or WOLHYNIA, a government, or stadholderate, of the Russian empire, extending in north latitude from 49° 28' to 52° 3', and in east longitude from 23° 30' to 29° 14'. It is bounded on the north-west by Grodno, on the north by Minsk, on the east by Kiev, on the south by the Austrian kingdom of Galicia, and on the west by the kingdom of Poland. This province belonged to Poland till the great dismemberment of that kingdom by Russia, Austria, and Prussia, when it was transferred to the first of those powers. It extends over 39,660 square miles, divided into twelve circles, and containing 139 cities and towns, and 2591 villages, with 1,394,600 inhabitants. The nobility and traders are for the most part of the Polish nation, but many of the peasants are of a Russian origin, and there are also many Jews. The major part of the population adheres to the Greek church, at whose head is a bishop of that sect. The Catholics are next in number, and mostly Poles, who have a bishop at Luzk as head of their church, and they still have many monasteries. The Jews have their own synagogues and their separate schools.

The face of the country is a high level plain, which extends northward from the Carpathian mountains. At the north there are few or no hills, but many morasses, and the elevated land between them is covered with woods of excellent timber. The southern part is undulating, and has many spurs projecting from the Carpathians, though few of them exceed 400 feet in height. Their summits are mostly covered with trees.

The soil is either a loam or clay, occasionally sandy, but generally mixed with marl, and covered with a thick coating of vegetable mould. Although in the north there are large tracts of moors and marshes, yet, by draining, they are converted into profitable meadows and corn fields. Although the process of cultivation is little better conducted than in Poland, yet there are fewer unproductive seasons, and none in which a surplus of corn is not produced. Flax, hemp, rape, and tobacco are cultivated; and some oil is made from the seed, but merely for home consumption. Hops, saffron, mustard, and capsicum are grown, but on a limited scale. The converting the forests into timber and charcoal affords considerable occupation to the labouring classes. The manufactures are solely for domestic use, and consist of linen and woollen cloth, the spinning of which is performed by hand by the females; and families buy the yarn and have weavers who go from house to execute their part of the work. Though Volhynia is nearly equal in extent to Ireland and has a better soil, yet, from want of that stimulus which access to good markets gives, it is enabled to support, and that in a wretched manner, scarcely one-fifth of the same number of human beings. The little trade that exists is in the hands of the Jews, who, by legal means, or by smuggling, send into the Austrian and Prussian territory, corn, brandy, live cattle, especially horses, and some salted meat, and also honey and bees' wax.