Near the Caspian Sea there is not enough rain for wheat; so this locality, like our own Great Plains, is a region where herdsmen tend their flocks. (Sec. 102.) 463. History and plain, so level from end to end, and blessed with enough rainfall to make crops or pastures, was a place where ancient tribes wandered with flocks and herds and made an easy living. At the time when Greece and Rome were great nations, this whole plain was occu pied by roving bands of savages who fought for possession of the land, much as the Indians did in America. On this account, the level plain is to this day the home of many different peoples who occupy the land that their ancestors managed to hold in the ancient struggles for home space. Let us see who these peoples are and how they live.
464. The Scandinavians.—The northwest ern part of the region is the home of the Scandinavian peoples — the Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes. The peoples of these three countries resemble one another in several ways. They are usually large, tall, blonde people. These peoples are alike in being well-educated and in having given to the world many explorers, scientists, and learned men. It is easy for these three peoples to understand one another's language.
What parts of the Scandina vian countries are included in the plain? (Fig. 319.) .
The Scandinavian lowlands are much alike in industries, which are chiefly agricultural, with a few manufacturing cities. 465. Denmark is a coastal plain, mostly sandy and much like Long Island, or the southern part of New Jersey. Most of the soil is poor, and the climate is damp and cool. It is not a place in which to make an easy living, but by hard work the Danes have made their country pros perous and full of pleasant neighborhoods in which people like to live. These people have shown the world how to practice cooperation in agriculture. If you buy an egg from Denmark, you will see a number printed on its shell. The number shows which member of the Danish Cooperative Asso ciation sent the egg to market. If it is a bad egg, the man who sold it must pay a fine. If he should sell a second bad egg, he must pay a bigger fine. For a third bad egg, he will be expelled from the egg asso ciation, and then, because he can no longer sell through the association, he must take a lower price for his eggs. In the same way the Danish dairy farmers have joined to gether. They jointly own factories where excellent butter is made. Often it is put into tin cans, and sent to places as far away as Central America, Africa, or even Alaska.
The Danish farmers raise many hogs, which are prepared for market in cooperative packing plants.
In a short time Denmark has risen from a poor country to a very prosperous one, largely through the industry of her people, who make their butter, eggs, and bacon so good that other countries want them, es pecially England. Sometimes Danish butter is exported to the United States.
Denmark has good country roads and very good country schools.
466. Southern Sweden and southern Nor way.—Nearly all the farmers of Sweden who live in this plain have followed the example of their neighbors across the straits in Den mark, and are producing good butter. The Swedes, Danes, and Norwegians import much feed for cows, because they find it profitable to keep many cows. They buy cottonseed meal and corn from the United States. Their own lands produce barley, oats, hay, and beets for the cows. There is not room for much wheat. That is imported; but many potatoes and vegetables are grown.
The glaciers once covered all of Scandina via, and made even the lowland of Norway and Sweden a land of stones, marshes, and lakes, resembling parts of New England. So small a part of the land has been left fit for farms that Norway has very little farm land indeed. She pays for most of her imported food with lumber, paper, and fish. (Sec. 413.) In Sweden, dairy machinery is manufac tured, and other fine machinery, much of which is exported in steamships of the Dan ish companies which sail from Copenhagen, and call at Goteborg, Sweden, en route to all the leading countries of Europe, North and South America, and Asia. Some Swed ish factories make steel products, such as watch springs and delicate machinery, that are worth more than their weight in gold.
Electric power from the Scandinavian moun tains (Sec. 509) may help the lowland cities of these three countries.
The Scandinavian capitals are clean, well kept cities, with some manufacturing. Com pare them in size with Washington; with Montreal. In each Scandi navian capital is a king, who has but little power, and a parliament which is elected by the people to rule the country.
467. The German part of the plain.—About half the people of Germany live in the German part of the Central Plain. Where is the capital of Germany? The Germans are a well-educated people, and they have ap plied their knowledge to agriculture, manufacture, and trade, as well as to war.