10 GEOGRAPHY. 



2. Asia {Plate 4). 



The continent of Asia, tlie largest part of the world, embracing about 

 12,000,000 square geographical miles, and about 16,000,000 statute miles (ac- 

 cording to other estimates, 14,128,000), lies entirely within the northern hem- 

 isphere. It is connected to Europe along a line of about 2000 miles, and to 

 Africa by an isthmus of only 60. Behring's Straits separate it from America. 

 Its greatest length, from Suez to Bhering's Straits, is about 7370 miles ; and 

 its greatest breadth, from Cape Comorin in India to Cape Taimurski in Sibe- 

 ria, about 4320. It is included between 1^ and 77° N. Lat., and 26^ and 170° 

 longitude east of Greenwich. 



The Seas washing the shores of Asia are the Arctic Ocean in the North, 

 formino; the Gulfs of Obi and Kari : in the south, the Indian Ocean with nu- 

 merous gulfs and bavs, as the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Cutch, the Gulf of 

 Cambay, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Manaar, the Bay of Bengal, the Gulf 

 of Siam, the Gulf of Tonquin, the Chinese Sea, the Gulf of Hoang-hai or the 

 Yellow Sea, the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okotsk, the Sea of Penjinsk, and the 

 Sea of Eehring or Kamtschatka. 



The Mountains of Asia may be arranf2;ed in the folio wing manner, al- 

 though much still remains to be known respecting them. 



I. The mountain chain of the desert of Cobi. in the middle of Asia, inclosing 

 an area of over 1000 miles in length, and 200 to 400 miles in breadth, better 

 known as Central Asia. The Bolor or Beloot Tagh Mountains form the west- 

 ern border, attaining a height of over 20,000 feet ; the north-eastern border 

 is constituted by the Thiam-shan or Celestial Mountains, and the Altiii chain 

 dividing into the west and east Altai, the latter connected with the Y^ablonoi 

 Mountains ; the eastern border is formed by the Kinghan, and the southern by 

 the Kuenlun or Chinese range, to Avhich also belong the Kulkun and the 

 Tsunglin Mountains. 



II. The Himalaya, south of the preceding, and connected to the north-west 

 with the Tsunglin Mountains. The highest summits on the globe occur in 

 these mountains, pre-eminent among which is Kunchinginga in Sikim, 28,178 

 feet high. Dwalagiri in Nepaul, until lately considereil as the point of maxi- 

 mum elevation, is 26,862 feet high. Juwahir in Kumaoon is 25,670, &c. In 

 fact there are twenty-two peaks of the Himalaya, each known to exceed 20,000 

 feet in height. The highest pass of this range is the Karokorun Pass in Tibet, 

 18.600 feet. The mean height of the Himalaya has been variously estimated 

 from 11,000 to 16,000 feet. " 



III. The Ural Mountains form the natural boundary between Europe and 

 Asia. They extend from Ustart as the southern limit between the Caspian 

 Sea and the Lake of Aral, to the Gulf of Karskair (or Karia) in the Polar 

 Sea. They attain a height of 5397 feet in the Kondjakowskoi-Kamen 

 Peak. 



IV. The mountains of Hindostan. namely the Ghauts and the Yindhya. 

 The former divide into the West Ghauts, which extend for a length of 800 

 miles along the western coast, and attaining; a height of 8760 feet in the 



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