TAMBOW, a province of Great Russia, is situated between 51° 30' and 55' 20' N. lat., 39° 40' and 43° 40' E. long. The area is 25,464 square miles, and the population 1,750,900. It is bounded N. by Niechuei-Novgorod and Vladimir; S. by Woronesh; W. by Masan, Tula, end Orel; and E. by Penza.
This government is a uniformly level country, without mountains, large rivers, or considerable lakes : on the north there are great forests, and on the south exteusivo steppes. The soil in the northern half is sandy, marshy, and poor ; in the southern part it mostly consists of loam or black mould, and is fertile and productive. The steppes pro duce excellent pasturage, and when they have been brought under cultivation make good arable land : they are designated as steppes only because they are destitute of wood. The river Oka enters the government from Riasan, but passes only through one circle, where it is joined by the Mokacha, a couaiderable stream of which the Zna is a tributary. The Oka runs northward to join the Volga. The Don passes through a small part of the government. In the forests on the north there are marshes. The mineral waters at Lcpetzk are much frequented. The climate is temperate and healthy, but cold in winter.
All kinds of corn usually grown in Russia are raised, rye, oats, millet, buckwheat and wheat, pease and other pulse; poppies, great quantities of hemp, barley, and flax ; some hops are grown in the gardens, but there is little fruit, and that of the moat ordinary kinds. The total animal produce of corn of all sorts varies from 11,500,000 to ]7,500,000 quarters : of this only about 401,000 quarters are wheat ; rye makes up about half the total amount ; buckwheat a fourth, and oats about a sixth. In the vicinity of the forests the inhabitants are for the most part carpenters, coopers, and cartwrights, or employed in making pitch, tar, lamp-black, and charcoal The breeding of cattle is carried ou to a very great extent in the steppes ; and the steppe from Tambow to Nova Khopertakaja-Krepost is covered with immense herds of oxen aud horses. Oxen are used for draught, and great numbers aro fattened for exportation. Sheep and swine respectively number about 1,200,000 and 800,000. The wool is coarse. Domestio poultry suffices forthe consumption of the inhabitants: there is little game, and fish is by no means plentiful. Among the wild animals are the marmot and the hamster. Great quantities of bees are kept. The
mineral products are lime, freestone, iron, and some saltpetre.
The manufactures of this government are unimportant : the pea santry barely make their own clothing. Spirit distilleries are numer ous. The export trade in the products of the country is very con siderable. The principal articles are rye, cattle, honey, tallow, butter, cheese, wool, hemp, iron, grain-spirits, hides, coarse cloth, and wooden wares.
The great majority of the inhabitants are Russians. There are some thousands of converted Tartars and Mordwius, and a few gipsiea.
Education is at a low ebb. The Greek Church is under the biahup of Tambow and Schazk. The Mohammedan Tartars have their mosques, imams, and teachers.
Tombola, the capital of the government, is situated nearly in the centre of the province, on the river Zna, in 52° 44' N. lat., 41° 45' E.
long. It is a large town, with 20,000 inhabitants, and was founded in 1636, as a bulwark against the Nogay Tartars. Almost all the houses are built of wood : the principal buildings are the monastery of Our Lady of Casan, in which there are two churches ; seven stone aud six wooden churches, the gymnasium, and the civil hospital. There is a military school, a seminary for priests, and a district school.
The bishop resides in this city. The inhabitants manufacture shawls, keraey, sailcloth, cordage, and woollen-cloth, and there is an imperial alum and vitriol mauufactory; they also carry on some trade, but their chief occupation is agriculture.
Jelalma, the most northerly town in the government, situated on the left bank of the Oka, carries on by means of that river a very great trade with Moscow : it has ten churches; the inhabitants, 6000 iu number, have some manufactures of woollen-cloth, vitriol, and sulphur. Koslow, situated on the Lesnoi Woronesh, has above 8000 inhabitants : near the town is the convent Troitzkoi, where a great annual fair is held. There are eight churches, of-which five arc of stone : the principal trade of the town is in oxen, salt meats, and bides. Lipetsk, on the Woronesh, near the north extremity of the government of that name, a town with 6500 iuhabitants, is celebrated for its mineral-waters. Norsekansk, a town of 6000 inhabitants, situated on the Zna, has manufactures of linen, sail-cloth, cordage, and tallow, and a brisk trade in corn, cattle, and honey.