MOSCOW, naris'ko ( Russ. Moskva). A gov ernment of Centric] Russia, bounded by the Gov ernment of Tver on the northwest, Vladimir on the northeast, Ryazan on the cast, Tula and Kaluga on the south, and Smolensk on the west (Nap: Russia, E 3). Area, 12.875 square miles. It occupies a portion of the central plateau of Russia, and slopes eastward toward the Oka. It belongs to the basin of the Volga, and is watered by that river and the Oka on the boun daries, and by the Klyama, Moskva, and other rivers in the interior. Geologically the govern ment belongs to the Moscow coal basin. the ear boniferous formation being covered tip with various clays, sandstone, and marble. The soil is loamy and not very fertile. About 40 per cent. of the area is clothed in forests, mostly belong ing to private persons.
Agriculture is highly developed, and the farm products are of great diversity. Rye, potatoes, and oats are the staples. Gardening is carried en extensively, and vegetables are raised in quantities sufficient to be exported to Saint Petersburg and Kronstadt. Stock-raising is also important.
Moscow is the leading manufacturing govern ment of Russia. In 1896 it had 1755 manufactur ing establishments, employing over 207,000 hands. The value of the output of that year was over $130,000.000. The chief products are textiles (especially cotton and silk), which were manufac tured in that year to the value of over $80,000.
000. Other important products are machinery, brick, chemicals, knit. goods, etc. An important item in the economic life of the government is the house industry, which has reached here a higher degree of I levelopment than in any other part of Russia. It exists all over the province, groups, of villages being engaged in the manu facturing of one product. The articles manufac tured in this way are of a. very wide range, in cluding leather and leather products, hats, pins, brushes, cheap chromes, carriages and wagons, lace, gloves, etc. It is estimated that agricul ture furnishes on the average only about 40 per cent. of the income of a peasant family in the government.
The commerce in the products of the house industry is of great extent, and is centred chiefly in the city of Moscow. The government is well supplied with transportation facilities, being traversed by six of the most important railway lines of the Empire. Education is meagrely pro vided for. The proportion of illiterates is esti mated at SO per cent. Population, in 1597, 2,433,356, chiefly Great Russians. Capital, Mos cow.