UTRECHT, a province of the Netherlands, bounded on the w. by South Holland, n. by North Holland and the Zuyder Zee, e. by Gelderland, and s. by the Rhine and Leek. It is 42 m. from e. to w., and 21 from n. to south. Superficial extent, 346,405 acres; 62,500 of which are arable, 180,000 pasture, 39,000 in wood, the remainder waste land and water. The chief places are Utrecht, AmersfOrt, Rhenen, Wijk bij Duurstede, Mont fort, and Ijsselstein (pronounced I'sselstein). There are 66 country parishes, the num ber having been reduced from 86 by union. Pop. '74, 181,957; rather more than 36 per cent are Roman Catholics; the remainder, except 1611 Jews, are Protestants.
The country is varied by beautiful hilly districts, level fields, orchards, tilled land, meadows, and moss. The hilly tract stretcheS from near .AmersfOrt to Rhenen on the Rhine, 21 miles. It is well wooded. Rye, oats, and buckwheat are sown ; sheep, cat
tle, and bees extensively leapt. To the s. of this belt is rich clay land, producing excellent wheat and barley. Near AmersfOrt and Rhenen, tobacco is largely planted, the crop of 1S65 being 948,750 lbs. The stock amounted to 12,771 horses, 76,989 horned cattle, 32,997 sheep, 20,547 swine, 4,678 goats, and 13,835 bee-hives.
Utrecht is watered by the Rhine: Vecht, Leek, Amstel, Grebbe, and many other rivers. The inland fishing is trifling; but many herrings, eels, flounders, anchovies, etc., are taken in the Zuyder Zee. Besides agriculture, the industries are soap-boiling, saw ing wood, copper and iron founding, making machinery, carpets, tiles, bricks, coarse pottery, cement, etc. There are many beautiful country-seats, the climate being dry and healthy. •