1870. J Statistical Data on the Area of Asiatic Russia. 45 



about 9,100 versts (6,067 English miles). The shores of the Cas- 

 pian and Aral Seas may be computed at 1,750 versts (1,167 English 

 miles). So that the proportion of coast line to area is 14,567 to 

 5,696,130, or 1 linear mile of coast to 391 square miles of country • 

 a proportion which might be considered advantageous, if it were 

 not a fact that half of the Siberian waters are not available for 

 navigation. Taking then into consideration only the Pacific Ocean 

 and the Caspian and Aral Seas, the relative proportion of coast line 

 to Continental area is 1 linear mile to 790 square miles, a circum- 

 stance as unfavourable as in the case of purely Continental Africa. 



The land frontier of Asiatic Russia, from the Caspian and Aral 

 Seas to the mouth, of the Tumen-Ula is about 10,000 versts (6,667 

 English miles). Of these 3,300 versts f2,200 English miles,) are 

 described by the course of the Jaxartes, Charyn, Argun, Amoor, 

 and Usouri, the remaining 6,700 versts (4,467 English miles) are 

 open land frontier. One half, however, of this extent of 6,700 versts 

 is occupied by mountains, such as the Celestial, Alatau, Altai, and 

 Sayan mountains, and the spurs of the Yablonoi range, all of which 

 generally speaking are difficult of access. 



2. The Mainland of Siberia has only two striking and well de- 

 fined tongues, Sapalin area 23,554 square miles, and Kamschat- 

 ka* 99,770 square miles ; — the entire area of the islands of the 

 Pacific and Arctic Oceans does not exceed 24,630 square miles, so 

 that in the aggregate the members are to the body as 1 is to 38, 

 which is another proportion as unfavourable as in Africa. Al- 

 though to these might be added, the peninsula between the Obi 

 Bight and the Kara Sea, and the Taimyr peninsula which even 

 beyond the parallel of the 75° of latitude, measures about 18,300 

 square miles, yet both these tongues of land project into a sea 

 which is ice-bound, and which can never serve to establish rela- 

 tions between them and other countries. 



3. Siberia has four first class river-basins : those of the Obei, 

 Yenisei, Lena and Amoor. The watersheds of the second class 

 rivers, viz. the Olenen, Yana, Indigirka, Kobyma, Anadyr, Udaure 

 Hi, although great in themselves, are nevertheless so inconsidera- 



* The northern bormdary of Kamschatka is described by a line drawn between 

 the mouths of the Penjyna and Olintora. 



