Grodno, a western province or governorate of the former Russian Empire, currently located in Belarus, was situated between about 52° to 54° N latitude and 21° to 24° E longitude, and bounded N by Vilna E by Minsk S by Volhynia and W by the former kingdom of Poland.

The province was a wide plain in parts, very swampy and covered with large pine tree forests.

The soil is chiefly alluvial intermixed with sand waws,[clarification needed] which was favorable for agriculture anil, rearing of cattle and bees.

Large quantities of rye, barley, oats, hops, hemp and flax were raised but the amount of fruit and vegetables grown was small.

The products produced in the region were insignificant, but included woolen cloths, hats, leather, paper and spirits.

There were two fine erected respectively by Stephen Batory who died here 1586 and Augustus III (kings of Poland).

After the Peace of Riga on 18 March 1921, which ended the Polish-Soviet War,[8] the governorate became the voivodeships of Białystok, Nowogródek and Polesie of the Second Polish Republic.