GLASGOW, the chief commercial and manufacturing city in Scotland, and as regards population the second in the British Isles, is situated on both banks of the Clyde, about 14 miles from Dumbarton where the river broad ens into a firth; latitude 35° 51' 32" N.; longiture 4° 17' 54" W. Distance northwest by north of London 348 miles as the crow flies, and by the various railway routes from 400 to 450 miles; west by south of Edinburgh, by road and rail, from about 42 to 50 miles; south of Inverness 206 miles by rail. The original city was wholly in Lanarkshire but was extended into Renfrewshire. By statute the whole mu nicipal area as it existed in 1911 (12,796 acres) was in Lanarkshire. In 1912 extensions were made in Renfrewshire and Dumbartonshire, the total area of the municipality being now 19,183 acres. For certain administrative purposes that area forms by itself the County of the City of Glasgow.
In prehistoric times, though subsequent to the appearance of man in the dis trict, the lower part of the Clyde Valley, in cluding a large portion of the site occupied by the modern city, formed the bottom of an estuary as is evidenced by the discovery of canoes as well as marine shells and other organ isms in localities at a considerably higher level than the existing waterway. A very different condition of things existed when, in the 16th and 17th centuries, documentary evidence is procurable. Owing to shoals, produced by rock and other obstructions, no vessels other than small boats could then come within 12 miles of Glasgow. Deepening of the channel was com menced in the middle of the 18th century, and this and other improvements for facilitating navigation have since been prosecuted with such success that for a long time the largest trading vessels have had free access to the har bor at Broomielaw.
Glasgow streets are in general wide and straight. This is now the case even in the older portions of the city, the operations of the Improvement trustees, under their act of 1866, having removed most of the buildings bordering on narrow thoroughfares and substi tuted spacious streets for the former over crowded lanes. At first the citizens got build ing material, consisting of a light-colored free stone, within their own lands, and similar sup plies were subsequently procured from quarries in the neighborhood; but a red sandstone brought from a distance is now being freely employed. Brick is seldom used in street front age. Substantial masonry, combined with archi tectural beauty and amenity, generally prevails throughout the city.
The north and south sides of the river Clyde are connected by bridges and ferries at convenient intervals, and there is likewise a tunnel under the river Clyde for the accommo dation both of pedestrians and vehicular traffic_ The bridges are (1) the Caledonian Railway bridge, giving access to the Central Station; (2) Glasgow or Broomielaw bridge, 80 feet broad, in line with Jamaica street, rebuilt in 1899, the features and materials of Telford's earlier bridge of 1833-36 being retained; cost $500,000; (3) Portland street suspension bridge; (4) Victoria bridge, erected in 1851 to replace the old Glasgow bridge, supposed to date from the 14th century; (5) the Glasgow and South Western Railway bridge leading into Saint Enoch's Station; (6) the Albert bridge built in 1871 of stone and iron, in line with Salt market and Crown street; cost $280,000; (7) Saint Andrew's suspension bridge and (8) Pol madie bridge, both communicating with Glas gow Green; (9) Rutherglen bridge, 60 feet wide, three granite arches, opened in 1896; cost about $367,500; and (10) Dalmarnock bridge.
There are also several bridges over the river Kelvin and other streams within the city.
Glasgow Green, superseding a smaller space known as the Old Green, though incorporating a portion of ancient burgh terri tory, was mainly formed on lands acquired in 1662 and subsequent years, but was not specially laid out as a public resort till the beginning of the 19th century. Since that time it has been chiefly used as a public park. Area 136 acres. One of the attractions is the People's Palace and Winter Garden, opened in 1898. The fol lowing are the other city parks, with the dates of acquisition and areas: Kelvingrove Park, intersected by the river Kelvin (1857-97) 85 acres; Queen's Park, embracing an old British camp and part of the site of the battle of Langside (1857-94) 146 acres; Alexandra Park (1871-91) 104 acres; Cathkin Park, gifted by James Dick (1886) 49 acres; •Ruchill Park (1892) 53 acres; Bellahouston Park (1895– 1903) 185 acres; Tollcross Park (1897-1900) 83 acres; Richmond Park (1898) 44 acres; Spring burn Park (1892-1900) 67 acres; Maxwell Park, gifted by Sir John Stirling Maxwell (1890) 21 acres; Rouken Glen Park, gifted by Mr. A. Cameron Corbett, M. P. (now Lord Rowallan) (1905) 220 acres; Botanic Gardens, with exten sive ranges of hot-houses and green-houses (1891-1901) 43% acres. Mr. Cameron Corbett also presented to the citizens in 1906 the moun tainous estate of Ardkinglas in Argyllshire, containing upwards of 14,000 acres; Elder Park, Govan, gifted by Mrs. Elder (1885) and Victoria Park, Patrick (1889-1909) 65 acres, are now within the city boundaries.