POLAND, RUSSIAN. Art historical division of Russia. forming the westernmost part of the Russian Empire. It is hounded on the north by Prussia and the Russian Government of Kovno, on the east by the governments of Vilna. Crodno, and Volhynia, on the south by the Austrian erownlands of Galieia and Silesia, and on the west by Prussia, Silesia, and Posen. Poland is known offieially as the Pririslinskira Oubernii, or Governments on the Vistula, and consists of ten governments, Kalisz, Kielce, Lomza, Lublin.
Piotrkow, Nock. Radom, Siedlee, Suvalky, and Warsaw, with a total area of 49,159 square miles.
The greater of the country is a plain, rising in the south into spurs and foothills of the Car pathian Momitains. The chief river is the Vis tula, whieh passes from south to northwest through the centre of the country, and with its branches waters the greater part of it, though the western pa rt is drained by the German river The soil is fertile and one-half of the area, of the country is arable land, while one third is eovcred with forest. The principal (Tops are potatoes. rye, oats, and wheat. The raising of live stock, especially sheep and horses., is also
important. Mining is carried on to a vonsider able extent in the southern highlands, and large quantities of coal and iron ore are produced. The total value of manufactured products anumnts to 8125,000,000 annually. Commerce is facilitated by navigable rivers and over 15(10 miles of rail road; the export, pass chiefly by way of Danzig, and consist principally of wheat, timber, wool, and cattle products. Although absolutely incor porated with Russia, Poland forms a separate general governnient, With a Governor-General re siding in Warsaw. The total population in 1897 was 9,455.943, consisting chiefly of Poles, with about 1.000,000 Russians, 1,500,000 dews, and a number of Germans. Russian is the official lan guage and the language prescribed in the public schools. The Roman Catholic Church is adhered to by four-fifths of the inhabitants, and is ME chilly administered by the Ministry of the Inte rior at Saint Petersburg. For further details, see articles on the separate governments; and for his tory, sec POLAND.