IRKUTSK Or'kotsk), a government of Eastern Siberia, separated from China on the S. by the Sayan Mountains, from Transbaikalia on the E. by Lake Baikal, and bounded W. by Yeniseisk, and N. and N. E. by Yakutsk, occupies an area of 287,061 square miles. The coun try is generally mountainous, but pro duces rye, barley, oats, and vegetables. The most important river is the Angara or Upper Tunguzka (1,000 miles), which connects Lake Baikal with the river Yenisei. The Lena and its tributary the Vitim are the rivers that come next in size. Gold, iron, and salt figure foremost among the mineral products. Agricul ture, cattle breeding, and the transport of goods to and from China are the chief occupations of the people. Pop. about 850,000, consisting of Buriats, Tungus, and Russians. The industries are brandy distilleries, with iron foundries and factories for salt, cloth, and pottery.
Irkutsk, the capital, on the Angara, is the best-built town in Siberia. It pos sesses a cathedral, several churches, a public library, a museum of natural his tory, etc. Pop. about 70,000, mostly Russians and Buriats. Irkutsk was founded by a Cossack chief, Ivan Pocha bof, in 1652, and obtained town rights in 1686. Owing to its position on the great Siberian highway between China and Russia, it is the commercial center of Siberia, especially for the tea trade; the annual value of its trade amounts to about $7,000,000. The Angara consti tutes the main highway for goods bound for Kiachta across Lake Baikal, as well as for those coming from Eastern Siberia and China for Russia. The communica tions between Irkutsk and Yakutsk and the N. parts of Siberia are carried on by the river Lena. A destructive fire oc curred in 1879.