GEOGRAPHY. 95 



Hereditary in the male line. The kingdom is divided into twelve provinces : 

 1. Irak Adschemi, the ancient Media, with the capital and royal residence, 

 Teheran, and the ancient Ispahan. 2. Farsistan or Fars, Persia proper, 

 with the capital Shiraz. 3. Laristan. 4. Kerman or Karamania, the 

 eastern province, cap. Ravamania. 5. Schusistan or Chusistan. 6. 

 Adzerbeidschan, with the cap. Tauris or Tabriz. 7. Ghilan. 8. Masanderan, 

 tlie ancient Hyrcania. 9. Taberistan. 10. Kuhistan. II. Chorasan. 

 12. Koordistan. 



4. Arabia. 



Arabia is separated from Africa by the Red Sea or the Gulf of Arabia, 

 and connected to it by the Isthmus of Suez, has an area of 720,000 square 

 geographical miles, to a population of twelve millions. The greater part of 

 these consist of Arabians, although there are also Turks, Turcomans, 

 Armenians, Banians (Indian merchants), Jews, Negroes, and Abyssinians. 

 The prevailing religion is that of Islam, which here had its origin ; the pre- 

 vailing sect is the Sunnitic ; only in the interior do we find numerous 

 Wechabites. It is onlv the inhabitants of the coast, divided into Hedesi 

 (dwellers in towns and villages) and Maedi (a semi-nomadic people), who 

 pay any attention to agriculture, manufactures, and commerce (the latter is 

 chiefly in the hands of the Banians) ; the Bedouins in the interior wander 

 about with their herds. The Imaum of Muscat is the most powerful of all 

 the numerous petty princes. The following districts of unknown extent 

 have received special names : 1. Hedschas, the coast land on the northern 

 part of the Gulf of Arabia, over which the Turkish Sultan, as Khalif, 

 exercises a kind of supremacy. The most powerful native prince is the 

 Shereef of Mecca. The most important towns are Mecca, the sacred city 

 of the Mohammedans, where their prophet was born, and Medina, where he 

 was buried. The harbor of Mecca is termed Dschidda ; that of Medina, 

 Yambo. To the extreme north-west of Hedschas lies the peninsula of 

 Petrsea, or peninsula of Mount Sinai, with the towns of Akaba and Suez ; 

 it is not usually included under Hedschas. 2. Yemen, the south-western 

 part of Arabia, subject in part to the Imaum of Sanna or Sanaa. The chief 

 towns are Sanna, Mocha, and Aden, the latter in possession of England 

 since 1839, and in a high state of prosperity. 3. Hadramaut, and 4, 

 Malirah, form the southern coast. The chief towns of the interio"- are 

 Hadramaut, Schibam, and Terim ; on the coast, Makulla or Markalla. 5. 

 Oman, the south-eastern coast from Cape Mussendom to the island of 

 Mazeira, divides into the provinces Dscheilan, Oman, Dhorra, and Batna. 

 The most important towns are Maskat, Rastak, Matarah, and Schohar. 6. 

 Hadschar, also called Lahsa or El Ahsa, the coast land along the Persian 

 Gulf, contains the towns of El Katif, Lahsa, and Graine. 7. Nedschid, the 

 highland of the interior, is almost entirely unknown. It contains Derreyeh, 

 the chief town of the Wechabites. The greater part of the interior is 

 desert, and forms the so-called Arabia Deserta, including the greater part 

 of the Arabian peninsula. 



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