POLAND, or, a province of European Russia, which was united to that empire in 1815—though the title of kingdom was left, and a peculiar form of government long continued to distinguish it from the other provinces—is, surrounded by Prussia, Austria, and western Russia or Russian Poland, and contains 48,863 English sq.m., with a pop. (1S73) of 6,856,049. In 1867 there were 4,326,473 Roman Catholics, 783.079 Jews, 331,283 Protestants (Lutheran's and reformed). and 259.192 Greek church (mostly united). The surface of the country is in general very level, with now and then a hill, or rather undulation, which relieves the uniformity of the scene. In Radom, however, there is a range of hills, some peaks of which attain a height of 2,000 ft. above sea-level. The chief river of Poland is the Vistula, which enters thecountry by its southern boundary, and flows first a. and then n.w., making its exit near Thorn; two of its tributaries, the Wieprs and the Pilica, belong wholly, and third, the Bug, partially to Poland. The Warta, one of the tributaries of the Oder, drains the w., and the Niemen, the n.e. dis tricts. The Vistula and the Niemen are wholly navigable ;n Poland; and the• Bug. Narew, and Warta are so for a considerable portion of their course. By these means of communication the exports of the country are collected at Dantzic. Stettin, Memel, and Tilsit, on the Baltic, and the imports introduced into the country. The climate is severe, the summers being very hot, and the winters excessively cold. The soil very much resembles that of the other parts of the former kingdom of Poland, producing magnifi cent crops of wheat, rye, barley, oats, and buckwheat, the usual leguminous plants, hemp, tobacco, flax, and orchard-fruits. Upward of 13,000 sq.m. arc covered with
forests, and fully 8,000 sq.m. are waste. Since 1867 Poland is divided for administrative purposes into 10 governments—viz..
The population is about 128 to the sq.m., being more than three times as dense as that of the rest of European Russia. A large proportion of the country population employ themselves in the rearing and breeding of horses, cattle, and pigs; sheep are not so com mon; but swarms of bees abound, and there is a large export trade in honey. The pop ulation of the towns is largely employed iq wool-spinning and the manufacture of -woolen cloth, cotton and linen spinning and weaving, the production of liqueurs, oil, vinegar, glass and earthenware, paper, beer and porter, etc. The most of the commerce Is in the hands of the Jews. Poland, which had a separate government till 1b64, was in that year deprived of the lust remnant of its administrative independence. After the suppression of the revolt (see preceding article). the country was placed under eight mil itary governors; in 1867 the administration was committed to a commission sitting at St. Petersburg; and by an ukase, dated Feb. 23, 1868, the government of Poland Was absolutely incorporated with that of Russia. The total value of Polish industries in 1S73 was £12,000,000, a very large sum, considering-that the population is chiefly agri cultural. In the same year the commerce of Poland reached £25,683,874. The 1\ 01'141W daily press hat an issue of 24,000 copies; and there are 31 scientific and literary period icals. Besides, newspapers arc published in the other principal towns.