TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION. ID 1900 there were 132 steamers of 8555 tons on the rivers of the Oh system and 207 steamers of 19.257 tons on the rivers of the Yenisei, Lena, and Amur systems. On the Amur proper with its tributaries there were 163 steamers of 16.945 tons. The Siberian railroad has not yet greatly affected the business of the river routes, excepting in grain transportation. In 1900 only one-fifth of the iron and steel, one-tenth of the refined sugar, and one-third of the manufactures imported were carried by the railroad.
The Trans-Siberian Railroad, however, is hav ing a remarkable effect upon the country. The building of the road was begun in 1891 and was completed in its main features in eleven years, including a branch across Manchuria to Port Arthur and Dalny. It starts from Tchelyabinsk, on the eastern slope of the Urals, and its length to Vladivostok, on the Pacific, is about 4500 miles. The continuous railway route from Saint Peters burg to I'ort Arthur is 5620 miles long. The road cost $172,525.000. It is giving an impetus to agriculture and all other business enterprises of the country. The sea trade is comparatively small. The vessels clearing from Vladivostok and other Pacific ports in 1900 were 339, of 375, 000 tons. North of this port is Alexandrovski,
which Russia has turned into a coaling station for its warships. A number of merchant vessels have successfully made their way between Euro pean ports and the mouths of the Oh and Yenisei rivers through the Kara Sea and Arctic Ocean, hut this route is as yet of no practical impor tance.
In 1898 there were 402 schools, 1074 teachers, and 27,706 pupils. There is a university at Tomsk. The predominant religions faith is Orthodox Greek, as in Russia. The population in 1897 was 5.727,090, of whom 3,367,576 lived in Western Siberia. The Russians constitute about two-thirds of the population. The Russian im migration into Siberia in 1901 was 128,131, and in the seven years in 1900 the average immigration was 150,000 Russians a year. About one-third of the immigrants, disheartened by their pioneering experiences, have returned to Russia. The old Siberian exile system was abolished in 1900. Next to the Russians in numerical importance are the Kirghize.s, Buriats, and Yakuts.
For government and further details, see RUSSIA.