536 



THE STANDARD DICTIONARY OF FACTS 



Greece is a maritime kingdom in the south- 

 ea>t of Europe. It consists of three portions 

 the mainland, the Archipelago, and the Ionian 

 Islands; the mainland being almost separated 

 into two parts by the gulfs of Patras and Le- 

 panto on the west and the Gulf of ^Egina on the 

 east, hut united by the Isthmus of Corinth. 

 The surface of the country is nearly all moun- 

 tainous, and its shores are bold and rocky. 

 Although only about one-half of the country 

 is capable of cultivation, the soil of the rest is 

 naturally fertile, and vegetation is singularly 

 rich and varied, though agriculture is in a back- 

 ward state. The olive is cultivated every- 

 where; the currant-grape is found on the west 

 coast and in the Ionian Islands; and the mul- 

 berry, the vine, the orange, the lemon, etc., with 

 cotton and tobacco, are also cultivated. Cur- 

 rants, olive oil, and lead, are the principal ex- 

 ports, the larger portion of which go to Great 

 Britain. In 1881, Greece acquired from Tur- 

 key a large portion of Albania, so that it now 

 has an area of about 25,000 square miles. Its 

 total population in 1900 was 2,433,806. 



Gulf Stream, a well-defined current in the 

 Atlantic Ocean. It is due to the reflux of the 

 equatorial current. The condensation and su- 

 perheating of the last-named current takes place 

 mainly in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of 

 Mexico, whence arises the name Gulf Stream. 

 Its temperature there is about 50. It emerges 

 as a defined hot current through the Straits of 

 Florida, and courses in a northeast direction at 

 a little distance from the coast of the United 

 States, so affecting the Bermudas as to make 

 their climate semi-tropical. Between these 

 islands and Halifax the Gulf Stream is about 

 sixty miles broad, 100 fathoms deep, and moves 

 at the rate of three knots an hour. It is of a 

 deep blue color, in marked contrast to the dull 

 green of the Arctic reflux. The Gulf Stream 

 moves in a northeast direction toward Europe. 

 It is generally believed to be through its influ- 

 ence that the west coast of the European conti- 

 nent is so much milder than the corresponding 

 latitudes of America. 



Hague, The (hag). (French La Haye; 

 Dutch Gravenhaag, "the count's mead.") The 

 capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, 

 province South Holland, ten miles southwest 

 of Lyeden. It is a finely-built and commo- 

 dious place, after the characteristic Dutch 

 fashion, and contains the royal palace, and 

 numerous fine public edifices. It is the seat of 

 government and of the Supreme Court of Justice 

 of the Netherlands. Iron-founding and copper 

 and Jead-smelting are among trie principal 

 industries of the city. It was the birthplace 

 of William III. of England, and Charles II. 

 embarked from this port prior to the Restora- 

 tion. Population, 242,054. 



Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, Do- 

 minion of Canada, and the principal naval 

 station of the dominion, is situated on the south- 

 east coast of the peninsula, on a declivity over- 

 looking the harbor, which is one of the finest in 

 the world. Its pure air and beautiful surround- 

 ing scenery have brought it into high repute as 

 a watering-place; but it has also a thriving 

 trade; and its exports, especially of dried fish, 



timber, cattle, and whale and se.al oil, are very 

 ccii>i(lerable. The city is the seat of an Angli- 

 can bishopric and of a Roman Catholic arch- 

 bishopric. It was founded by Governor Corn- 

 wallis in 1749. Population, 109,272. 



Hamburg, one of the free cities of Ger- 

 many, a member of the German Empire, is the 

 greatest commercial port on the continent of 

 Europe. It is situated about eighty miles from 

 the North Sea, on the north branch of the Elbe. 

 The town of Altona adjoins it on the \vest. 

 From the Elbe proceed canals which intersect 

 the east and lower part of the city in all direc- 

 tions, and it is also intersected by the Alster, 

 which here forms two streams, the Binnenalster 

 and Aussenalster. The quays and harbor 

 accommodation are very extensive. After tin- 

 destructive fire of 1842 whole streets were 

 rebuilt in a magnificent and expensive style. 

 Hamburg is of most importance on account 

 of its great shipping trade and the business of 

 banking, exchange, marine assurance, etc., 

 carried on in connection with it. Its manu- 

 factures, including shipbuilding, tobacco and 

 cigar making, iron-founding, brewing, etc., 

 though large are less important. The city owes 

 its foundation to the Emperor Charlemagne. 

 Population, 802,793. 



Havana, or, in English, "The Harbor," by 

 far the most important city in the West Indies, 

 is the capital of Cuba, and stands on the west 

 side of the entrance to a magnificent harbor 

 capable of holding 1,000 vessels. This entrance 

 is defended by the Moro and Punta castles. 

 The principal buildings, which are built entirely 

 of stone, are the cathedral, the government 

 \ house, the admiralty, general post-office, the 

 royal tobacco factory, etc., and a university and 

 law school. There are also theaters, daily news- 

 papers, a fine dockyard, a botanic garden, and 

 some fine promenades. The principal manu- 

 facture is cigars, which have a world-wide repu- 

 tation. The trade is chiefly with Spain, the 

 United States, and Great Britain. Population, 

 275,000. 



Hell Gate, New York, is a narrow chan- 

 nel of the East River, about seven miles north - 

 north-east of New York City, being the nearest 

 passage into the Sound. Its navigation was 

 formerly dangerous on account of the eddies 

 j produced under certain conditions of the tides 

 whence its old Dutch name of Horll-gatt, or 

 "whirlpool pass," whereof the present term is 

 a corruption. The rocks facing its entrance 

 into the East River were removed by submarine 

 blasting in 1876 and 1885. 



Himalayas, The (hlm-ah-la'yd.z\ or 

 Himalaya Mountains. The loftiest chain of 

 mountains in the world, lying between the 

 Indian peninsula and the Thibetan table-land 

 in South Central Asia. Its length is estimated 

 at 1,900 miles; its mean breadth at ninety 

 miles; and its surface covers an area, of 160,000 

 square miles, or thereabouts. Its chief summits 

 are those of Mount Everest, 29,002 feet (the 

 highest point of land known); Kunchinjinga, 

 28,176; and Dhawalaghiri, 25,500 feet. On 

 the southern slope, vegetation exists at an alti- 

 tude of 13,000 feet above the sea, and the highest 

 human habitation is found at 9,000 feet; on the 



