Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1277

 AREA AND POPULATION 1225

Everybody is compelled to work, and the principal task of the Republic is to establish the dictatorship of the proletariat.

The Russian Republic is a free Socialist community of all the labouring masses ol Russia. Freedom of conscience, of opinion, of the press, and of meeting are guaranteed by the Constitution. In order to protect the conquests of the revolution, universal military service is incumbent on all citizens. The privilege of defending the Revolution with arms is, however, reserved for the labouring classes only ; the non-labouring sections of the population will discharge other military duties. The political rights of Russian citizenship will be granted without any formalities to foreigners residing on the territory of the Russian Republic for purposes of labour.

The highest authority in the State is the All-Russian Congress of Soviets, which consists of representatives of town Soviets on the basis of one delegate for every 25,000 inhabitant*, an I of Provincial Congresses of Soviets on the basis of one delegate for every 125,000 inhabitants. The Con- gress elects an All Russian Central Executive Committee, consisting of 300 members, which constitute the supreme bgislative, administrative, and con- trolling body in the Republic, and meets not less frequently than once in two months, current atiairs being administered by a Standing Committee (Presidium). The Central Executive Committee also forms a Council of People's Commissaries for the general administration of the affairs of the Republic, to consist of 18 People's Commissariats, viz., Foreign Affairs, "War and Marine, Iuterior, Justice, Labour, Soi-ial Welfare, Public Instruc- tion, Posts and Telegraphs, Nationalities, Finance, Transport and Communi- cations, Agriculture, Food, Supreme Economic Council, Public Health, Workers' and Peasant*' Inspection, Foreign Trade, and Extraordinary Commission for combating counter-revolution. Each People's Commissary has a Board attached to him under his chairmanship.

The franchise is enjoyed irrespective of religion, nationality, residence, sex, etc., by all citizens over IS years of age who earn their livelihood by productive labour, and soldiers and sailors in the Red Army and Navy.

Provision is also made in the Constitution for Local Government by means of Local Soviets in villages and towns, with district, provincial auii territorial Congresses.

Area and Population I. Progress axd Prksknt Conditiox.

The old Empire of Russia comprised one-seventh of the land-surface of the globe. Its area, without internal waters, was, since the treaty of Ports- mouth, 8,417,118 English square miles (19, 155.587 7 square versts).

Until 1897 there have been but various enumerations of the popula- tion called revisions. On January 2S. February 9), 1897, a census was taken over the whole of the country. The rapidity of growth of the popu- lation of the country its acquisitions being included in the figures of popula- tion) is seen from the following : —

Year Population l Tear Population

1722 14,000,000 1859 74,000,000

1796 36,000,000 1897 129,209,297

T815 45,000,000 1914 178,378,800

1835 60,000,000 1915 182,182,600

Of the total in 1915, 131,796.800 were in European Russia, 13,229,100 in the Caucasus, 10.377,900 in Siberia, and 11,254,100 in the Central Asiatic Provinces.