a province of the principality of Hesse Cassel, in Germany. It was formerly an independent ecclesiastical state, governed by its own bishop, and was consigned to Hesse by the congress of Vienna. It extends over 644 square miles, and comprehends four cities, 223 villages, and thirty-three hamlets; and the population amounted in 1816 to 66,756 individuals. The province is generally hilly, and one fourth of it consists of woods. It is the country of basalt, which is to be seen in all its varieties of forms. The elevation is great, and the climate raw and cold, but it is said to be salubrious. The product of corn is unequal to the consumption, but potatoes have been much extended, which serve as a substitute for grain. Although the cultivation of flax is in a backward state, the produce of it forms the chief source of the wealth of the province. The conversion of the flax into linen cloth, chiefly of the coarser kind, is almost the only branch of industry that is pursued. It is divided by the present ruler into eight bailiwicks. The capital, Fulda, takes its name from the navigable river of that name. It is an ancient but well-built town, 650 feet above the level of the sea, but overlooked by the castle in which its former clerical sovereign resided, the excellence and quantity of whose wines have been much celebrated. The city contains 995 houses, and 7468 inhabitants, who follow a great variety of trades, mostly on a small scale. Long. 9° 50' 40". E. Lat. 50° 33' 57" N.