496 



EL ROPE. 



tions are from 10,000 to 11,400 I'eet. The Mps are the principal trunk of the second great 

 European system of mountains, whose branches stretch into France, Germany, Italy, Hun- 

 gary, Turkey, and Greece. The Vbsges, the Jura, and the Ceuennes, in France, are its 

 western spurs. The Alps, which extend between France and Italy, and the latter and Swit- 

 zerland, send off a long southern chain through Italy, under the name of the Apennines, and 

 stretching easterly through the country to the south of the Danube, reach the Black Sea 

 under the name of the Balkan, and the Morea under the name of the Pindus. The highest 

 summits are in Switzerland and Savoy, and attain an elevation of from 14,000 to 15,730 

 feet. A third mountainous system is the Carpathian, which nearly surrounds Hungary, and 

 extends along the frontiers of Moldavia, sending off several low ranges into Germany. Its 

 highest summit is not quite 10,000 feet high. The fourth system of mountains is the Scandina 

 vian, which traverses the peninsula of Scandinavia, and nowhere exceeds an elevation of 8,500 

 feet. 



4. Capes. The most northerly extremity of the mainland is JVorth Kyn in Finmark ; Cape 

 J^orth is the extreme point of Mageroe, an island of Norway. Cape Skagen or the Skaw, 

 the northern extremity of Jutland, gives names to the Scagerac. Cape Lindesnces, or the 

 Naze, is the southern point of Sweden. Cape Wrath on the northern coast of Scotland, Cape 

 Clear in Ireland, and Land^s End in England, are the most noted capes of the British Isles. 

 Cape La Hague on the northwest coast of France, Cape Finisterre in Spain, capes Roca and 

 St. Vincent in Portugal, project into the Atlantic Ocean. Cape Spartivento in Italy, and 

 Cape Matapan in Greece, are the principal points in the Mediterranean. 



5. Peninsulas. Europe is much indented by arms of the sea, which form numerous penin- 

 sulas. The Scandinavian peninsula, comprising Norway, Sweden, aud Lapland, is the larg- 

 est ; the isthmus, between the Gulf of Bothnia and the White Sea, is less than 200 miles 

 across. The peninsula of Judand is much smaller. In the south, Spain and Portugal form a 

 large peninsula, with an isthmus of about 220 miles across. Italy, the Morea, joined to the 

 continent by ihe narrow isthmus of Corinth, and the Crimea, projecting into the Black Sea, are 

 the other most remarkable projections of this nature. 



6. Islands. The principal islands are the groups of Nova Zembla and Spitzbergen, in the 

 Arctic Ocean ; the British Archi- 



pelago, comprising Great Brit- 

 ain, Ireland, and the adjoining 

 isles, on the western coast ; and 

 Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and 

 Candia, in the Mediterranean. 

 Most of these will be elsewhere 

 described. 



Candia belongs politically to 

 Africa, as it now forms a part of 

 the Egyptian state. It is 160 

 miles long, and from 15 to 50 

 broad, with an area of 4,000 

 square miles, and 275,000 in- 

 habitants. Enjoying a fine cli- 

 mate, excellent harbors, and a 

 favorable position, Candia has 



been deprived of the benefit of 

 Its natural advantages, by Turkish tyranny. The chief town is Candia, with 15,000 inhabit- 

 ants, much declined from its former prosperity and splendor. Canea is at present the most 

 commercial place in the island ; it has 12,000 inhabitants. Sphakia is remarkable as the 

 chief place of a district, inhabited by a warlike people, called Sphakiots, who have preserved 

 their independence. 



The Jzores, in the Atlantic, midway between Europe and America, are, by some geogra- 

 phers, considered as belonging to Europe, to which they are politically attached, being a Por- 

 tuguese colony. The group consists of nine small islands, with about 200,000 inhabitants. 

 The principal are St. MichaeVs, Terceira, Pico, and Fayal. Jlngra, on Terceira, is the 

 capital, and has a population of 16,000. Ponta Delgada, on St. MichaeVs, has about 18,000 in- 

 habitants 



