Hamburg, hahm'boorK, one of the free cities of Germany, a member of the German Empire and the greatest commercial port on the continent of Europe, is situated about 80 mi. from the North Sea in a low plain, along the north branch of the Elbe. Numerous beautiful suburbs surround the city. From the Elbe proceed canals which intersect the eastern and lower part of the city in all directions; the town is also intersected by the Alster, which here forms two fine basins, the Binnenalster and Aussenalster. The chief commercial street of Hamburg is the Jungfernstieg, while the center of the business of banking and exchange is the Neuerwall and Alterwall. Among the principal buildings are the Exchange, the Rathaus, the German Theater and the churches of Saint Nicholas and Saint Michael. The city owns its water plant, sewage disposal plant, bath-houses, gas, electric lighting and street railway plants (operated by private companies). It has many fine schools and hospitals, a public library of 600,000 volumes, an art gallery and a notable museum. The quays and harbor accommodation are very extensive, and, with its geographical location, give to Hamburg its importance as a shipping center and as a center of banking, exchange and marine assurance, carried on in connection with commerce. Its imports in 1904 amounted to $617,768,857. Its manufactures, though large, are less important, including shipbuilding, tobacco and cigar making, iron founding, brewing, coffee roasting, chocolate making and others. A great many emigrants embark here. The State of Hamburg embraces a territory of 158 square miles and includes the City of Hamburg, with a population of 872,000, and fifteen rural districts and outlying towns and bailiwicks, with a population of about 75,000. The legislative power belongs to the house of burgesses, whose acts, except in matters of taxation and finance, are subject to the senate's veto. The executive power is vested chiefly in the senate, which is composed of eighteen members, chosen for life, of whom nine must have studied law or finance, and of the other nine seven must belong to the commercial class. The senate chooses a first and second burgomaster (or mayor) from its own number. The house of burgesses consists of 160 members, half of whom are elected every three years by the votes of all tax-paying citizens, while the other half are chosen partly by a much restricted franchise and partly by guilds and corporations. Hamburg was founded by Charlemagne about 806. It initiated the Hanseatic League with Lubeck and Bremen in 1249 and rapidly grew until 1810, when it became a part of France and suffered under Napoleon's Continental System. In 1815 it entered the German Confederation and in 1871 became a part of the Empire, where it is represented in the Diet by three deputies.