GEOGRAPHY. 59 



Mineral springs are in abundance, and the raising of cattle, horses, and 

 sheep, is prosecuted extensively. 



According to the census of 1846, Belgium had 4,335,319 inhabitants, 

 distributed in 86 towns and 2431 communes. This would indicate an 

 exceedingly dense population to the square mile. The people of Belgium 

 are (in the west) partly Flemings (alUed to the Hollanders) and (in the 

 south) partly Walloons (allied to the French). The French is the language 

 most generally used ; although next to it, the Flemish is much employed. 

 The great majority of the population is Roman Catholic, there being only 

 16,000 Protestants and 30,000 Jews. The manufactured products are 

 cloth, linen, carpets, tapestry, hats, silk, arms, and machines. The state of 

 public education is not at all elevated. There are four universities, of which 

 those in Ghent and Liittich are supported by the state, those in Brussels and 

 Lowen by private contribution. The arts of painting and sculpture are 

 much cultivated. 



The form of government is a hereditary constitutional monarchy. King 

 Leopold 1., of the House of Saxe-Coburg (since 21st July, 1831) is the 

 present ruler, according to the constitution of Feb. 25, 1831. The king 

 shares the lawgiving power with two chambers, the senate and chamber 

 of representatives, both elective. The revenues of the state amounted, in 

 1848, to 117,612,250 francs. The army consists of about 90,000 soldiers 

 (sixty-five battalions of infantry, thirty-eight of cavalry, &c). 



Belgium is divided into nine provinces. 1. Antwerp, pop. 406,000, cap. 

 Antwerp on the Scheldt, with 85,000 inhabitants. 2. South Brabant, pop. 

 690,000, cap. Brussels on the Senne, with 113,000 inhabitants. 3. West 

 Flanders, pop. 613,000, cap. Bruges, with 49,000 inhabitants. 4. East 

 Flanders, pop. 792,000, cap. Ghent on the Scheldt, and Lys, with 105,000 

 inhabitants. 5. Hennegau (Hainault), pop. 716,000, cap. Mons or Bergen,' 

 with 23,000 inhabitants. 6. Liittich (Liege), pop. 453,000, cap. of same 

 name on the Maas, with 72,000 inhabitants. 7. Limburg (Belgian portion), 

 pop. 186,000, cap. Hasselt on the Demer, with 8700 inha-bitants. 8. 

 Luxemburg (Belgian portion), pop. 186,000, cap. Arlon, with 5000 inhabit- 

 ants. 9. Namur, pop. 263,000, cap. Namur on the Maas and Sambre, with 

 23,000 inhabitants. 



6. Netherlands {Plates 15, 16). 



This country lies between the meridians of 3° 14' and 7° 04' east of 

 Greenwich, and between the parallels of 50° 50' and 53° 30' N. lat. It is 

 bounded on the north and west by the North Sea, on the east by Germany 

 (Hanover and Prussia), and on the south by Belgium. Luxemburg is 

 entirely separated from the other provinces, between Belgium, Germany, 

 and France, and is embraced within the parallels of 49° 25' and 50° 10' 

 N. lat. 



There are no mountains in the Netherlands, excepting a range from the 

 Ardennes through the province of Luxemburg : in Utrecht there are some 



59 



