Europe : — a popular Physical Sketch. 415 



tions of the inhabitants of the British Isles ; but the situa- 

 tion of these islands, and the character of the people, have 

 rendered commerce, navigation, and manufactures, of greater 

 importance here than with any other nation. 



North European Plain. — South of the Baltic, the North 

 Sea, and the British Channel, appears an extensive tract of 

 country, without mountains, which might be denominated 

 the North European plain. Towards the south this plain 

 is surrounded by several mountains, of which the Harz and 

 the Weser mountains proceed farthest to the north ; 

 towards east and west, the mountains continue diverg- 

 ing from the coasts, in consequence of which the plain 

 becomes broader towards east and west, than in the centre ; 

 still the Danish peninsula is situated exactly to the north of 

 the Harz, and ought, from its physical condition, to be com- 

 prised under this plain, as well as the Danish islands, 

 (Bornholm excepted) Riigen, and some smaller islands off 

 the coasts of Holland and France. Towards the west the 

 plain is circumscribed by the Atlantic ; towards the east it is 

 imperceptibly lost in the East European (Russian) plain. The 

 river Niemen and the sources of the Dnieper and Dnister 

 might represent the limits. 



The western part of the plain is situated between 46° and 49° 

 north lat. (the west coast of France) ; the central between 52° 

 and 58° (from Harz to Skagen), and the eastern part between 

 50* and 55° (from the Carpathian mountains to the mouth of 

 Niemen.) The plain consists of Northern France, Belgium, 

 Holland, North Germany, Denmark, Prussia, and Poland. 

 In some parts the sea forms extensive bays, as Zuidersee,* 

 Liimnord,f Pommersches-Haf,j; Frisches-Haf,§ Curisches- 

 Haf.|| Although this tract of country is flat, and upon the 



* At the estuary of the Rhine, f and the entrance of the Baltic. 



% The estuary of the Oder, § and the estuary of the Weichsel, || and 

 of the Neimen ; Fiord and Haf, being equivalent to the English terms 

 Frith and Bay. — Ed. 



