Fortification

Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defense during war. People have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, but the designs have become more and more complex. The term fortification comes from the Latin words fortis ("strong") and facere ("to make").

Bourtange star fort, restored to 1750 situation, Groningen (province), Netherlands

Templeborough Roman fort in Yorkshire. The reconstruction was created for Rotherham Museums and Galleries.

Many military installations are known as forts, although they are not always fortified. Larger forts may class as fortresses, smaller ones formerly often bore the name of fortalices. Some are castles. The word fortification can also mean the practice of improving an area's defense with defensive works. City walls are fortifications but not necessarily called fortresses.

The last great system of fortification to be built was the Atlantic Wall.

Related pages

• Fortress
• Stronghold
• Salient

Other websites

• Information on Australian World War 2 Fortifications
• A Military History of Malta (Fortifications)
• Fortress Cologne
• Aerial photography: Fortress - Komárom - Hungary
• Petrovaradin - Greatest XVIII century fortress in Europe Archived 2006-12-05 at the Wayback Machine

Gallery

• 
  Nakhal Fort, one of the best-preserved forts in Oman
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  Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur (Rajasthan, India)
• 
  Gríanán of Aileach, ancient Irish ringfort, Donegal
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  A restored portion of the Great Wall of China
• 
  Coastal fortification with a rotating gun turret.
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  Fort Frederick Martello Tower in Kingston, Ontario at Royal Military College of Canada
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  Bare Island Fort in Botany Bay in a suburb called La Perouse, Sydney, Australia

This article includes text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica. Please add to the article as needed.