981 



EUROPE. 



EUROPE. 



river Kara on the Frozen Ocean, the north-eastern extremity of 

 Europe, does not much exceed 3000 miles ; and another, drawn from 

 Cape Matapan to Cape Nord Kyn, is 2400 miles long. 



As every part of Europe is described in the ENGLISH CTCLOP.SDIA 

 under the natural or political division to which it belongs, and all the 

 more important mountain ranges, rivers, and other great physical 

 features hare separate articles, it would be superfluous to repeat such 

 descriptions here. All therefore that we propose to do under the 

 present heading is, to give such a general notice as may facilitate 

 reference to particular articles, adding any additional information that 

 would not readily find a place under the separate headings. 



Physical Geography. Nearly two-thirds of the surface of Europe 

 consist of an immense plain ; the remainder is partly mountainous and 

 partly hilly. The plain occupies the eastern part of the continent, 

 and the hilly and mountainous countries extend along its western and 

 southern shores. On the eastern boundary the plain extends across 

 the whole continent from south to north, from the mountain range of 

 the Caucasus and the shores of the Black Sea to those of the Arctic 

 Ocean. In width it extends in this part of the continent from the 

 Ural Mountains to 26 E. long. To the west of this meridian it 

 terminates on the north on the shores of the Baltic, and in the 

 mountain region of Scandinavia ; on the south it continues along the 

 southern shores of the Baltic, and extends even farther west to the 

 shores of Holland opposite the British Islands. If small eminences 

 are not taken into account, it may even be said to continue in a south- 

 west direction through Belgium and the northern parts of France to 

 the banks of the Seine, where it terminates between Paris and the 

 mouth of the river. The portion of the plain west of the meridian of 

 26 is narrowed on the south by the Carpathian Mountains and other 

 ranges which are connected with them. Towards the eastern part it 

 extends over 10 degrees of latitude, but in its progress towards the 

 west it becomes gradually narrower till its mean breadth does not 

 exceed 3 degrees of latitude, except where the peninsula of Jutland 

 joins it. Along the coast of the North Sea it is still narrower. 



By this narrow portion of the Great European Plain and the Baltic 

 (which may be considered as its lowest part, being covered with water), 

 the mountain regions which constitute the western portion of the con- 

 tinent are divided into two separate systems. To the north lies the 

 system of the Scandinavian Mountains, and to the south what we shall 

 here call the South European Mountain System. The island of Great 

 Britain may be regarded as a connecting link between these mountain 

 systems. 



The Gre.it Plain occupies about 2,500,000 square miles ; the South 

 European Mountain region, which extends over the whole of South 

 Europe from Cape La Roca in Portugal to the Strait of Constanti- 

 nople, and presents a surface more diversified in its form than any 

 other portion of the globe of equal extent, China perhaps exeepted,- 

 occupies about 1,100,000 square miles ; and the Scandinavian 

 Mountain System, which comprehends the whole of the Scandinavian 

 peninsula, or Sweden and Norway, about 300,000 square miles. 

 [ALPS; APEX NIXES; BALKAN; CAIIPATHIANS; CAUCASUS; CEVEXNES; 

 JCRA ; PYRENEES ; URAL MOUNTAINS, &c.] 



The coast-line of Europe is formed alternately by wide projecting 

 promontories and deep bays, which divide them from one another. 

 This peculiarity has led a large proportion of its inhabitants to a sea- 

 faring life, and as the winds and weather in the waters that surround 

 this continent are not regulated by the seasons of the year, but are 

 subject to continual changes, this circumstance has given to them that 

 boldness in maritime enterprise which forms the most distinguishing 

 feature in their character, and raises them above most other civilised 

 nations of the globe. 



Europe in fact, considered by itself, is only a large peninsula, which 

 is further cut up into a great number of smaller peninsulas by the 

 interior seas and gulfs which penetrate far inland into the main mass 

 of the peninsula ; consequently, in proportion to its surface, it presents 

 a much greater extent of coast than any other of the great divisions 

 of the globe, as will appear by the annexed table, which however 

 must be considered only as a rough approximation : : 



The Atlantic Ocean, with which all the seas that wash the shores of 

 Europe are connected except the Caspian (and this is rather to be 

 considered aa an immense inland lake), forms the Bay of Biscay 

 between Cape Finisterre and the island of Ushant ; the English 

 Channel, between the northern coasts of France and the southern 

 coaata of England ; St. George's Channel, between Great Britain and 

 Ir< Und ; and the North Sea, which separates Great Britain from the 

 Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and Norway. 



The close seas, which are united to the Atlantic by straits, are the 

 White Sea, the Baltic, and the Mediterranean; with the latter the 

 Black Sea and the Sea of Azof are connected. 



The basin of the Caspian Sea, though it is only drained by two 

 large rivers, the Volga and the Ural, occupies a surface of 850,000 

 square miles, as far as it belongs to Europe, and runs with its 

 northern boundary along the parallel of 60 N. lat. The basin of 

 the Volga, the largest of the rivers of Europe, contains an area of 

 above 750,000 square miles. The basin of the Black Sea is somewhat 

 larger. Its area in Europe is rather more than 900,000 square miles. 

 The countries which are comprehended in the European part of its 

 basin are drained by the Danube, Dnieper, Dniester, Don, Kuban, and 

 their tributaries. The basin of the Baltic is nearly equal in extent, 

 including the Cattegat and Skagerack, being on all sides surrounded 

 by countries which belong to Europe ; their basin extends over a 

 surface of nearly 900,000 square miles, though perhaps none of its rivers 

 rise more than 350 miles from its mouth in a straight Hue. The 

 great rivers which fall into the Baltic are the Oder, Vistula, Nie"men, 

 Dtina, Newa, and the numerous rivers descending from the Scandi- 

 navian range, as the Tomea-Elf, Calix-Elf, Lulea-Elf, Pitea-Elf, 

 Scaleftea-Elf, Umea-Elf, Angerman-Elf, Indals-Elf, Liunga-Elf, Liusua- 

 Elf, and Dai-Elf; and likewise the Gb'tha-Elf, and Glommen, which 

 fall into the Cattegat and Skageraek. The basin of the White Sea is 

 drained by the Dwina, the Mezeu, and Petshora, and some other 

 smaller rivers, and occupies a surface of about 400,000 square miles. 

 Though the coast-line of the Atlantic from Cape North Kyn to Cape 

 Tarifa comprehends the whole of the shores of the western declivity 

 of Europe, including the British Islands, its basin probably does not 

 much exceed 600,000 square miles. No considerable river flows into 

 the Atlantic between Cape North Kyn and the mouth of the Elbe. 

 Into the North Sea there flow the Elbe, Ems, the Rhine, Schelde, 

 and of the rivers of Great Britain the Spey, Tay, Forth, Humber, 

 and Thames ; into the English Channel only the Seine ; into St. 

 George's Channel the Severn ; into the Bay of Biscay the Loire and 

 Garonne ; and immediately into the Atlantic the Clyde, the Shannon, 

 the Duero, Tajo, Guadiana, and Guadalquivir. The basin of the 

 Mediterranean, including the Archipelago, is by far the smallest of 

 all those which belong to the inland seas of Europe, comprehending 

 only about 250,000 square miles. The largest of its rivers, the 

 Rhone, flows only 500 miles, including its bends. The other rivers, 

 which are of a considerable length, are the Ebro in Spain; the Po 

 and Tiber in Italy, and the rivers of Albania and the Maritza in 

 Turkey. All the rivers which drain the basins of the Mediterranean 

 and Atlantic Sea rise in the South European mountain region ; 

 those which fall into the Black Sea rise within the Great Plain, 

 except the Danube and its tributaries, which drain about one-third 

 of the mountain region. The rivers which run to the Caspian rise 

 partly on the watershed of the Great Plain, and partly in the 

 Ural range; and the same is the case with those that drain thj 

 basin of the White Sea. The rivers which flow from the east into 

 the Baltic rise on the Great Plain ; those which flow into it from 

 the south rise on the edge of the mountain region ; and those 

 which fall into it from the north descend from the Scandinavian 

 range. 



Climate. The climats of Europe presents great differences, if we 

 compare it with that of those countries in other divisions of the 

 globe, waich lie within the same parallels. It is a well-established 

 fact, that the eastern coast of North America is much colder than 

 the western coast of Europe, under the same latitudes. This differ- 

 ence is in some places equal to 10 degrees of latitude. Thus we find that 

 the mean annual heat of London (51 31' N. lat.) is nearly 50 Fahr., 

 while at Quebec (46" 48' N. lat.) it hardly exceeds 42 Fahr. At 

 Lisbon (38 43' N. lat.) it is 61 J Fahr., and at Williamsburg in 

 Virginia (37 5' N. lat.) only 56 Fahr. It is however worthy of 

 remark, that the eastern countries of Europe, especially those north 

 of the Black Sea, are much colder, and approach in climate those of 

 the eastern coast of America. At Moscow (55 47' N. lat.) the mean 

 annual heat is not quite 38 Fahr., whilst at Edinburgh (55 58' 

 N. lat.) it exceeds 47 Fahr. 



With respect to climate, Europe may be divided into three zones, 

 the northern, the ccmtral, and the southern. These zones may be 

 separated from one another by two lines, of which the northern 

 begins near 60 N. lat. on the western coast, and terminates between 

 65" and 64" N. lat. on the Ural range on the east; the southern 

 commences about 48 N. lat. on the west, and terminates on the east 

 at the mouth of the Danube (45 N. lat.). In the northern zone 

 only two seasons occur, summer and winter, the former lasting about 

 three months (June, July, and August), and the latter nearly nine 



