GEOGiiAPIIY. 97 



Six provinces are usually distinguished : Sarawan, cap, Kelat ; Katsch- 

 Gandawa, cap. Gandawa ; Djhalawan, cap. Zuhri ; Lus, cap. Bela ; Mekran, 

 cap. Kedsch or Kedsche ; Kuhistan, cap. Buhra. 



8. Chinese Empire. 



This immense empire, which ranks with the Russian and English, as the 

 largest on earth, extends from 69° to 115° longitude east of Greenwich 

 (86° to 162° E. of Ferro), and from 20° to 50° N. lat. Its greatest length 

 is 3450 miles, its greatest breadth amounts to 2484 miles, and with the 

 tributary and vassal countries, embraces an area of 4,000,000 square 

 geographical miles. Of this amount only one third belongs to China proper. 

 The number of inhabitants can be only approximately ascertained, the 

 estimates varying from 150 to 360 millions; at any rate, this empire 

 exceeds all others in point of population. In addition to the true Chinese, 

 forming the great majority of the population, we find in China proper, 

 Mantchous, various Mongolian tribes, and Jews. The three acknowledged 

 religions are those of Kon-fu-tse or Confucius (religion of the educated), of 

 Fo (Court religion), and of Lao-tse (the oldest religion of the people). The 

 form of government is an unlimited monarchy. The present Emperor is 

 called Ee Lunz, or Yhi Chiu ; his reign dates from the beginning of 1850. 

 The empire consists of directly subject, tributary, and vassal or protected 

 lands. 



I. Lands immediately subject to China, a. China proper, or Schina, is 

 divided into seventeen provinces. These from north to south are as follows : 



1. Tschile or Petscheli, pop. twenty-eight millions, cap. Peking, with 

 about two millions of inhabitants : it is capital of the whole kingdom. 2. 

 Schantung, pop. twenty-nine millions, cap. Tsinansu. 3. Kiangsu, pop. 

 thirty-eight millions, and 4. Anhoei, pop. thirty-four millions ; cap. Kiangningfu 

 or Nankin, with 500,000 inhabitants. 5. Tschekiang, pop. tw^enty-five 

 millions, cap. Kangtscheufu : Ningpo, with 500,000 inhabitants. 6. Fukian, 

 pop. fifteen millions, cap. Futschewfu, with 400,000 inhabitants. 7. 

 Kwangtung, pop. nineteen millions, cap. Kwangtschufu or Canton, with 

 500,000 inhabitants. In the vicinity of Canton are situated the Portuguese 

 island of Macao, and the English island of Hongkong. 8. Schansi, pop. ten 

 millions, cap. Tajuan. 9. Schensi, and 10. Kansu, together, with a pop. of 

 fourteen millions, and one cap. Singan. 11. Szetschuan, pop. twenty-one 

 millions and a half, cap. Tschingtu. 12. liinnan, pop. five millions and a 

 half, cap. of same name. 13. Kwangsi, pop. 700,000, cap. Kweilin. In the 

 interior are the provinces : 14. Hunan, pop. eighteen millions and a half, 

 cap. Tschangscha. 15. Kiangsi, pop. thirty millions, cap. Nantschang. 16. 

 Hupi, pop. twenty-seven millions, cap. Wutschang. 17. Honan, pop. 

 twenty-three millions, cap. Kaiting or Kaifangfu. In addition to these, the 

 islands of Formosa and Hainan belong to China. 



h. Thian-Schan-Pelu (or the Dsungarei), and Thian-Schan-Nanlu 

 (High Tartary or Little Bucharia), both together called Sin-Kiang 



ICOXOGRAPmC EXCYCLOP.^DIA. VOL. III. 7 07 



