EITROI'E IN 1900. The population of Europe at the close of the nineteenth century was about 390,000,000, and during the later decades of the century the average annual increase, in spite of emigration, was about 3,000,000. The peoples of modern Europe are for the most part of mixed origin; but taking language as the test, and grouping cognate languages, nearly 29 per cent. of the inhabitants of Europe are Slays, more than :30 per cent. are Latins, and more than 32 per cent. are Teutons—the third group including the English. the Scandinavians. the Germans, the Dutch, and the Flemings. Outside of these three groups are the Finns, the Hungarians, and the Turks (all these are 'Mongols), the Greeks, the Jews, and scattered representatives of other races—all these together constituting less than 9 per cent. of the total population. Roughly speaking, Europe is Slavic in the east, Teutonic in the northwest and north centre, Latin in the southwest and south. More than 96 per cent. of the inhabitants of Europe are Christians, nearly 25 per cent. belonging to the Eastern churches, about 24 per cent. to the various Protestant churches, and more than 47 per cent. to the Cath olic Church. This triple division of the Chris tian population of Europe corresponds, in the main, to the triple division of language groups; the Latins are nearly all Roman Catholics, the Slays are mainly Greek Christians, and three fourths of the Teutons are Protestants. Political ly. Europe consists of 23 independent States, vary ing in population from 115,000,000 (European Russia) to 5200 (Andorra). There are four em pires. viz., Germany. Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Turkey; 11 kingdoms, viz.. Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium. Sweden-Norway, Den mark. Spain, Portugal, 1ta1y, Greece. Rumania, and Servia; 4 independent principalities, viz., Monaco, Lichtenstein, Montenegro, and the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg; and four republics, viz., France, Switzerland, Andorra, and San Marino. Four of these States are organized on federal lines, viz., Germany, which includes 4 kingdoms ( Prussia, Bavaria, Wurttemberg, and Saxony) ; 18 grand duchies, duchies, and principalities, and 3 city republics; Switzerland, which consists of 25 canton republics; and Austria-Hunga•y and Sweden-Norway, each of which is divided into two largely autonomous portions. In the Turkish Empire there are States or provinces which are under Turkish suzerainty, hut under Turkish government; but their connection with the Em pire is nominal. All the other States of Europe
are single or unitary States. Most of the Euro pean States either have a substantially neous population or contain only a small propor tion of heterogeneous elements, as in the case of Great Britain, Germany, and European Russia. In Austria-Hungary, European Turkey, and Swit zerland, however, the population is so hetero geneous that no one nationality is preponderant ; and in Belgium the French and Flemish elements are of nearly equal strength. to four European States monarchic absolutism still prevails. These are Russia, Turkey, Monaco, and Montenegro; but in Montenegro the rule of the Prince should per haps be termed patriarchal rather than absolute. In all the other monarchic States the government is limited by constitutions granting more or less power to the representatives of the people. in the group of constitutional monarchies, princely authority is least limited in Germany, Austria Hungary, and Denmark. In the other constitu tional monarchies, and in the French Republic, parliamentary government obtains; but on the Continent. the working of this system is greatly embarrassed by the multiplicity of parties (see POLITICAL PARTIES), and in some States which nominally have parliamentary government the system actually in operation is quite unlike the English model. In few' of the larger States of Europe is administration so centralized as was the ease at the beginning of the century: local self-government has been established not only in most of the Teutonic States, but also in France and in Italy. The Great Powers by whose con certed action, when the concert can be established, the political development of Europe is controlled, are Great Britain, Germany. Russia, France. Aus tria-Hungary, and Italy. In estimating the rela tive strength of these States, the chief elements to be considered are: Size and character of popu lation. economic resources, and efficiency of or ganization. Taking all these things into consid eration, Germany and Great Britain seem to be at present the leading Powers. With the fuller development of its resources and with a more efficient organization, Russia should become stronger than either ; but at present Russia is probably less strong than France, although stronger than Austria-Hungary. Italy is the least of the Powers, and owes her recognition as a Power mainly to her alliances.