THE PLAN OF THE EARTH AND ITS CAUSES. 



365 



separated by the Caribbean depression; Europe and Africa (the 

 Eurafrica of Professor Lap worth) separated by the Mediterranean; 

 Asia and Australasia divided by the Malaysian folds. 



Hence the oscillating character of the laud, which appeared fatal to 

 the old faith in an earth plan, helps to justify it, now that oceanog- 

 raphy and geology have shown us how much to allow for the obscuring 

 action of these changes of level. 



But it is inadvisable, in attempting to' explain the existing plan of 

 the earth, to introduce any alterations in the distribution of laud and 

 water. For, although a geologist may have no doubt about such 

 assumed changes, he can not expect geographers to have an equal 

 faith in them, or even to take much interest in a world thus modi tied. 

 The geographer is concerned with the existing arrangement of the 

 world, aud not with the more or less problematical plans of former ages. 

 The introduction of earlier and more primitive geographical systems, 

 tbough it would simplify the question, is unnecessary, since the exist- 

 ence of a present earth plan is clearly revealed by three striking facts. 



GEOGRAPHICAL SYMMETRY. 



Two of these facts are stated in every geographical text-book. 

 They are evident on the most casual examination of a map. The first 

 is the concentration of land in the Northern and of sea iu the Southern 

 Hemisphere. The second 

 is the triangular shape of 

 the geographical units. 

 The continents are trian- 

 gular, with the bases to 

 the north. The oceans 

 are triangular, with the 

 bases to the south. Ac- 

 cordingly the land forms 

 an almost complete ring 

 round the North Pole, and 

 from this land ring three 

 continents project south- 

 ward. The oceans form 

 a continuous ring round 

 the South Pole, and from 

 it three oceans project northward into the angles between the conti- 

 nents. The belts of sea and land are fixed on the earth's axis like a 

 pair of cogwheels with interlocking teetb. These two belts may be 

 referred to as the northern land belt and southern oceanic belt. 



The third striking feature in the earth's physiognomy is less con- 

 spicuous, but is even more significant. It is known as the antipodal 

 arrangement of oceans aud continents. It is most easily recognized 

 by examination of a globe; but it can easily be illustrated by a plain 



Fig. 1. 



MAP OP THE WORLD, SHOWING THE DISTRIBUTION OP ANTIPODAL 

 AREAS. 



