LOMZA

lomza, or lomzha, a government of russian poland, bounded n. by prussia and the polish government of suwalki, e. by the russian government of grodno, s. by the polish governments of siedlce and warsaw and w. by that of plock. it covers 4666 sq. m. it is mostly flat or undulating, with a few tracts in the north and south-west where the deeply cut valleys give a hilly aspect to the country. extensive marshes overspread it, especially on the banks of the narev, which flows from east to south-west, joining the bug in the south-western corner of the government. the bug flows along the southern border, joining the vistula 20 m. below its confluence with the narev. there are forests in the east of the government. the inhabitants numbered 501,385 in 1872 and 585,033 in 1897, of whom 279,279 were women, and 69,834 lived in towns. the estimated population in 1906 was 653,100. by religion 771⁄2% are roman catholics, 151⁄2% jews and 51⁄2% members of the orthodox church. agriculture is the predominant industry, the chief crops being rye, oats, wheat, barley, buckwheat, peas, potatoes, flax and hemp. bees are extensively kept, and large numbers of poultry, especially geese, are reared. stock raising is carried on to some extent. the wood trade is important; other industries are the production of pottery, beer, flour, leather, bricks, wooden wares, spirits, tobacco and sugar. there is only one railway (between grodno and warsaw); the bug is navigable, but wood only is floated down the narev. the government is divided into seven districts, of which the chief towns, with their populations in 1897, are lomza (q.v.), ostrolenka (8679), mazowiec (3900), ostrow (11,264), makow (7232), kolno (4941) and szczuczyn (5725).