CHAP, xv The Continental Area 275 



the northern has a wide extension from east to west, a deeply 

 indented coast, and a great group of islands on the south- 

 east stretching toward the unindented coast of the southern 

 member, which, as a rule, extends from north to south, and 

 has an island or island group lying to the south-east. 



355. Comparison of the Continents. By studying the 

 .maps (Plates XI. XII. and XIII.) and the following tables 

 the student will be able to compare the characteristics of the 

 separate continents. The average heights in Table A are 

 those calculated by Dr. John Murray, from whose figures 

 also the relative areas at various elevations (Table C) are 

 derived. 1 The distance from the sea of the continental 

 centre or position farthest from the coast is that calculated 

 by the Russian, General von Tillo ; the figure for Europe is 

 not strictly comparable 'with the others, since Europe is 

 widest at its junction with Asia. Professor Kriimmel, a 

 leading German oceanographer, has calculated the percent- 

 age of surplus coast given in Table A. Since a circle has 

 the smallest boundary of any figure of the same area, if we 

 imagine the coast-line stripped off a continent like braid off 

 a coat, and the continent moulded into a circular outline 

 without change of area, a smaller length of coast would serve 

 to surround it. The length of coast left over, is expressed as 

 percentage of the original length, and serves as a measure of 

 the surplus available for bordering peninsulas and bays. In 

 the three northern continents, it will be noticed, more than 

 two-thirds of the coast-line are thus available ; in the three 

 southern continents less than one-third. Table B, calcu- 

 lated by Dr. Rohrbach, 2 gives the percentage of each conti- 

 nent lying within certain zones of distance from the coast, 

 and is thus a measure of their accessibility from the sea 

 (compare Plate XII.) The chief mountain ranges of each 

 continent are marked by red lines on Plate XVIII. ; this 

 should be compared with the orographical map (Plate XL), 

 on which plains and plateaux are more clearly shown. 



