tralasia.

New Zealand itself consists of the Islands

of New Ulster and New Munster, divided by Cook's Straits; and still southward, the Island of New Leinster. The Northern Island is the one hitherto principally colonized, and is of rising importance. But the settlement of Canterbury, recently established in New Munster, promises to give an impetus to colonization in that Island. The remaining parts of the Globe are either unexplored, or omitted as of less importance in a summary survey like the present.

CHAPTER X.

GENERAL STATISTICS.

ALTHOUGH as much of statistics has been incorporated into the text as seemed consistent with the nature of an elementary work, the author has thought that a few tables would be acceptable by way of reference, which he has accordingly subjoined.

This table must be considered only as an approximation.

The whole superficies of the globe may be estimated at

Deduct
Remaining

197,518,364 British Square Miles.
50,250,000

147,268,364 for seas and unknown.

In other words, the known and inhabited parts of the Globe amount to little more than a fourth of its actual surface.

A TABLE

OF THE EXTENT AND POPULATION OF THE DIFFERENT
STATES OF EUROPE.

Extent in
British
Sq. Miles.

Empire.

57,785

* A country is considered as tolerably well peopled which has 100 inhabitants to each square mile. It will easily be seen, therefore, by inspecting this last column, what countries are thinly, moderately, fully or densely inhabited.

As the contemplation of unusually great numbers rather perplexes the mind than informs it, a calculation of the relative size of the several parts of the Globe, and its principal divisions, may not be unacceptable, reduced to a scale of a more comprehensive kind. If we take Great Britain, which contains 87,385 square miles, as 1, the portions of the Globe and the principal States of Europe, when compared with it, will be as follows:

Europe with its islands will be rather more than 43, that is, than 43 times as large as Great Britain; Asia and its islands more than 193; Africa more than 133; North America, nearly 83; South America, 72; and Australia, nearly 34.

Of the principal States in Europe, Russia in Europe will be about 244; the Austrian Empire about 2; France rather more than 2; Turkey in Europe less than 24; Spain rather more than 2; Sweden rather less than 2; Norway rather more, and Prussia rather less, than 14.

The remaining States will all be less than Great Britain Denmark, including Iceland, will be two thirds of Great Britain; Naples with Sicily nearly half; Portugal less than half; Ireland and Scotland, each more than one third; Bavaria about one third; Lombardy and the Papal States each one fifth; Switzerland and Hanover each one sixth; Holland one seventh; Belgium one eighth; Wales about one twelfth; Saxony about one fifteenth the size of Great Britain.

A few of the minor states of Italy and Germany are omitted, as being too inconsiderable for calculation in this table.

The student may amuse himself with a variety of calculations and comparisons from the data given in treating of the other divisions of the world in their respective chapters. The number of square miles which any country contains, divided by 87,385, which is the number of square miles in Great Britain, will give for its quotient the size of that country compared with Great Britain; and the number of

inhabitants divided by the number of square miles in any country, will give the number of inhabitants to each square mile. And again, 640, the number of acres in a square mile, divided by the number of inhabitants in a square mile, will give the number of acres which each individual might occupy for his support, supposing the lands equally divided among them. Thus it will be found that in England there are hardly 2 acres, in France near 3 acres, to each individual.

Before closing this chapter it may be worth while to notice the comparative magnitudes of a few ancient and modern states and empires which have a peculiar interest.

In ancient history,

The Peloponnese and Palestine were each about the size of the counties of York and Westmoreland.

Attica and the Kingdom of Rome at the expulsion of the Tarquins, were each about the size of Warwickshire.

Greece in its utmost extent was rather less than England alone.

The Roman Empire at its greatest extent was nearly 21 times as large as Great Britain.

The British Empire in Asia, with its dependencies, is about 114; in North America and the West Indies above 12; in Africa about 1; in Europe, including Ireland and the islands off the coast of France, about 1; on the whole, about 27 times as large as Great Britain.

The Russian Empire in Europe has been stated at 17; the Russian Empire in Asia is about 60; in all about 77 times as large as Great Britain.

The Chinese Empire is nearly 15 times the size of Great Britain.