RUSSIA. 521 



on the resources of Russia, and published in Consular Beports, No. 51, 

 are given, to supplement the rather meager reports from that country 

 in response to the cattle circular: 



AREA AND POPULATION OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE. 



The Russian Empire has an area of nearly 395,000 geographical miles, 

 or about one-sixth of the land on the globe. From Ararat to Kolo, the 

 southern and northern extremities, there are 700, and from the eastern 

 and western extremities, Eastcape to Kalish, 2,500 geographical miles. 



The frontiers extend over 6,370 geographical miles, 4,350 miles of 

 which are sea-coast. Unfavorable climate and formation, however, limit 

 this littoral, as far as commerce is concerned, to the relatively small por- 

 tions of the Baltic, Black, and Japanese Seas. 



The Empire is divided naturally into three great districts, viz : 



European Russia, with one-fifth of the total area, has nearly six times 

 as many inhabitants as all the other districts together. It is divided 

 generally into two zones, the one embracing all the territory without 

 and the other all that with Blackearth, these two zones being again 

 subdivided into nine groups of governments or provinces. 



PROVINCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RUSSIA. 



For a more comprehensive classification of his subject, Consul-General 

 Stan ton, in the report already referred to, has grouped the u govern- 

 ments" as follows: 



Northern group. Archangel, Olonektz, and Vologda. These are the 

 least populous districts of Russia, forests and tundra predominating. 



Central group. St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Tver, Pskoff, Smolensk, 

 Moscow, Kaluga, Vladimir, Yarosloff, Kostroma, Nijni-Novgorod, Viatka, 

 and Perm. Agriculture is successfully carried on in all these govern- 

 ments. 



Baltic group. This group consists of the following provinces: Es- 

 thonia, Livonia, and Courland. The average crops in these three prov- 

 inces is much greater than those of the thirteen governments of the 

 central group. Wheat, rye, barley, buckwheat, oats, and potatoes are 

 principally cultivated, the latter being largely used for distilling pur- 

 poses. Considerable attention is paid to horse-breeding, there being 

 375,000 in this group, an increase of 32 per cent, since 1851. Cattle have 

 increased 42 per cent, since 1851. The district possesses about 1,006,000 

 head. Sheep number 1,0-47,000, 917,000 of which are native breeds. 

 The increase since 1851 is about 70 per cent. Swine number 360,000, 

 having increased since 1851 33 per cent. Forests have decreased since 

 1855 45 per cent., and their protection and extension is a question of 

 vital importance. Distilling, brewing, and milling are extensively car- 

 ried on in this district. 



