Physical Geography

Of Physical Geography—Position of the Earth in the Solar System— Distance from the Sun—Civil Year—Inclination of Terrestrial Orbit—Mass of the Sun—Distance of the Moon—Figure an...

Direction of the Forces that raised the Continents—Proportion of Land and Water—Size of the Continents and Islands—Outline of the Land—Extent of Coasts, and proportion they bear...

The Continent of Australia—Tasmania, or Van Diemen’s Land— Islands—Continental Islands—Pelasgic islands—New Zealand—New Guinea—Borneo—Atolls—Encircling Reefs—Coral Reefs—Barrier...

Nature and Character of Mineral Veins—Metalliferous Deposits— Mines—Their Drainage and Ventilation—Their Depth—Diffusion of the Metals—Gold—Silver—Lead—British Mines—Quicksilver...

The Ocean—Its Size, Colour, Pressure, and Saltness—Tides—Waves— their Height and Force—Currents—their Effect on Voyages— Temperature—The Stratum of Constant Temperature—Line of...

Temperature of the earth—Temperature of the Air—Radiation—Foci of Maximum Cold—Thermal Equator—Its Temperature, mean and absolute— Isothermal Lines—Continental and Insular Clima...

Evaporation—Distribution of Vapour—Dew—Hoar-Frost—Fog—Region of Clouds—Forms of Clouds—Rain—Distribution of Rain—Quantity—Number of rainy Days in different Latitudes—Rainless Di...

Of Physical Geography—Position of the Earth in the Solar System—Distance from the Sun—Civil Year—Inclination of Terrestrial Orbit—Mass of the Sun—Distance of the Moon—Figure and...

Direction of the Forces that raised the Continents—Proportion of Land and Water—Size of the Continents and Islands—Outline of the Land— Extent of Coasts, and proportion they bea...

THE Dardanelles and the Sea of Marmora form but a small break in the mighty girdle of the old continent, which again appears in immense table-lands, passing through the centre o...

THE Oriental plateau, or table-land of Tibet, is an irregular four-sided mass stretching from S.W. to N.E., enclosed and traversed by the highest mountains in the world. It is s...

THE great northern plain is broken by two masses of high land, in every respect inferior to those described; they are the Scandinavian system and the Ural mountains, the arbitra...

THE low lands to the south of the great mountain girdle of the old continent are much broken by its offsets, by separate groups of mountains, and still more by the deep indentat...

THE continent of Africa is 5000 miles long from the Cape of Good Hope to its northern extremity, and as much between Cape Guardafuï, on the Indian Ocean, and Cape Verde, on the...

SOME thinner portion of the crust of the globe under the meridians that traverse the continent of America from Cape Horn to the Arctic Ocean must have yielded to the expansive f...

THE southern plains are the most barren of the three great tracts of American low lands; they stretch from Tierra del Fuego over 27 degrees of latitude, or 1900 miles, nearly to...

TAKING the natural divisions of the continent alone into consideration, Central America may be regarded as lying between the Isthmus of Panamá and Darien and the Isthmus of Tehu...

ACCORDING to the natural division of the continent, North America begins about the 20th degree of north latitude, and terminates in the Arctic Ocean. It is longer than South Ame...

THE great central plain of North America, lying between the Rocky and Alleghany Mountains, and reaching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean, includes the valleys of the...

The Continent of Australia—Tasmania, or Van Diemen’s Land—Islands— Continental Islands—Pelasgic Islands—New Zealand—New Guinea—Borneo— Atolls—Encircling Reefs—Coral Reefs—Barrie...

GREENLAND, the most extensive of the Arctic lands, begins with the lofty promontory of Cape Farewell, the southern extremity of a group of rocky islands, which are separated by...

Nature and Character of Mineral Veins—Metalliferous Deposits—Mines—Their Drainage and Ventilation—Their Depth—Diffusion of the Metals—Gold— Silver—Lead—British Mines—Quicksilver...

The Ocean—its Size, Colour, Pressure, and Saltness—Tides—Waves—their Height and Force—Currents—their Effect on Voyages—Temperature—The Stratum of Constant Temperature—Line of Ma...

THE vapour which rises invisibly from the land and water ascends in the atmosphere till it is condensed by the cold into clouds, which restore it again to the earth in the form...

THE only river system of importance in Western Asia is that of the Euphrates and Tigris. In the basin of these celebrated streams, containing an area of 230,000 square miles, im...

NORTH America is divided into four distinct water systems by the Rocky Mountains, the Alleghanies, and a table-land which contains the great lakes, and separates the rivers that...

THE hollows formed on the surface of the earth by the ground sinking or rising, earthquakes, streams of lava, craters of extinct volcanos, the intersection of strata, and those...

Temperature of the earth—Temperature of the Air—Radiation—Foci of Maximum Cold—Thermal Equator—Its Temperature, mean and absolute— Isothermal Lines—Continental and Insular Clima...

Evaporation—Distribution of Vapour—Dew—Hoar-Frost—Fog—Region of Clouds— Forms of Clouds—Rain—Distribution of Rain—Quantity—Number of rainy Days in different Latitudes—Rainless D...

IN the present state of the globe, a third part only of its surface is occupied by land, and probably not more than a fourth part of that is inhabited by man, but animals and ve...

THE southern limit of the polar flora, on the great continent, lies mostly within the Arctic Circle, but stretches along the tops of the Scandinavian mountains, and reappears in...

TROPICAL Asia is divided by nature into three distinct botanical regions: the Malayan peninsula, with the Indian Archipelago; India, south of the Himalaya, with the island of Ce...

THE northern coast of Africa, and the range of the Atlas generally, may be regarded as a zone of transition, where the plants of southern Europe are mingled with those peculiar...

FROM similarity of physical circumstances the arctic flora of America bears a strong resemblance to that of the northern regions of Europe and Asia. This botanical district comp...

THREE hundred thousand insects are known: some with wings, others without; some are aquatic, others are aquatic only in the first stage of their existence, and many are parasiti...

BEFORE Sir James Ross’s voyage to the Antarctic regions, the profound and dark abysses of the ocean were supposed to be entirely destitute of animal life; now it may be presumed...

REPTILES, more than any other class of animals, show the partial distribution of animated beings, because, being unable to travel to any great distance, they have remained in th...

MORE than 6000 species of birds are known, which are arranged in six natural orders or groups, namely, Birds of prey—or vultures, eagles, hawks; Climbers, including parrots and...

CARBONIC acid, water, and ammonia, contain the elements necessary for the support of animals, as well as of vegetables. They are supplied to the graminivora in the vegetable foo...

MORE than 800,000,000 of human beings are scattered over the face of the earth, of all nations and kindreds and tongues, and in all stages of civilization, from a high state of...