OVERYS'SEL, a province of the Netherlands, is bounded on the D. by Friesland and Drenthe; c. by Hanover and Westphalia; s and s.w. by Gelderland; and w. by the Zuyder Zee. It has an area-of 1274 sq.m.; and (1874) a pop. of 263,008. The soil is sandy, with clay lands by the Ysse], rich in:stores along the Zoyder Zee and risers, trkets of peat-land in various parts, and extensive heaths which are gradually being brought into culthation. From south to north the province is intersected by an unbioken chain of sand-hills. The chief cities are Zwolle, Devcnter, and Kampen; important manufac turing towns of less note being ABoo1e, AVere(St, Dalfsen, Lankohu,rea, Ilard•nberg, Dellendorn, Lonneker, Lesser, iiaalte, Solp!mrst, Steenwykorswold, ubbergen, 11 ow selo, Wierden, Zwollerkersp21, etc. The priacipal employments are: agriculture, manu factures of various kinds, fishing, making peat, skipping, and merehanuise. In 1862, of 128,7091 acres under cultivation, 65,520 were in rye, L4.-153 in potatoes, 18.307 in 1 uck wheat, 7,6301 in oats, 4,400 in bArley; wheat, coin, helms, flax, carrots, etc., o -entiying smaller breadths. The stuck consisted of 10,5t-2 Horses, 117,007 horned cattle, .00,03'2 sheep, 22,318 swine, and 8.265 goats.
At Zwulle, Deventer, Kampen, Almelo, and Steenwyk, besides the ground produce, were sold 3,008,000 lbs. of butter, of 171 oz. avoirdupois per ib. In Overyssel, 001,000
acres are still waste, 262,01•0 in pasture, and 7,400 in wood.
Carpets are manufactured at Deventer and Kampen. leather at Blolczyl, calicoes and other cotton fabrics at Kampen, Almelo, Dulfsen, Om men, anct many other towns. There are extensive brick-works at Ryssem, Zwollerkerspel, Markclo, and Diepenveen, a yearly aggregate of 43,760,000. Ship-building is carried on :tf Zwartslnis. Volenbove, riteenwykerswold, Ai, crust, etc. goere are 74 Dutch Reformed clergymen, 98 Roman Catholic priests, and a few belonging to smaller Protestant sects. The attendance at school is about I to 9 of the population. In 1862 the births amounted to 7,818, of which 206 were illegitimate, or about 1 to 351; the deaths were 5,673, or 42 to the 1000 of the population.
The principal rivers are the Yssel, into 'Which the Schipbeek runs, and the Overys seische 1 eeht, which falls into the Black Water. Other important water-ways are the Dedems•Vaart and the Willctns-Vaart canals. There were, in 1873, 109 m. of railways in the province. The island of Schokland, in the Znyder Zee, belongs to Overyssel.