MINSK, minsk. A government of West Rus sia. in Lithuania, hounded by the Government of Vitebsk on the north. Alohilev and Tehernigov on the east. ]Rica and Vulltgnia on the south, and Groduio and Vilna on the west (Map: Russia, C 4). Area. 35.293 square miles. The northwestern part. about one-lifth of the entire area, is some what elevated. It forms the water-shed between the Dnieper and the Niemen. The remainder of the government is low, marshy, thickly wooded, and very sparsely inhabited, forming the larger portion of Poliessie _Minsk is watered chietly by the Beresina. the Pripet, and the Niemen; lakes abound in the southern part, and the climate is unhealthful. By the nature of its surface Minsk is not well fitted for agriculture, nail the industry is in a primitive state. Stock raising is favored by the abundanee of pasture land. The forests. mostly pine. occupy over one third of the total area and form one of the chief natural resources of the region. Large quanti
ties of timber are floated to Prussia by the Boq.esina, the Pripet. and the canal which con nects the Dnieper with the Bug. a tributary of the Vistula. Considerable quantities of wood for fuel are also exported to Kiev and used on the local railroads. The extent of this industry may be judged from the fact that about 70.000 people are employed annually in the transporta tion of the thither down the rivers. Spirits, yeast. flour, and wooden products of all kinds are the chief manufactures. The ship-building industry deserves special mention. The govern ment is traversed by two important railways, one connecting Warsaw with the other running from the Baltic Provinces to Southern Russia. Population. in 1597. 2.156.123. composed chiefly of White Russians, Poles, Jews, and Lithuanians. Over 70 per cent. of the popu lation belong to the Greek Orthodox Church. Capital, 1insk.