, Poland
1906

Poland (Pol. Poltka, pol'ski, meaning " flat land;" L. Polo'nia; Ger. Poltn, po'len ; Fr. Polognt, poMofi'), an extensive country of central Europe, which existed for many centuries as an independent and powerful state, but, having fallen a prey to internal dissensions, was dismem bered in the latter part of the eighteenth century by Aus tria, Prussia, and Russia, and incorporated with their dominions. In the early part of the seventeenth century the Polish kingdom had an area of about 375,000 sq. m., making it the most extensive realm (not counting colonial possessions) in Christendom, excepting Russia. It stretched from the frontiers of Hungary and the Turkish Empire to the Baltic, and from Germany far E. into what is now Russia. In the W. it reached almost to the Oder and on the E. it extended far beyond the Dnieper. The territory thus marked out formed a compact kingdom, embracing Great and Little Poland (in the extreme W. and SW.), West Prussia, Masovia (with Warsaw), Cujavia (W. of Masovia), Podlachia (E. of Masovia), Red Russia (part of modern Galicia and a district to the N.), Volhynia, Podo- lia, the Ukraine, Lithuania, and Livonia. Lithuania, which was completely merged in the Polish realm in 1569, comprised a vast area in the NE. At the time of the first partition, in 1772, the area was not far from 300,000 sq. m., and the population is estimated to have been about 12,000,- 000. Of the territories comprised in the Polish kingdom in the seventeenth century, about six-sevenths are now in cluded in the Russian Empire. Of this about one-si it h, the extreme western portion, the heart of old Poland (with Warsaw), constitutes what is known as Russian Poland. The Austrian portion of Poland constitutes the crown-land of Galicia, in which the Poles are politically dominant, although somewhat outnumbered by the Ruthenians. The portion of the old kingdom included in Prussia constitutes the provinces of Posen and West Prussia, in the former of which the Polish language predominates, and the district of Ermland, in East Prussia. The number of Poles in the world is in round numbers about 15,000,000. There are about 8,000,000 in Russia, of whom about three-fourths live in Poland proper. Prussia has over 3,000,000 Poles and Austria nearly as many. There is a large Polish popula tion in the United States. The Poles are numerically the most important body of the Slavs next to the Russians, to whose language the Polish is most closely related. Their religion is Roman Catholic Russia is making great efforts to Russianize the Poles within her dominions, and in Lithuania and other portions of the old Polish kingdom outside of Poland proper Russification has made great progress. Prussia is also prosecuting the policy of denationalising the Poles, but has met with little success. In Austria-Hungary the Poles are untrammelled in their political activity, and there Cra cow (the capital of the Polish kingdom previous to the seventeenth century, when it was superseded by Warsaw) and Lemberg are foci of Polish national life.

Poland was raised to the rank of a kingdom about the beginning of the eleventh century. It had for some time already been under the rule of the dynasty of Piast, and Christianity had been introduced shortly before. Upon the death of Casimir the Great, in 1370, the male line of the Piasts became extinct. Casimir was succeeded by Louis the Great of Hungary, whose daughter and successor Hedwig married, in 1386, Jagellon, grand prince of Lithu ania, who became LadiBlas II. of Poland. The dynasty of Jagellon came to an end in 1572, and the erown of Poland (which now formed one commonwealth with Lithu ania), was made elective. The first partition of Poland, between Russia, Austria, and Prussia, took place in 1772 ; the second, between Russia and Prussia, in 1793 ; the third, between Russia, Austria, and Prussia, in 1795. In 1807 Napoleon created a semi-independent state out of a frag ment of Poland, to which the name of Duchy of Warsaw was given. This disappeared in 1813, and out of the bulk of it the congress of Vienna, in 1815, constituted a new kingdom of Poland, which was placed under the Rus sian dynasty. In consequence of the insurrection of 1830- 31 the Poles were deprived of their constitutional liberties. The name Kingdom of Poland is still given to this portion of the Russian territories, but the country is now treated in all respects as an integral part of the Russian Empire, and constitutes the so-called Governments of the Vistula, under the administration of a special governor-general. It is bounded N. and W. by the territories of Prussia, on the NE. and E. by the Russian governments of Kovno, Vilna, Grodno, and Volhynia, and S. by Galicia. It is divided into the governments of Warsaw, Kalisz, Piotrkow, Radom, Lublin, Plock, Kieloe, Siedlce, Lomza, and Suwalki. Area, 49,150 sq. m. Pop. in 1897, 9,455,943. About two-thirds of the inhabitants are Poles. There are about 1,500,000 Jews, 1,000,000 Russians, 250,000 Germans, and 300,000 Lithuanians. The capital is Warsaw. The most characteristic surface feature of Russian Poland is its uniformity. With the exception of the Carpathian foothills along its SW. boundary, it presents an almost unbroken plain, composed partly of gently waving slopes, partly of rich alluvial flats, and in part of sandy tracts and morasses. One of the highest elevations of the land is the Lysa Gora, or Bald Mountain, in the S. near Kielce, 1850 ( 2000?) feet. The drainage is wholly into the Baltic Sea. The principal streams are the Vistula, with its tributaries the Wieprs, Pilica, and Bug (with the Narew) ; the Warthe and Prosna, tributaries of the Oder ; and the Niemen. The country is in part an excellent agricultural region, and in 1903 there were 11,366,743 acres under crops, the cereals being, in the order of their importance, rye, oats, barley, and wheat. Flax and hemp are extensively cultivated. The forests of Poland still cover an area of nearly 7,000,000 acres, and furnish valuable timber. The miner als inolude the ores of iron, copper, and zinc, salt, and coal, the last named being extensively mined, especially in the Dombrowa region. The most important manufactures of the country are those of metal products, textiles (mainly in the region about Lodz), sugar, and liquors. Poland has a single university, that of Warsaw.

Lippincott's New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns ... in Every Portion of the Globe Publisher J.B. Lippincott Company, 1906

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