SCLAVONIA, a province of the Austrian empire, still occasionally dignified with the name of kingdom. It is bounded on the west by Croatia, on the north and east by Hungary, from which it is separated by the river Drave, and partly by the Danube, and on the south by Turkey, the river Save separating it from the territories of the sultan. The shape of this province is long and narrow, and it contains a superficies of about 5000 square miles. A chain of lofty mountains, which rises in Croatia, intersects it in its whole length from east to west. This elevated ridge is covered with forests, containing the finest oak and other valuable trees; but a proper water conveyance is wanting to render this natural product of the soil a valuable article of export. The rest of the country consists of fine plains, with a fertile soil, and a climate which, although mild, is cooler than might be expected under the parallels of forty-five and forty-six. This is to be attributed to the presence of the forest-covered mountain chain just mention ed. During dry years the open parts of the mountainous tracts are barren; in favourable years they produce excellent crops of wheat, barley, flax, hemp, and madder. The climate of the plains is sufficiently genial for the cultivation of maize, silk, and the fruits of the south of Europe. Limestone, sulphur, coal, salt, and some ferruginous substances, are amongst the most abundant mineral treasures of Sclavonia; but these have not yet been thoroughly investigated. Much of the mountain chain yet remains unexplored. The manufactures are too insignificant to require specific notice; those of glass and potash appear to be the most important. The exports consist of corn, tobacco, nuts, plums, hides, wax, honey, and madder; the imports are chiefly iron, salt, and oil. Domestic weaving and knitting is universally practised, so that few of the finer fabrics of Great Britain or France are required, especially amongst a people the bulk of whom live in mud-huts. The transit trade is of more importance, in consequence of the three great rivers, the Danube, the Drave, and the Save, which directly or indirectly communicate with a large tract of country.

Under the Romans, Sclavonia formed a part of Pannonia, and derived its present name from a tribe of Sclavi or Slavi, who settled here in the sixth or seventh century. Subsequently, the Venetians, having acquired an ascendency over Dalmatia, extended their acquisitions to this country. In the tenth century it came under the dominion of Hungary, to which it remained subject, until, in the year 1526, it was overrun and subdued by the Turks. It was finally subjected to the house of Austria by the peace of Carlowitz, which was ratified in 1699. The country remained divided into military districts until 1745, but since that time a beginning has been made towards giving some of them a civil constitution. These form three counties. The military district, or generalate, consists of Brod, Peterwardin, and Gradisea. It is under a military government, at the head of which is the commanding general in Sclavonia, who resides at Peterwardin. The counties are subject to the kingdom of Hungary, each having its governor and vice-governor. Although Sclavonia has undergone a material improvement since its annexation to Austria, yet the population is not characterized either by industry, or by that degree of intelligence necessary to turn the natural advantages of the country to good account. The Sclavonians proper, or aborigines, do not now form the majority of the inhabitants; they are largely intermixed with Magyars, Wallachians, Gypsies, Germans, Greeks, Jews, and Armenians. There are but few Protestants in the country. The most numerous religious denominations are the Roman Catholic, the Greek Catholic, and the Greek non-united Church. The population in 1831 amounted to 370,000, which is about eighty-five inhabitants to every square mile.