MORAVIA is a province of the Austrian empire, including Moravia Proper and Austrian Silesia, which has been annexed to it. Moravia Proper contains 8,860 square miles, and 1,334,000 inhabitants ; and Austrian Silesia 1840 square miles, and 547,000 inhabitants. The six circles of Brunn, Olmutz, Hradisch, Prerau, Znaym, and lglau, form Moravia Proper, while Austrian Silesia is divided into the circles of Teschen and Troppau.
Moravia is intersected by several ranges of moun tains, between which are many fertile wallies ; and in the north and south there are well cultivated plains of considerable extent. The principal river is the March, or Morava, which is navigable, and after receiving the Thcya, runs south, and falls into the Danube above Presburg.
This province is not famous for its productions. Corn and flax are raised, hut not in very great quantities. Hogs and geese are exported to a great extent. Gold and silver mines were once wrought here, but the most productive ones are those of iron and lead. Coal is found in great quantity, but the veins have not been wrought to a great extent. Fossil remains, a species of amber, and clay for tobacco pipes, are some of the other productions of the province.
The manufactures of Moravia are considerable. Woollen, cotton, and linen goods, are made to a great extent. About 40,000 pieces of woollen goods are woven annually in the neighbourhood of lglau. The number of persons employed in Moravia in the woollen manufactory is 16,000 in weaving, and 24,000 in spin ning. Thread is made at Rothwasser. and dyeing is extensively carried on at 13runn. The cotton works of Lettowitz give employment to 1C00 individuals. Lea titer, paper, potash, and glass, are among the other manufactures of the province. The principal imports are wool, silk, flax, cotton, and oil.
The inhabitants of Moravia are Germans, Sclavo nians, and Jews, of whom there arc about 30,000.
MORAYSHIRE.Or AIURRAYSHIRE, or PROVINCE OF MonAv---a maritime county in the northern part of Scotland, bounded on the north by the Moray Firth, on the east and south-east by Banffshire, on the south and south•west by Inverness-shire, and on the west by Nairnshire and Inverness-shire. It lies between the 57° and of North Latitude ; and the longitude at the mouth of the Spey is 6' West, extending in length from*East to West 42 miles, and in breadth 20 miles.
The county of Moray is naturally divided into the upper and champaign districts. 1st, The low country is a large plain, hounded by the Firth of Moray on the north, and a winding range of mountains on the south, whose length equals that of the whole county, and its breadth, measured at right angles from the mountains to the shore, is from 5 to 12 miles, or mean breadth 7 miles. The surface of the low lands is diversified by intervening hills, disposed in short ridges parallel to the Firth, and intersected by the rivers Spey, Lossy, and Findhorn, whose streams wind at unequal distan ces. across the plain into the sea. Many of the plains
along the banks of the Spey and the Findhorn are re markable for their beauty and fertility. One-third of the bottoms and sides of the valleys within the range of the mountainous or hilly district, except certain parts adapt ed for bearing trees, is capable of cultivation. The width and depth of these valleys arc proportionate to the largeness of the rivers, and the friability of the soil through which they flow.
The climate is so mild, that the apricot, nectarine, and peach, ripen sufficiently on a wall in the open air, and gardens are formed, and fruit trees cultivated, if the length of the lease permits the farmers to make such an arrangement. The most prevailing winds are from the west and north-west, which continue, during the year generally for the space of days, and in the summer the gale is frequently from the south-west, whilst in autumn and winter it is commonly from the north-west, and often rises into a violent tempest, with rain, sleet, or snow. The heaviest and longest rains are from the north and north-west, and thunder showers and drizzling wet weather proceed from the south or south-east An easterly wind is sometimes attended with a heavy flood, and the north wind is often cold and fair, with occasionally severe rains. A dry parching easterly wind prevails in general towards the end of spring, hlasting the corn, grass, and blossoms, through the whole district. The mean quantity of rain is 25.28 inches, or from 20.06 to 33.17 inches, during a space of nine years. The average depth of rain in the hilly districts is five or six inches greater than that on the coast. The sowing of corn continues from the 2d of March to the 10th April, and the harvest from the 28th August to November 4th. The crops arc some times damaged in the month of August by a most de structive mildew, occasioned by vapours arising from stagnating streams, which, settling on the unripe corn, injures the milky substance in the ear, and, unless re moved by brisk gales or heavy showers, blasts the hopes of the farmer. Few crops suffer from excess of rain ; and no instance of any loss from this cause occurred during a period of 38 years, from 1744 to 1782. The county of Moray afforded a large supply of grain for the adjoining counties, when the very wet and cold sea sons, towards the end of the sixteenth century, had pro duced a famine over the whole kingi:om. Oat-meal was bought at that period, to be carried across the Grampian hills, at the rate of 11. 108. for the boil of 150 lb.