AFRICAN REGIONS 245 



liaguillas, inlat. 34° 55' S. ; and the greatest breadth from 

 Cape Verde, in long. 17° 31' W., to Cape Guardafui, in 

 long. 51° 15' E. The northern portion of this continent 

 is fully twice the size of the southern portion, and may be 

 considered as about equal to South America ; while the 

 southern half is contracted to half the breadth of the north- 

 ern part, and is nearly about the size of New-Holland. 

 The shape of the corresponding coasts of Africa and Ame- 

 rica would induce us to infer that the two continents of Africa 

 and America were once united, — the projecting or salient 

 part of the former fitting exactly to the Gulf of Mexico ; 

 and the bulging part of South America, about Paraiba and 

 Pernambuco, being about the size and shape to fill up the 

 Gulf of Guinea. This great continent has but compara- 

 tively few gulfs, bays, anns of the sea, and promontories ; 

 and hence, notwithstanding its nearly insular form, its ex- 

 tent of coast is much less in proportion to its area, than in 

 other quarters of the globe. The condition of man, the 

 distribution of the lower animals and plants, even the cli- 

 mate of Africa, are intimately connected with thi^ limited 

 extent of coast. 



On viewing Africa from its northern boundary on the 

 shores of the Mediterranean, to its southern boundary at 

 the Cape of Good Hope, the following natural divisions or 

 regions present themselves to our attention : — 



1. The northern region, formed by the Atlas range of 

 mountains, hills, and plains, that extend from the coast of 

 the Atlantic to the Gulf of the Syrtis, — and by the range 

 of fertile hills and dales, and valleys mixed with deserts, in 

 which are some insulated spots of verdure, known under 

 the name oase,* that extend from the termination of the 

 Atlas to Egypt.! 



2. The eastern region^ formed by Egypt, Abyssinia, Dai 

 fur, &c. 



* The word Oasis ia Egyptian, and synonymous with Auasis and 

 Hyasis (Strabo, Ixxiii. p. A)m 1140). Atnlfeda names the Oasis Al 

 Wahat. In latter times the Cesars banished criminals to the Oases. 

 They were sentenced to expiate their crimes on the islands of the Sandy 

 Sea, as the Spaniards and English send their criminals to the Malouin 

 islands and New-Holland. The latter could more easily escape by the 

 ocean, than the former across the surrounding deserts. 



t The Atlas of Homer and Hesiod, according to Bory St. Vincent, is 

 the Peak of Teneriffe ; the Atlas of the Greek aiid Roman geographers, 

 lUo African Atlas range of mountains. 

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