or Maraga, a town in the province of Azerbijan, and the capital of a district, is situated 50 miles S.W. of Tabrez, 10 miles E. of the Lake Urumiah, and 305 miles W.N.W. of Teheran. It stands close to a small river which flows into Lake Urumiah, and here crossed by two bridges built in the eleventh century. The town covers a large extent of ground by reason of the extensive gardens which it contains, and which are extremely beautiful and productive, being watered by canals which intersect the town. Maragha is surrounded by walls, with towers, and contains a large and elegant bazaar, extensive public baths, and the tomb of Holaku, one of the princes of the line of Jenghis Khan. On a mountain in the vicinity are remains of an observatory, built by this monarch for the use of Nazer-a-Deen, a famous eastern astronomer. Pop. about 15,000.

MARANHÃO, Maranham, or San Luiz, a town in Brazil, capital of a province of the same name, is situated on a narrow tongue of land on the W. coast of the island of Maranhão, 300 miles E. by S. of Para, Lat. 2° 3' S., Long. 43° 50' W. It is built on an uneven surface, and consists of two parts, of which one, called Bairro da Prain Grande, extends along the shore close to the edge of the water; while the other, called Bairro de N. Senhora da Conceicao, lies further inland. In the former part the houses have generally a very handsome appearance, being for the most part built of sandstone, two storeys high, and furnished with balconies. The streets, however, are generally uneven and irregular. In this part of the town there are several squares, the principal of which is surrounded by the governor's palace, the Jesuit's college, the town-hall, and the prisons. Besides these, the most important public buildings are the bishop's palace and the theatre. Each part of the town has a parish church; besides which, there are several other churches and chapels, and four convents. The back part of the town consists of small houses surrounded by gardens. The educational establishments comprise, a lyceum or college, schools of navigation and commerce, and various other schools. There is also a botanic garden and an English cemetery, laid out with much taste. The harbour of Maranhão is secure, but the entrance is difficult, by reason of a sandbank to the N. of the town, to the E. and W. of which there are deep and good channels. The trade of this place is very considerable. Brandy, wine, oil, flour, linen, hardware, and other European articles, as well as spices, drugs, &c., from the East Indies, are imported; while the exports consist of cotton, rice, caoutchouc, horns, hides, isinglass, sarsaparilla, &c. The whole trade of the north-eastern provinces of Brazil passes through Maranhão, as it is the most considerable seaport on that coast.

The island of Maranhão is of an oblong shape, about twenty miles in length by 12 in breadth. It is difficult of access, on account of the rapidity of the stream by which it is separated from the mainland. This stream is called the Rio de Mosquito, and is shallow, and about 100 yards wide. It terminates in two large bays, the Bahia de San Jose and the Bahia de San Marcos. The island is low and swampy, but fertile and well inhabited; and it contains, besides the town, several small villages.

The province of Maranhão is bounded on the N. by the Atlantic, on the E. by Pianhy, on the S. by Goyaz, and on the W. by Para. It lies between 1° 20' and 10° 50' S. Lat., and 41° 20' and 48° W. Long. The surface gradually slopes from the elevations in the S.W. towards the N.E.; and the principal rivers are the Parrabahé, which forms its eastern boundary, the Mearim, and the Itapicuru, all of which flow in the same direction. The only lake of any importance is the Mata. A great part of the province is covered with primeval forests, and the districts near the coast are fertile and very productive of cotton and rice. Iron, lead, and antimony are found in the province, but have not been mined in any great quantities. The principal towns, besides the capital, are Alcantara and Cachias. The area is 94,900 square miles. Population of the province (1851) 390,000, of the town 36,000, and of the island 40,000.