The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-26
LIVONIA

Washington, Sept. 24.--.Livonia one
STA, now being overrun by the Ger
mans, following their capture OF the
provincial capital, Riga. is described
in the following war geography bull
letin issued by the National Geo
graphic society from its headquarters
IN Washington:
The province of Iivonia. which has
the Gulf of Riga as its western
boundary and which is bordered on
the east by the governments tstates1
of Petrograd, Pskov ana yitebsk. has
an area about equal to that of the
combined areas OF Massachusetts, and
New Hampshire. but with a popula-
ton of only about a million and a
half, comparable to that OF South Car
DINA. More than 1000 square miles
of Idvonia's territory Is insular, how
ever, including the islands of Oesel
and Rundo, in the Gulf of Riga. while
another 900 square miles is repre-
sented in that portion OF Lake Peipus
which belongs TO the province. Near
~ two -f1fths of the remainder OF the
territory is forest land, while there are
nearly thousand small lakes, num-
considerable tract of sand dunes on
the Gulf of Riga shore, so that the
agricultural area Is smaller than
would at first appear.
The cultiyable lands of Livonia
| are largely in the hands of wealthy
| mobiles, the size of the average estate
| being nearly 10000 acres. On these
states the most scientific farming i'm
plements are used and cultivation is
| conducted according to the most mod
ern methods. The chief products are
| rye. barley. oats, potatoes. and some
wheat. hemp and buckwheat.
| Among the chief industries OF the
| province are wooden, cotton. -four. fax
! and saw mills. distilleries. breweries,
| soap. tobacco and furniture works.
More than 100000 persons exc
out livelihood in the fisheries OF
| Lake Peipus and the Gulf of Riga
| although coins Of the time OF
| Alexander the Great have been found
on the island OF Oesel. the history OF
the province energies from obscurity
| not earlier than the eleventh century,
when the Germans began to pene-
! trate to this region. Abou. the mid
die Of the twelfth century merchants
| from the powerful Hanseatic city OF
! Lubbock reached the mouth of the
River Dvina. and established trading
posts In the vicinity of what IL now
Riga. These commercial pioneers
were followed by erntssaries Of the
| Archbishop of Bremen who began &c
| preach Christianity to the semi-pirat'
ical natives. Then came the Order
| OF the Brethren of the Sword. apos,
ties who inculcated their religious
teaching with the aid of steel.
About the middle OF the sixteenth
| century Livonia underwent a parti
ton the northern half being assimi
lated by the growing power of Russia
and the southern portion being an
nexed by Poland. When the wal
between Sweden and Poland wal
launched this unhappy province be
came the battle-ground of the war
ring armies and century later it wa,
the scene Of the triangular conf1ic
OF Sweden. Russia and Poland. B!
the treaty of Nystad. In 172f, tn,
province was definitely assigned (,
Russia.
About AZ. per cent of the inhab
itants of Livonia are Let's, while al
/ almost equal number are Esths
Eighty per cent Of the people are com
municants of the Lutheran church.
I'm one particular Livonia out
shines every other province in Russii
lin its public school system. 1t
). estimated that nfnS-tenths OF the chill
dren receive regular instruction Il
times Of Reacs