QUESTIONS.

What is geography? What are the divisions of the land? What are the divisions of the water? What is a continent? An island? A peninsula? An isthmus? A promontory? A cape? What is an ocean? A sea? A strait? A lake? A gulf? A bay? A river? What are the four principal divisions of the regions of the Earth? Which of them compose the eastern, and which the western continent? Which of them is called the new world? What are the respective characteristics of the four grand divisions or quarters of the globe? What calculation is made of their respective population?

EUROPE is bounded, on the north, by the Arctic Ocean; on the east, by the Uralian mountains, and the rivers Volga and Don; on the south, by the Mediterranean Sea, and on the west, by the Atlantic Ocean. The greater part of Europe is situated in the north temperate zone, and is therefore free from the excessive heats, the violent rains, and furious hurricanes of the tropical regions. The Christian religion is established throughout Europe, excepting in that part which is still possessed by the Turks, where Mahometanism prevails.

The principal seas of Europe, are, the White Sea, the Baltic, and the Mediterranean. The White Sea has been but little explored. It contains a number of islands which are, as yet,

not well known. The Baltic, spreading widely towards the north-east, forms the gulfs of Bothnia and Finland, both of which are frozen up during the four or five months of the northern winter. Its waters are not very salt; nor are they greatly influenced by the tides; nor do they abound much in fish.

The Mediterranean has been, in all ages, the centre of civilization. The rocks of Ceuta, or Abyla, in Africa, and of Calpe, in Spain, called by the ancients, the pillars of Hercules, constitute the western boundaries of this great inland sea; its eastern boundary being the coast of Asia Minor, and the part of this sea which bathes that coast is named the Levant. It is about 2000 miles in length. Branching out northward, the Mediterranean forms two great gulfs; that of Venice, or the Adriatic, and the Archipelago, or Egean Sea. Flowing through the strait called the Hellespont, it expands into the sea of Marmora, the ancient Propontis. The Mediterranean abounds with fertile and beautiful islands, and is surrounded by rich and fertile coasts. Excepting in the narrow straits, this sea experiences not the variations of the tides, so as to be discernible. It has a vast abundance of various kinds of fish, and furnishes large quantities of coral, red, white, and vermillion.

The chief rivers of Europe, are the Neva, the Neiper, the Don, or Tanais, the Thames, the Elbe, the Oder, the Vistula, the Rhone, the Seine, the Rhine, the Danube, the Tiber. The principal islands of Europe, are Iceland, Zealand, Great Britain, Ireland, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily,

Iviça, Majorca, Minorca, Malta, Candia. The chief mountains of Europe are, the Dofrafield, between Sweden and Norway; the Carpathian, between Poland and Hungary; the Alps, between France, Germany and Italy; the Pyrenees, between France and Spain; the Appenines, running from north to south through Italy. Its volcanos, are Hecla, in Iceland; Etna, in Sicily; and Vesuvius, in Italy. The states and kingdoms of Europe, are,

How is Europe bounded? What religion prevails most extensively in Europe? Which are the principal seas of Europe? What are the chief rivers of Europe? The chief islands of Europe? The mountains and volcanos? Which are the states and kingdoms of Europe, and how are they arranged? What are the principal cities of the various states of Europe?

CHAP. XXV.

GEOGRAPHY- continued.

ASIA is bounded by the Arctic ocean, north; by the Uralian mountains, the river Volga, the Black Sea, the Archipelago, the Levant, and the Arabian Gulf, west; and east and south, by the Pacific Ocean.

It is 7000 miles long, and about 5000 miles broad.

The oceans and seas belonging to Asia, are the Arctic, the Indian, and the Pacific Oceans; the Black Sea, the Caspian, the seas of Corea, Tonquin, and Siam; the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian, or Red Sea; the Persian Gulf, the Levant, and the Archipelago.

The chief rivers of Asia, are the Obi, the Lena, the Yenisei, the Amur, the Tigris, the Euphrates, the Indus, the Ganges, the Burrampooter, the Ava, the Meinam, the Kian Ku, the Hoan Ho.

The principal mountains are, Taurus, Caucasus, Ararat; the Uralian; the Altaian, Lebanon, Sinai; the Thibet, or Himmalay mountains, some of which are the loftiest known upon the earth; Belur Tag; the Ghauts of Hindustan.

The chief islands of Asia are, Ceylon, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and the other islands of the eastern archipelago; Australasia, or new Holland, the largest island known; Polynesia, or the islands in the Pacific Ocean; the Japanese islands, which constitute a powerful empire, near the eastern extremity of Asia.

The states and kingdoms of Asia may be thus arranged conveniently :