Switzerland in the Roman era after which the area began to be occupied by Germanic peoples. The Swiss plateau, within the natural borders of the Alps to the South and East, Lake Geneva and the Rhône to the west and the Rhine to the north, was recognized as a contiguous territory by Julius Caesar. This area had been dominated by the La Tène culture since the 5th century BC, settled by a mostly Celtic population (Gauls), of which the Helvetii were the most numerous, but which also included the Rauraci in north-west Switzerland centered on Basel, and the Allobroges around Geneva. South of the Swiss
Birch River (West Virginia) Birch River (West Virginia) The Birch River is a tributary of the Elk River in rural central West Virginia in the United States, on the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. It rises near the town of Cowen in western Webster County, and flows generally WNW through northern Nicholas County and southern Braxton County, where it joins the Elk. Tributes are Millcreek, Polemic Creek, and Skyles creek. The river most likely was named after birch trees lining its banks. The Little Birch River is a tributary of the Birch. It rises in western Webster County and flows generally westward through southern Braxton County.