NATIONALITIES. The population of Austria Hungary embraces a greater number of races, distinct in origin and language, than that of any other European country except Russia. The Slays are the most numerous race, amounting to over 46 per cent. of the whole population. Next in order come the Germans, then the :Magyars, while the Wallachs (Romans) occupy the fourth place. The Slays form the bulk of the population of Bohemia, Moravia, Galicia, Carniola, Dalma tia, Croatia, Slavonia, and the north of Hungary. The Slays are split up into a number of national ities, differing greatly in language, religion, cul ture, and manners; so that their seeming prepon derance in the monarchy is lost. These nation alities include the Czechs (the most numerous of all ) in Bohemia and Moravia, the Poles in Galicia, the Ruthenians in Galicia and Northern Hungary, the Croats and Serbs in Croatia and Slavonia, the Slovaks mainly in northwestern Hungary, the Slovens in Carniola, Styria, etc., the MorInks in Dalmatia, and some Bulgarians. The Slays con stitute more than half of the population of Cis leithania. The Germans number only about 25 per cent. of the total population. They are dis persed over the monarchy, predominating numer ically in Upper and Lower Austria, Salzburg, Tyrol, Styria and Carinthia. The Magyars, or Hungarians proper, constitute only about one sixth of the population of the monarchy, and less than 43 per cent. of that of the Kingdom of Hun gary. One-seventh of the population of Trans leithania consists of Romans, who constitute the bulk of the people of Transylvania. The Humans are also numerous in Bukowiva. The other Romanic peoples of Austria-Hungary are the Ital ians, inhabiting the south of Tyrol, Istria, Trieste, and Dalmatia ; the Ladins (Latins), occupying some valleys in Tyrol; and the Friauls about Gertz, north of Triest. The number of Jews in
the monarchy is not far from 2,000.000, which is about one-fifth of the total Jewish population of the globe. The Gypsies are estimated to num ber about 100.000. There are more than 10,000 Armenians scattered over the eastern half of the monarchy.
As to religion, the great Milk of the nation is Roman Catholic. By the census of 1890 there were 27.754.000 Roman Catholics; of Greeks and Armenians in union with the Church of Rome, 4.48:i.000; of Orthodox Greeks. 3.178.000. The Protestants of all denominations numbered 3.033.000; and of Israelites there were L868,000. The monarchy is divided into archbishoprics, bishoprics, Protestant superintendencies, and par ishes. The statutes regulating the relations of State and Church insure the sovereign certain rights arising from the dignity of his office, hut the law insures religious liberty and the inde pendence of the Church from the State. There is no religious test as a qualification for the possession of civil and political rights, and lib erty of conscience is secure. The religious bodies have a legal right to manage their own affairs and to possess funds, estates, or endowments for the purposes of worship, instruction, or charity. But they must first secure their legal recognition from the minister of ecclesiastical affairs, which is granted to all sects whose doctrines and prac tices are not inimical to the laws of the State.