190 



EUSSTA IN EUROPE. 



Black Sea. Still the transition from the glacial to the temperate zone is very 

 gradual and uniform. 



The climate, compared with that of Western Europe, is on the whole essentially 

 continental — that is to say, characterized by extremes — and in its severe winters 

 and summer heats Russia already belongs to the Asiatic continent. Moscow, its 

 central city, is under nearly the same latitude as Copenhagen and Edinburgh ; but 

 the mean winter temperature, which is 37° Fahr. in the Scottish, and about 

 31-6° in the Danish capital, is 18° below freezing point (14° Fahr.) in Moscow. 



Fier. 93. — Eussian Isothermals. 



The lines connect all places having the same mean temperature, and are drawn at intervals of 2° Centigrade 



(=-ù-6'" i'ahr.). 



On the other hand, the summer temperature, under 59° Fahr. in Edinburgh and 

 over 63° in Copenhagen, rises nearly to 65° in the Russian city. But, striking 

 an average, the climate of Moscow, as well as of all Russia, is about 8° or 9° 

 colder than that of "Western European countries under the same parallels. While 

 the Atlantic regions are mainly within the influence of the warm west and south- 

 west winds, Russia is more exposed to those of the polar regions. Hence, when 

 we speak in ordinary conversation of Russia as a northern land, although forming 



