One of the largest and earliest of the grouPs establishing the.mselves as independent govern ments was the republic of Ukrainia, occupying the southwestern section of Russia and fronting upon the Black Sea with Odessa as its principal port. It declared its independence in Novem ber 1917 under the title of the 'Ukraine Peoples Republic)) but its boundaries are still somewhat in dispute, especially with the neighboring re public of Poland, which was formed in part from Russian and in part from German and Austrian territory. The Ukrainian Republic has, so far as can be determined, an ariea of about 215,000 square irides and a population of approximately 30,000,000. It has a large part of the area known as the 'Black Soil District)) and its agricultural and mineral possibilites are important Immediately north of the Ukrainian Republic is a group of people known as the White Russians who established themselves in. May 1919 as the Republic of White Russia, with an area estimated at 140,000 snuare miks and a population of approximately 5,000,000. imme diately west of the Republic of White Russia and extending to the Baltic, another new repub lic was established in April 1918 under the title of the Republic of Lithuania, with an area of approximately 90,000 square miles and a popu lation estimated at about 1Q,000,000. Imme diately north of Lithuania and also fronting upon the Baltic, the little Republic of Courland with an area of 10,000 square miles and a popu lation of 800,000 was declared an indepeadent government in April 1918. Next north of Courland and fronting upon the Gulf of Riga. a part of the Baltic, the Republic of Livonia was declared in April 1918, with an area of about 17,000 square miles and a population of approximately 1,600,000. The Lettish popula tion occupying the peninsula between the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic established themselves as a republic under the title of Letvia (also sometimes written Latvia). The territory imme diately north of Livonia declared itself in April 1918 as the independent Republic of Esthonia. It fronts not only upon the Baltk but on the Gulf of Finland, the entrance to the harbor of Petrograd. Its area is stated at about 7.300 square miles and its population at 1,750.000. Still further north, the people of the area long known as Finland declared themselves in cember 1917 an independent republic, with a ulation of about 3,500,000 and an area of 125,000 square miles, extending northward to within a short distance of the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic frontage of Russia lying inunediately east of the northern part of Finland was estab lished as a militaiy district Iv the Allied Powers on 7 July 1918 with a military government, and has an area of approximately 35,000 SWIM miles and a population estimated at about 100,000. Further east on the Arctic frontage the greater part of the former Russian Provisos of Archangel was established under the title of the Republic of Narth Russia with Nicholas Tchaikovsky as its head and its existence as a stparate government recognized by certain of the pawere, especially Great Bntain. Its area is es timated at 275,000 square miles arid its population at about 400,000. The popula tions of both North Russia and the Mur man Region are composed largely of Lapps, Finns and Santoyedes. Immediately south of the VVhite Sea and on the eastern border of Finland, the Republic of Eastern Karelia was established in May 1919 and authorized to create a Constituent Assembly to determine whether the area shall form an.alliance with Finland or Russia. The area of this republic is about 68,000 square miles and the population approxi mately 250,000.
In the southeastern section of Russia with. its considerable sprinkling of Tatar stodc inter.; mingled with Slavic blood, a half dozen small republics sprang into existence; the Tauride Republic, including the Crimean Peninsula, with au area of approximately 23,000 square miles and. a population- of 1,800,000, declared itself independent of Russia in March 1918; the Kuban Republic just east of the Sea of Azov; with an area of 36,000 square miles and a popu lation of 3,000,000, declared itself independent in November 1919; the Terek Republic at the southeast of Kuban and extending north across to the Caspian Sea, with an area of 24000 square miles and a population of 1,300,000, de clared itself independent in September 1918;. the Republic of Georgia, at the extreme eastern end of the Black Sea, with an area of 40.000 square miles and a population of 2,500,000, was declared an independent state in January 1918; the Don Republic lying at the northeast of the Sea of Azov and fronting upon that sea, with an area of 63,000 square miles and a Population of 000,000, declared itself independent in Janu ary 1918. East of the Caspian, the Turkestan area, consisting of about 400,000 square miles and with a population of 6,500,000, was in Jan uary 191$ established as an independent govern ment under military control; north of the Cas pian, the Tatar-Bashkir Republic was estab lished in October 1918, its area being estimated at 175,000 square miles and its population at 9,001,000; the government is under military control.
Passing across the Urals into Siberia, the independent Republic of Siberia was proclaimed in December 1917, with its capital at Tomslc, and a Siberian Duraa of 30 members was opened. Later, however, it was decided for the,
time being to concentrate all power in the hands of a single individual, Admiral Kolchak. No staternent is made as to the actual area claimed by the Republic of Siberia, though presumably it' woold include 'a large part of the area of Siberia stated at 4,832,000 square miles and a population of 10,378,000. At the extreme north east of the Siberian area, a separate government designated as the Yakutsk Republic was estab lished in May1918. Nvith a military government and an area estimated at about 1,000,000 'square miles and a population of 400,000.
The above 20 nevi political divisions created from Russian tereitory, and chiefly of Slavic Stock are in many cases shadowy in the matter of boundary lines and details of- governmental operations. Sane of them were established for nailitary reasons and others through a sincere desire on the part of• the people to establish in.. dependent governments which will group closely 'their respective ethnic. or racial stocks. No predictions can be made as to their perms nency or future activities in view of the COM slant turmoil and military activities still pre vaifing in a large part of the area in question. The fact, however, that the area has been sepa rated into these immerous independent orgarn. lotions reduces to a minimum for dm near future the possibilities of Russia is industry and emanate, and adds gravity to the remark of Prefeesor Crrosvenor,. above quoted, that ulack of self-reliance or of initiative capacity, an ciently as now, appeared to be a characteristic almost inseparable frotn the Slay. Dependence upon some helping or guiding hand has often resulted in his own undoing, while he himself has seemed unable to retain what his industry or courage had won.* Turkey.— While no definite action has yet been taken by the Peace Congress or the Allies in the readjustment of Turkish territory, the plans outlined include the creation of half dcizen new organizations, some to be governed by ((mandate) through- representatives by cer tain of the Allied Powers, while other sections have beoken off from the central govermnent and established themselves under local leader ships. . • • The first section of Turkish territory to vol mainly separate itself as a separate govern ment was the Kingdont of Hejaz, with an area of. about .96,000. square miles, extending along the eastern coast of the Red Sea and including the Mohammedan. sacred cities of Mecca and Mediea. It declared its independence as the ICingdom of Hejaz in June 1916 and was reeog idled by the British government as an inde pendent political entity, and later' by the Peace Conference which accepted its representative as a member of that body. Its population is estimated at abotat 300,000. Lying to the east of Hejaz •is the great desert area of Arabia. composed in large degree of shifting sands and a nomadic population, though in the vicinity of the oases the population is more permanent in character. In half a dozen of these local groups of people, the native chieftains have es tablished their ewn rule. The Emirate of Nejd and Hasa, the more powerful of the two Cen tral Arabian principalities, has its capital at Riyadh; the Emirate of Jebel Shammar, lying immediately north of the Nejd, with its capital at Hail, iS rided by an ethir; the Imamate of Yemen, with its political centre at Sana; the Principate of Asir•on the west coast, between Hejaz and Yemen, with its capital at Sabivah; the Sultanate of Koweit on the Persian Gulf ; and the Sultanate of Oman in the extreme south east at the entrance of the 'Persian Gulf, wifh an area of 82,000 square miles and an estimated population of 500,000. Lying north of these areas governed by native rulers is Palestine fronting upon the Mediterranean which, it is assumed, will be considered British territory by reason in part of her capture of Jerusalem and, further east, the 'Mesopotamia Valley which was successfully invaded by British troops dur ing the war. Immediately north of Palestine is -Syria over which France is expected to be given control. The area of Palestine is small, about 16,000 square miles and a population of 500,000; Mesopotamia, '143,000 square miles and a population of 2,000,000; Syria, 37,000 square miles, and a population of 1,000,000. North of Syria lie the important provinees of Armenia with an area of 75,000 square miles and a 'popu lation of 2,500,000; Anatolia, 145,000 square nailes and a population of 5,000,000, of which Greece is to have a part of the /Evan frontage; and the small European area remaining under the Turkish flag, 10,000 square miles and a popu lation of 1,900,000, the future gavernment and governing power in each of these being yet un determined, though sufficient has developed to justify the statement that the Turkish terntory is, like that of Russia and Austria-Hungary, ter be transformed into comparatively small po litical divisions independent of each other and thus not likely in the immediate future at least rapidly to develop industrial or commercial power. Nothing has yet been determined as to the future government of Ccuistantinople and the small European Turkish tevritory by which it is surrounded.