Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms, Volume 38

Compiled by Wei Yuan of Shaoyang Wei Yuan (1794–1857) was a key figure in the "Statecraft" school of thought, urging China to learn about Western technology and geography.

The Angga-la River The Angara River in modern Siberia, the only river flowing out of Lake Baikal is the same as the "Angke-la River" mentioned in the History of the Yuan The official history of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368). Regarding the Angke-la, the History of the Yuan identifies it as the same region known as the Guligan during the Tang Dynasty. The current name Russia original: "Eluosi" is a phonetic transliteration of the Yuan-era name Aluosi.

Note: During the Yuan Dynasty, Aluosi [Russia] and Qinchak [the Kipchak Khanate, also known as the Golden Horde] were separate states. The Great Ancestor [Genghis Khan] conquered them and granted the territory to his eldest son Jochi, whose descendants ruled the Golden Horde. At that time, the lands of the Kyrgyz, the Angke-la region, and the prefectures of Qianzhou and Penlanzhou were distinct areas. These were all under the jurisdiction of the Regional Military Headquarters of the Lingbei Province, located north of Karakorum Helin, the central capital of the Mongol Empire. The Altai and Sayan Mountains original: "Andai" served as the boundary. Today, these areas comprise the eastern frontier of Russia, but during the Yuan, they were the former lands of the Naiman tribe and did not belong to the Russians. They have only recently been annexed by the Russian state.

Tradition states that this country formerly had no title of "Khan." In the northwestern region near the sea called Jiyou, there was a chieftain named Ivan Vasilyevich original: "Yifan Washili Yuchi." This likely refers to Ivan III, who ended Mongol dominance, or Ivan IV "The Terrible," who was the first to be formally crowned Tsar. Due to internal clan conflicts, he sought military assistance from the state of Feyiesko Likely referring to Pskov or perhaps a phonetic rendering of a Western European power, using their forces to subdue the various banners administrative or tribal units and declaring himself Khan. This lineage has continued for over three hundred years. Today, their rulers are all referred to as the Chagan Khan The "White Khan," the Mongol and Central Asian term for the Russian Tsar.

The climate of this land is cold, frequently overcast with very little sunshine. Forests are dense, but human habitation is sparse. The territory is divided into eight circuits administrative provinces or Oblasts: the first is Sibirsko Siberia; the second is Kazansko Kazan; the third is—