North-west Provinces

North-west Provinces, a lieutenant-governorship of British India (since 1835), occupying the upper basin of the Ganges and Jumna, and extending from Bengal to the Punjab. Oudh, from 1857 a separate government, was in 1877 put under the same lieutenant-governor, and in 1901 the name of the whole was changed to the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh (q.v.). The province, which constitutes the great part of Hindustan proper, is mainly a great alluvial plain, sloping from the Himalayas, and comprises the Doab, Rohilkhand, Bundelkhand, etc., and the Upper Ganges valley. It is the great wheat country of India, but is not on a level with Bengal as to resources or trade. The headquarters of Hinduism, and containing some of the most sacred memorials of the Aryan race, it was long subject to Moslem sway ; still a seventh of the population are Mohammedans. Area of the United Provinces, 107,164 sq. m. Pop. (1901) 47,691,782 (40,757,137 Hindus).

North-west Territories

North-west Territories, in Canada (q.v.), has been most currently used of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Assiniboia, and Athabasca, rearranged and organised in 1904 as the two provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan (which now include the others). Keewatin is a territory under Manitoba ; Yukon is since 1898 a separate territory; but under the term North-west Territories still fall not merely Mackenzie in the north-west, but Ungava in the peninsula of Labrador in the far north-east, and Franklin, comprising some of the Arctic islands of the north.

Northwich

Northwich, a town of Cheshire, on the river Weaver and the old Watling Street, 18 miles ENE. of Chester. Underneath and around are brine-springs, used for making salt since before the Christian era, and the town is being undermined by the pumping of the brine. Pop. 18,500.

Norwalk

Norwalk (Nor'ok), a town of Connecticut, at the mouth of Norwalk River, on Long Island Sound, 41 miles by rail NE. of New York. It has a good harbour, oyster-fisheries, the largest straw-hat factory in America, foundries and ironworks, and manufactories of felt-hats, cloth, woollens, shirts, shoes, locks, and door-knobs. Pop. (with South Norwalk, 900) 19,932. - (2) Capital of Huron county, Ohio, 55 miles by rail WSW. of Cleveland. It manufactures organs, shoes, ploughs, sewing, machines, tobacco, and fanning-mills. Pop. 7195.

Norwich

Norwich (Nor'ritch or Nor'witch), capital of New London county, Connecticut, at the head of the Thames River, 13 miles by rail N. of New London. The chief portion of the city lies on an eminence between the Yantic and Shetncket rivers, which here unite to form the Thames. There are manufactories of paper, cotton and woollen goods, worsted, picture cords, pistols, files, locks, iron pipes, etc, besides rolling-milte and ironworks. The city's site was granted by Uncas the Mohican to an English ensign who in 1656 reached him by night with a canoe-load of provisions, when he was besieged ; a memorial obelisk was erected in 1825. Pop. 17,260.