CENTRAL PROVINCES AND BERAR, India, a chief commissionershp created in 1861, embracing the former province of Nagpur, the two territories of Sagar and Nerbudda and other territories added since, the present desig nation dating from 1903. It is bounded by the Central Indian Agency and Chota-Nagpur on the north, Orissa on the east, Madras on the southeast and Hyderabad and Bombay on the southwest and west. Its total area is 99,823 square miles, of which the portion under direct British administration contains 82,057 square miles. The surface is covered with numerous hilly ranges, among which the chief, the Sat pura Range, enters from the west, runs in an easterly direction and has numerous offshoots. It is traversed by the Nerbudda, Wardha, Wainganga and Mahanadi rivers, all of which are navigable for some distance except during the dry season. The climate is hot and dry and there is a good average rainfall, but the soil absorbs the moisture so quickly that irrigation becomes necessary in cultivation. Of the total area only about one-fourth is cultivated, while the remainder is either unfit for cultivation or is covered with jungle and forest. The culti vated portion consists of rice fields, wheat and other foods, grains, oilseeds and cotton. Coal
and iron are found; the manufacturing indus tries are but little developed and consist of iron articles and cotton goods. The Indian Midland, Bengal and Great Indian Peninsula railways traverse the Central Provinces. The administration is vested in a chief commis sioner, assisted by a secretary and a number of commissioners in charge of special departments. The British possessions are divided into four divisions of Nagpur, Jabalpur, Narbada and Chutteesgurh, each in charge of a commis sioner. The tributary states are 15 in number. In 1902 the government of India took Berar on lease in perpetuity at a rental of $850,000 an nually to the Nizam of Hyderabad, incorporated the Hyderabad contingent in the Indian army, and in the next year annexed Berar to the Central Provinces under a resident commis sioner. Education is aided partly by the gov ernment and is partly private. The population of the British divisions in 1911 was 10,859,146, and the tributary native states had 3,057,162. Nearly 82 per cent is Hindu, 16 per cent AM mistic and the remainder consists of Chris tians and Mohammedans. The chief town and seat of the chief commissioner is Nagpur.