EUROPE 



2097 



EUROPE 



THREi: CHARACTERISTIC 



more potatoes and 

 more sugar than any 

 other continent. 



Animal Life. With 

 the advance of civiliza- 

 tion and increasing 

 density of population 

 many of the large ani- 

 mals once found on the 

 continent became ex- 

 tinct. Representative 

 mammals that have 

 survived are the lynx, 

 bear, beaver, badger, 

 otter, reindeer, elk, the 

 Alpine chamois and 

 marmot, the wolf 

 (found in large packs 

 in Poland, Hungary and 

 Russia), the civet, fox, marten, ermine, pole- 

 cat, squirrel, hare, rabbit, mole and hedgehog. 

 Among the domestic animals the horse, pony, 

 goat, ass, ox, mule, sheep, chicken and hog 

 are most important. Bird life is abundant, and 

 is represented by thrushes, finches, snow bunt- 

 ings, house sparrows, linnets, magpies, kingfish- 

 ers, wood pigeons, canaries, eagles, falcons, owls, 

 ravens, storks and many others. Reptiles are 

 comparatively rare. Fish abound in the fresh 

 and sea waters. 



Mineral Wealth. Abundant stores of those 

 minerals which are of most value to man un- 

 derlie the surface of this continent, which in 

 its total output exceeds any other grand di- 

 vision. Over a thousand million dollars worth 

 of coal is usually mined each year, and iron 

 of about half that value. In many instances 

 132 



these two, upon which rest so many of the 

 industries of modern life, occur near each 

 other, and it is impossible to estimate the 

 extent to which the progress of the continent 

 has been dependent upon that fact. Gold, 

 copper, lead and zinc are also mined in con- 

 siderable quantities, and Europe produces 

 about half as much petroleum as does the 

 United States. Of that valuable mineral, plat- 

 inum, about ninety-five per cent of the entire 

 world supply comes from the Ural Mountains, 

 and Spain is the world's greatest producer of 

 quicksilver. Most of the mountainous coun- 

 tries contain, in addition, extensive quarries 

 of building stone, and. Italy abounds in marble. 

 Political Divisions. Of the twenty-six states 

 of Europe, thirteen are kingdoms. These are 

 Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Greece, Belgium, 

 Holland, Norway, 

 Sweden, Denmark, Bul- 

 garia, Serbia, Monte- 

 negro and Rumania ; 

 four are empires Ger- 

 many, Austria-Hun- 

 gary, Russia and Tur- 

 key. The last-named 

 has most of its terri- 

 tory in Asia, and only 

 its capital is in Europe. 

 Five republics are 

 France, Switzerland, 

 Portugal, San Marino 

 and Andorra ; and there 

 are four principalities 

 Luxemburg, Albania, 

 Monaco and Liechten- 

 stein. 



