Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub

rica, and connects the Mediterranean with the Atlantic ocean ; the strait of Dover or Calais separates England from France, and connects the English channel with the North sea or German ocean; the Baltic communicates with the Cattegat by three straits; the most eastern, called the Sound, lies between the island of Zealand and the coast of Sweden; the middle, called the Great Belt, between the islands of Zealand and Funen; and the western, called the Little Belt, between the island of Funen and the coast of Denmark.

Rivers. The principal rivers are the following, beginning in the southwest. Into the Mediterranean flow the Ebro and the Rhone; into the gulf of Venice, the Po; into the Black sea, the Danube, the Dniester, and the Dnieper; into the sea of Azoph, the Don; into the Caspian sea, which lies wholly in Asia, the Volga; into the gulf of Archangel, the Dwina; into the gulf of Riga, the Dwina or Duna; into the Baltic, the Vistula and the Oder; into the North sea, the Elbe, the Weser, and the Rhine; into the English channel, the Seine; into the bay of Biscay, the Loire and the Garonne; into the Atlantic ocean, the Duero, the Tagus, the Guadiana and the Guadalquivir.

Most of these rivers are confined in their course to some particular country, under which they will be most conveniently described. The Danube, the Rhine, and the Rhone, however, belong to no one country. The Danube, the largest river of Europe except the Volga, rises near the S. W. corner of Germany, in lat. 48° Ñ. and after pursuing an easterly course throngh Germany, passes into Hungary, where it turns to the south and then to the S. E. and becomes for a short distance the boundary between Hungary and Turkey, after which its course lies wholly in Turkey till it discharges itself into the Black sea by five mouths between 44° 30′ and 45° 30′ of N. lat. It is 1620 miles long and is navigable, though with some interruption from shoals and rapids, to Ulm, in lon. 10° E.

The Rhine rises near the centre of Switzerland, and flowing N.E. falls into the lake of Constance. Issuing from that lake with a copious current, it flows west, forming the boundary between Switzerland and Germany,and then turns to the north, forming the boundary between Germany and France for a short distance, after which its course lies wholly in Germany till it enters the kingdom of the Netherlands, where it turns to the west and divides into several streams, which pursue their way under various names to the North sea. It is 700 miles long, and is navigable with few interruptions from its mouth to the lake of Constance.

The Rhone rises also near the centre of Switzerland, within 5 miles of the source of the Rhine, and flowing west falls into the Jake of Geneva. Issuing from that lake it pursues a southwesterly course into France, where it turns to the south, and discharges itself by three mouths into that part of the Mediterranean called the Gulf of Lyon, after a course of 500 miles. It is the most rapid river in Europe, and the upward navigation can be per formed only by draught or steam.

Mountains.] The principal ranges of mountains are, 1. The Scandinavian chain, which commences at the southern extremity of Norway, and running north, soon becomes the boundary between Norway and Sweden. It proceeds in a northeasterly direction, parallel with the coast of Norway, almost to the 70th degree of N. lat. where it turns to the east, and soon after to the southeast, in which direction it continues till it gradually sinks into hills and terminates among the small lakes between the gulf of Finland and the White sea. In almost every part of its course it is parallel with the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, and in shape it resembles a horse shoe.

2. The Pyrenees run in an easterly direction from the bottom of the bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean, forming the boundary between France and Spain. From the western extremity a branch proceeds into Spain, and soon divides into numerous inferior chains, which diverge from each other, and spread themselves over the whole of Spain and Portugal. From the eastern extremity a branch proceeds into France, in a northeasterly direction till it reaches the sources of the Loire, where it divides into two. branches, one of which proceeds in a northerly direction between the Loire and the Rhone, and the other in a northwesterly direction towards the centre of France.

3. The Alps, the loftiest mountains in Europe, form the northern boundary of Italy, separating it from France, Switzerland and Germany. They are in the form of an arch, with one end resting on the gulf of Genoa and the other on the gulf of Venice. Various chains proceed from the Alps in almost every direction. The Apennines commence near the Mediterranean at the S. W. extremity, and pursuing an easterly course around the gulf of Genoa, turn to the S. E. and pass in that direction to the southern extremity of Italy. Another chain commences near the head of the gulf of Venice at the S. E. extremity of the main range, and pursuing at first a southeasterly course, passes in a semicircular form through the centre of European Turkey, and terminates on the Black sea at Cape Emineh, in lat. 43° 30′ N. The principal northern branch of the Alps is the Mount Jura chain, which commences near Geneva, at the S. W. extremity of Switzerland, and in the first part of its course forms the boundary between Switzerland and France, after which it continues to run in a northerly direction, under the name of the Vosges, on the west side of the Rhine, as far as the parallel of 50° N. lat. Besides these three principal branches, the Alps throw off numerous inferior chains in a northeasterly direction, which overspread nearly the whole southern half of Germany.

4. The Carpathian mountains encircle Hungary on three sides, separating it from Germany on the N. W. from Galicia on the N. E. and from Turkey on the S. E. At the southeast extremity of the range, a branch proceeds in a southerly direction across the Danube to the centre of European Turkey, connecting the Carpathian mountains with the great eastern branch of the Alps

At the N. W. extremity also they are loosely connected with the mountains of Germany.

Face of the country.] Norway and Sweden are mountainous The countries included in the three southern peninsulas, viz. Portugal, Spain, Italy and Turkey, are also traversed by mountain ranges. The same description applies to a large portion of Hungary, the southern half of Germany, nearly the whole of Switzerland, and the southeastern part of France. All the northern and western parts of France are hilly. The rest of continental Europe, comprising Netherlands, Denmark, the northern part of Germany, Prussia, and Russia, consists chiefly of plains. Climate.] As respects climate Europe may be divided into three regions, very unequal in extent. The first comprehends all below the parallel of 45° N. lat. This is the climate of the olive, the vine, the mulberry and the orange. The second, and much the largest, includes all between the parallels of 45° and 65°. This is the climate of wheat, flax, oats, hemp, &c. The vine is also cultivated successfully as high up as the parallel of 50°. The third region, including all above the parallel of 65°, has a gloomy and desolate aspect. The pines and firs at first cover the hills with their constant mantle of dark green, but towards the northern part every species of vegetable which is useful to man entirely fails; and nothing appears but dwarf trees and a few scattered bushes.

1.

GREAT BRITAIN.

Situation and Extent.] Great Britain, the largest of the European islands, is situated between 50 and 581 N. lat. and is bounded N. by the Atlantic Ocean; E. by the North sea or German Ocean; S. by the English channel, and W. by St. George's channel and the Atlantic Ocean. It is 580 miles long from north to south, and on an average 150 broad, the area being computed at 88,573 square miles. The figure of the island is very irregular, but bears some resemblance to a wedge, being narrow in the northern part, and growing broader towards the south, and its whole coast is deeply penetrated by bays, creeks and estuaries, which afford many safe and commodious harbors.

Divisions.] The island is divided into North-Britain or Scotland, and South-Britain or England including Wales.

ENGLAND.

Situation and Extent.] This country is bounded N. by Scotland, from which it is separated by the river Tweed, and a line run

ning in a southwesterly direction to the Frith of Solway; E. by the German Ocean; S. by the English channel; and W. by St. George's channel. It extends from 50° to 55° 40' N. lat. and contains 58,335 square miles, of which number 50,210 are in England and 8,125 are in Wales.

Divisions.] England is divided into 40 counties, and Wales into 12, which are given in the following table, arranged in geograph ical order.

[blocks in formation]

Eight Norfolk,

eastern. Suffolk,

Essex,
Hertfordshire,

Middlesex,

'Three Surry,

south

Kent,

eastern.

Sussex,

Gloucestershire,. 1,122 285,514 Gloucester.

Oxfordshire,

742 119,191 Oxford.
Buckinghamshire, 748 117,650 Aylesbury.
Bedfordshire,
430' 70,213 Bedford.
Lincolnshire, 2,787 237,891 Lincoln
Huntingdonshire, 345 42,208 Huntingdon.
Cambridgeshire, 686 101,109 Cambridge..

2,013 291,999 Norwich.
1,566 236,211 Ipswich.
1,525 252,473 Chelmsford.

602 111,654 Hertford.
297 953,276 London.
811 323,851 Guilford.
1,462 373,095 Maidstone.
1,461 190,083 Lewes.

Berkshire,

744 118,277 Reading.

Four

Wiltshire,

south

ern

Three

Salisbury.

Hampshire, 1,533 245,080 Winchester.
Dorsetshire, 1,129 124,693

Somersetshire, 1,549 303,180

[blocks in formation]

Dorchester.
Taunton.

2,483 383,308 Exeter.

1,407 216,667 Launceston.

1,283 193,828

[blocks in formation]

Carnarvonshire, 775

49,336 Carnarvon.

North

Anglesea,

402

Wales.

Merionethshire,

37,045 Beaumaris. 691 30,924 Bala.

Montgomeryshire, 982 51,931 Montgomery.

Radnorshire,

Cardiganshire,

Six

South Wales.

455

20.900 Presteign.

726 50,260 Cardigan.

Pembrokeshire, 575 60,615 Pembroke.
Caermarthenshire, 926 77,217 Caermarthen.
Brecknockshire, 731
Glamorganshire,

37,735 Brecknock. 822 85,067 Caerdiff,

Mountains.] Along the whole western side of the country, from Cornwall to Scotland, there are ranges of mountains, which may be considered as forming one connected chain. They overspread all the counties of Wales, in which country they attain their greatest elevation; Snowdon, the loftiest summit in South-Britain, rising here to the height of 3,517 feet, and Plynlymon to 2,463 feet. Two lower ranges of hills also commence in the S. W. part of the island, and extend completely across the country; one, passing in an easterly direction through the southern counties, terminates near the strait of Dover; and the other, stretching towards the N. E. in an irregular waving line, passes through the centre of the kingdom, and terminates on the eastern coast near Flamborough head, in lat. 54° 9′ N.

Face of the country.] The face of the country in England is beautifully variegated. In some parts verdant plains extend as far as the eye can reach, watered by copious streams, and covered with innumerable cattle. In others the pleasing vicissitudes of gently rising hills and bending vales, fertile in corn, waving with wood, and interspersed with meadows, offer the most delightful landscapes of rural opulence and beauty. Some tracts abound with prospects of the more romantic kind; lofty mountains, cragy rocks, deep narrow dells and tumbling torrents. Nor are there wanting as a contrast to so many agreeable scenes, the gloomy features of black, barren moors and wild uncultivated heaths. On the whole, however, few countries have a smaller proportion of land absolutely sterile and incapable of culture.

Climate.] The climate of England is liable to sudden and frequent changes, and to great variations of dryness and moisture. Owing to its insular situation, the extremes both of heat and cold are tempered, and neither the rigor of winter nor the heats of summer are felt here in the same degree as in corresponding latitudes on the continent. Hence, while in winter the seaports of Germany and the Netherlands are locked up with ice, those of England are open at all seasons. No country in the world perhaps displays such a rich and uniform verdure during so large a portion of the year; for the cold in winter is never so severe as to destroy vegetation, nor in summer does the bloom of nature

« AnteriorContinuar »