with that is to say, in a cont bination marked with diversities inherent to the country, and in a condition of oro-hydro graphic •segregation more or less complete. Considered in their chief lines, it can be shown that they represent almost all not conventional divisions, but "geographical provinces.' And we must here seek one of the most cogent rea sons for this political division, on account of whieh Italy- fought for so many centuries.
When once the military and pblitical valor of the ancient. Romans united Italy it was one of their chief and most laborious and wisest tasks to prevent the segregation of the various races by their network of celebrated roads. And even yet, new Italy in its formation into a state feels the imperious need of uniting and bringing into closer contact the various prov inces of the kingdom by means of rapid com munication by roads and railroads, and by the expenditure of a relatively large sum of money to do away with the natural inland barriers of the Apennines, by making roads across them at fully 15 points, with 15 different railroads, making furrows here' and there through all the mountain system for long distances, also along its whole length, and enclosing the country as with a network of protection, with an im mense circle of steel rails. Thus whilst the
climatic and other geographical diversities re main unchanged, and give variety and a valuable stimulus to the various industries of Italy, mod ern civilization improves on nature by modify ing the danger arising from segregation to the natural formation of the geographical provinces, by promoting and cementing national unity.
In 1915 the pbpulation *as 36,120,118; and that of the four greatest cities (1 Jan. 1915) was: Naples, 697,917; Milan, 663,059; Rome, 590,960, and Turin, 451,994.
Bibliography.— For a more profound study of the physical geography of Italy we recom mend among others the following works : Mari nelli, G., 'The Earth' ; a popular treatise on universal geography (Milan). The fourth volume is entirely dedicated to Italy, part I, pp. 1-509, particularly to the physical geog raphy. Fischer, T., 'The Italian Peninsula) ; an essay on scientific chirography. First Italian translation revised and enlarged (Turin 1902, 1 vol., with map and illustrations). Both these works refer to others captaining re searches on special subjects.