mountain is the Sevebergsrygn, which begins in WestGothland, extends towards the north, between Norway and Norland separating these two countries by summits, covered with eternal snow. All the mountains of Sweden are composed of gravel, freestone, calcareous stone, slate, petrifactions and granite. Soil and Agriculture. The soil of the plains and vallies, though not the most propitious, is proper for cultivation, which is conducted with skill and industry. There are many rich pastures, and some fields of rye, oats, and barley. Lakes and Rivers. One of the most important lakes of Sweden is the Wenner, about 100 miles long, and 50 or 60 broad. It receives twenty-four rivers, and abounds with fish. Next in size is the Weter, which receives about forty small rivers, though it has no outlet except the Motula. The lake Meler, at the confluence of which with the Baltic, the city of Stockholm is situated, is about sixty miles long by eighteen broad, sprinkled with many picturesque islands. Sweden is intersected by numerous rivers, the most considerable of which issue from the lakes, without any great length of course. In Swedish Lapland are many large rivers, which rise in the Norwegian Alps, and fall into the gulf of Bothnia. ces. Botany. Linnæus reckons in Sweden, 1300 species of plants, 200 of which are used in medicine. No beeches grow beyond Upland; the birch grows in all the provinThe pine and the fir are the principal forest trees. Animals. The domestic cattle and sheep of Sweden present nothing remarkable. Wolves, foxes, bares, birds of prey, moor fowl, fresh and salt water fish, are found here in great abundance; bears, elks, sables, beavers, and pole cats are more uncommon. Minerals and Mineral Springs. Sweden is very rich in iron, and copper, lead, marble, alum, limestone, coal, vitriol, curious petrifactions, porphyry, amethysts, loadstone, slate, tale, quicksilver, sulphur, mother of pearl, and silver. There are reckoned 860 mineral springs in Sweden. They abound in every province of the kingdom. Manufactures and Commerce. The Swedish manufae tures are chiefly those of iron and steel, with cloths, hats, sail cloth, copper and brass. The articles, of export are iron, copper, gunpowder, boards, leather, tallow, skins, pitch, resin, and masts. They import linen cloth, salt, wines, grain, tobacco, sugar, coffee, drugs, &c. Of late a laudable attention has been paid to inland navigation. Population. The population of this kingdom, in 1801, amounted to 3,191,000. The nobility are computed at about 2500 families; and the peasants, the most numerous class, amount to 2,000,000. Manners and Customs. The Swedes are more polished than formerly, and have several public schools and colleges, where the arts and sciences are taught. Their women till the ground, thresh the corn, row the boats, &c. Their houses are generally of wood, with little art in the construction. Language. The language is a dialect of the Gothic, being a sister of the Danish, Norwegian, and Icelandic. Cities. STOCKHOLM, standing between an inlet of the Baltic sea and the lake Meler, is the capital of Sweden, and the royal residence. It occupies 7 small rocky islands. The houses are of stone or brick, covered with white stucCo. It has a castle, an arsenal, and several academies, and 75,517 inhabitants. UPSAL is the next in dignity, and has 4400 inhabitants. GOTHENBURG has 13,218 inhabitants. CARLSCRONA, founded by Charles XI. in 1680, contains a population of about 13,800. Religion. The established religion is the Lutheran ; hey have one archbishop and seven bishops. Government. The form of the Swedish government is monarchical. Army and Navy. In 1801, the naval and military troops of every kind were 188,734. They have but few ships of the line. Gallies of a flat construction are found more serviceable in the Baltic than ships of war, and great attention is paid to their equipment. History. Sweden is part of the ancient Scandinavia, and appears to have been originally peopled by Fins, who were conquered by the Goths, probably seven or eight cen turies before the Christian era. The history of this kingdom is obscure till the reign of Ingi the pious, A. D. 1066. Sweden was partially converted to Christianity, A.D. 1000, under Olaf III. Margaret queen of Denmark and Norway, was called to the rone of Sweden, on the forced resignation of Albert their king, A. D. 1377. It remained united to the Danish crown till 1523, when the famous Gustavus Vasa expelled the Danes, and ever since it has remained independent; but was made an absolute monarchy by Gustavus III. in 1772. Gustavus IV. was assassinated by Ankerstrom, on the 16th of March, 1792; and succeeded by his son, then 14 years old; who in 1800 abdicated the throne, and is now an exile in GreatBritain. RUSSIA. THE Russian empire is superior in extent of territory to any perhaps that ever existed on the globe. In its greatest extent it stretches from Sweden and the Baltic on the west, to the Pacific ocean on the east; and from the Arcfic ocean north, to the 44th degree of north latitude on the south being larger than all the rest of Europe. The present article, however, is restricted to EUROPEAN RUSSIA, which is the best and most populous part of the empire. Boundaries. The boundaries of Russia in Europe are on the north, the Arctic ocean; on the west, Swedish Lapland and Finland, the Baltic sea, the Prussian and Austrian parts of the late kingdom of Poland, and Turkish Maldivia ; on the south, the black sea, and sea of Azof; and on the east, its own Asiatic territories. its Extent. European Russia extends from the river Dniester to the Uralian mountains, about 1600 miles breadth is more than 1000 miles. It is computed to contain 1,200,000 square miles. Divisions and Population. This immense empire is divided into 50 governments, 12 of which are in Asiatic Russia. The whole empire contained, in 1808, 41,403,200 inhabitants, viz. In European Russia 32,129,200 9,274,000 41,403,200 Of the inhabitants in Russia, 1,510,700, are in the Siberian provinces, and 800 in American Russia, opposite Kamschatka. Of the inhabitants in European Russia, 7,000,000 were acquired from the partition of Poland, and from the Porte, between the years 1773 and 1795. Climate. In a country of such extent as Russia, there must consequently he almost every diversity of climate, but its prevailing character is that of extreme cold. The province of Taurida may be compared with Italy, in climate and soil. Seas, Lakes and Rivers. The seas of Russia are the Baltic, the White sea, the Black sea, the sea of Azof, and the Caspian sea. The There are several considerable lakes in Russia. lake of Onega, in the government of Olonetz, is 150 miles long by 30 broad, the shores of which contain some valuable marbles. To the west is lake Ladoga, 130 miles long, by 70 broad. Peter the Great opened a canal along the shore of this lake, from the Volkov to the Neva. On the southwest is the lake of Peypus, from which issues the river Narva. The White lake is so called from its bottom of white clay. Lake Seliger, in the government of Tver, and a small lake to the west, are the principal sources of the majestic Volga, which, for some distance, is the boundary line between Europe and Asia. After a course of 250 miles, it turns to the southeast into Asia, and falls into the Caspian sea at Astrachan. Its whole course is 1700 miles. The Don, or Tanais, rises in the government of Tulan, and runs 800 miles into the sea of Azof. The Nieper, the ancient Borysthenes, rises in the government of Smolensk, at no great distance from the sources of the Volga and Dwina. After traversing rich and fertile provinces, for 1000 miles it falls into the Euxine. The Niester rises in the Carpathian mountains, and falls into the Euxine at Ankerman. The Petshora, Mezen, and several other important riv. ers, run northwardly into the White sea and Arctic ocean. The other most considerable rivers are, the Western Dwina, which falls into the gulf of Riga; the Neva, which earries the waters of lake Ladoga into the gulf of Finland and pervades the city of Petersburg; and the Bog, which falls into the Euxine sea. Face of the Country. European Russia is generally a level country. Towards the north, however, the land rises into bleak and barren mountains, interspersed with forests, bogs, and morasses. Productions. There is a great variety of natural productions in Russia. Many thousand species of plants, belonging to this part of the globe, have already been enumerated by naturalists, and many are probably yet unknown. Most of the grains, necessary for the subsistence of man and beast, are cultivated in Russia. The southern provinces are extremely fertile. The fir is the most valuable of their forest trees. Beside domestic animals, the country abounds in wild beeves, rein-deer, martins, foxes of several kinds, ermines, sables, and various other quadrupeds valuable for their furs. The mineral stores of this empire, are those of gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, quicksilver, isinglass, sulphur, salts, many sorts of jasper, marble and granite. Commerce. The commerce of Russia is greatly increased by its canals. The North sea is united with the Baltic, and both these with the Caspian and Black seas. By means of a canal, Petersburg communicates with Astrachan and the Crimea. The annual export of iron is computed at 40,000 tons; of flax 15,000; and of tallow 34,000 tons. The imports of Petersburg in 1797, were computed at about 4,000,000l. sterling. Russia is supposed to export grain annually to the amount of 170,000l.; and hemp and flax, raw or manufactured, to the amount of a million more. The coin current in the empire is estimated to amount to 30,000,000l. sterling, and the paper money to 20,000,000l. Russia carries on a great traffic with China. Immense quantities of furs are exported to most of the nations of Europe. Religion. The established religion is that of the Greek church, but all religious sects are tolerated.— The church is governed by a patriarch, under whom are archbishops and bishops. Language. The common language is a mixture of the Polish and Sclavonian; but the priests and clergy make |