docs.tu-cottbus.de/gewaesserschutz/public/projekte/uba_2/10_bad_wuert.pdf Dokumentation von Zustand und Entwicklung der wichtigsten Seen Deutschlands: Teil 10 Baden-Württemberg (pdf; 411 KB)]</ref>
| width = {{convert|14|km}}<ref name="Daten" /> 
| depth = {{convert|101|m}}<ref name="IGKB" />
| max-depth = {{convert|251|m}}<ref name="IGKB" />
| volume = {{convert|47.6|km3}}<ref name="IGKB" />
| shore = {{convert|186|km}}<ref name="IGKB" />
| pushpin_map=Canton of St. Gallen#Switzerland#Germany Baden-Württemberg#Germany#Austria#Alps
| pushpin_label_position= right
| embedded      = {{Infobox mapframe |wikidata=yes |zoom=9 |coord={{WikidataCoord|display=i}}}}
}}

The '''''Obersee''''' ({{langx|en|Upper Lake}}), also known as '''Upper Lake Constance''', is the much larger of the two parts of [[Lake Constance]], the other part being the ''[[Untersee (Lake Constance)|Untersee]]'' ({{langx|en|Lower Lake}}). The two parts are separated by the [[Bodanrück]] peninsula. The narrow, northwestern branch of ''Obersee'' is also called ''[[Überlinger See]]'' ({{langx|en|Lake Überlingen}}).

== Geography ==
[[File:Karte Bodensee V2.png|thumb|left|300px|The "Obersee" is the larger, eastern, part of [[Lake Constance]]]]
[[File:Rhein-Karte2.png|thumb|left|300px|upright=1.2|<u>'''Sections of the [[Rhine]]:'''</u> {{legend|#ff7474|[[Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta]]}} {{legend|#ff8c35|[[Lower Rhine]]}} {{legend|#ffff27|[[Middle Rhine]]}} {{legend|#82b143|[[Upper Rhine]]}} {{legend|#4abbb7|[[High Rhine]]}} {{legend|#2d7cea|[[Lake Constance]] (''[[Untersee (Lake Constance)|Untersee]]'', ''[[Seerhein]]'', '''''Obersee''''')}} {{legend|#ba7eff|[[Alpine Rhine]], ''[[Vorderrhein]]'', ''[[Hinterrhein (river)|Hinterrhein]]''}} {{legend|#ffffff|[[Sources of the Rhine|Rhine sources]]}}]]
The Obersee has an area of {{cvt|473|km2}} in size and extends for {{cvt|63|km}} between [[Bregenz]] in the Southeast and [[Bodman-Ludwigshafen]] in the Northwest. Its maximum width is {{cvt|14|km}}. Its main inflow is the [[Alpine Rhine]], with other tributaries being the  [[Dornbirner Ach]],  [[Bregenzer Ach]], [[Leiblach]], [[Argen]], [[Schussen]], [[Rotach]], [[Seefelder Aach]], [[Stockacher Aach]] and [[Aach (Arbon)|Aach]]. At [[Konstanz]] (Constance), it drains through the ''[[Seerhein]]''  into the ''Untersee''.

The distinctive, northwestern arm and {{convert|21|km2}}-large [[Lake Überlingen]] ([[Standard German of Germany]]: ''Überlinger See''), named after [[Überlingen]], is part of the Upper Lake Constance, as well as the [[Bay of Bregenz]], and the [[Constance Hopper]].

The countries that border the lake are [[Switzerland]], with its cantons of [[Canton of Thurgau|Thurgau]] and [[Canton of St. Gallen|St. Gallen]], [[Austria]], with its [[Austrian state|federal state]] of [[Vorarlberg]], and [[Germany]], with its [[German state|federal state]]s of [[Baden-Württemberg]] and [[Bavaria]]. 
The exact location of the border between the riparian states within the south-eastern part of ''Obersee'' have never been jointly agreed upon (see [[Lake Constance#Territorial affiliation|Lake Constance]]); only the smaller northwestern water of [[Lake Überlingen]] is completely within German territory.

The southeastern end of the lake borders the [[Alps]], the [[Appenzell Alps]] of Switzerland and the [[Allgäu Alps]] of Austria and Germany. A notable mountain with outlook is the [[Pfänder]] above Bregenz.

== Origin of the name ==
The [[Roman Empire|Romans]] called it ''Lacus Venetus'', ''Lacus Brigantinus'' and ''Lacus Constantinus''. In the Middle Ages the dominant term was ''Lacus Bodamicus'', or in German ''Bodensee''.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}} Gradually, this name began to include the [[Untersee (Lake Constance)|Lower Lake]] (''Lacus Acronius''), so the term "Upper Lake" was introduced for the larger lake.{{dubious|date=March 2018}}

==See also==
*[[Untersee (Lake Constance)]]
*[[Seerhein]]
*[[Bodanrück]]
*[[Lake Constance Belt Railway]]

==References==
{{more footnotes|date=March 2018}}
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.bodenseekonferenz.org International Bodensee Conference]
* [http://www.bodenseekonferenz.org/21885/Service/DieRegion/index.aspx Bodensee-data of the International Lake Constance Conference]

{{Lake Constance}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rhine basin|LObersee]]
[[Category:Geography of Lake Constance]]
[[Category:Lakes of Baden-Württemberg]]
[[Category:Lakes of Vorarlberg]]
[[Category:Lakes of the canton of St. Gallen]]
[[Category:Lakes of Thurgau]]
[[Category:Konstanz (district)]]
[[Category:Bodenseekreis]]
[[Category:Lindau (district)]]