EUROPE. All the countries of Europe are briefly noticed in ether parts of this vo lume, in respect to their products, manufac turing industry, and commerce. We will here give, therefore, simply a few statistical details, covenient for reference.
Europe has an area of about 3,900,000 square miles. This area is drained by rivers which flow into five seas, or directly into the Atlantic, in the following proportion:—Into the Caspian 850,000 square miles ; into the Baltic 000,000 ; into the Mediterranean 250,000 ; into the Atlantic direct 000,000; and into the Northern Ocean and White Sea 400,000. The areas of the seas themselves are— Mediterranean .. 760,000 Black Sea .. .. 190,000 Baltic .. 180,000 Caspian .. .. 100,000 White Sea 40,000 The longest straight line that can be drawn through Europe is about 3000 miles, from Cape St. Vincent to the river Kara on the Frozen Ocean. The coast-line of Europe extends about 20,000 miles. The sovereign states of Europe are about 00 in number, and the population about 250 millions. Nearly one-half of the population profess the Roman Catholic religion, nearly a quarter Protes tantism, and nearly a quarter the Greek church ; the remainder comprise miscella neous sects.
In mineral produce, Europe contains a supply of most of the chief kinds. In animal products, applicable to the arts, Europe con tains a large number, but is deficient in many others. The botany exhibits the following
features :—The southern districts exhibit a strong resemblance to the vegetation of Africa and its adjacent islands. The vine, the date, the pisang, the prickly pear, the castor oil plant, the American aloe, rice, the sugar cane, the cotton-plant, maize, Guinea corn, the fig, the olive, the orange—all are met with in different parts of the south of Europe. At about the parallel of the south of France, a marked change occurs in vegetation : most of the southern equinoctial forms of vegetation either disappear of become uncommon. Still more to the north, where the vine begins to languish, its place is better occupied by broad plains of wheat and other corn ; the hardy trees of England, elms, limes, oaks, ashes, alders, beeches, birches, willows, and poplars, are found everywhere, with rich pastures, and verdant fields, unknown in the land of oranges and myrtlgs. At last, in the more northern districts of the continent, aspens, bird-cherries, birches, lime-trees, alders, junipers, spruce firs, and pines, are the principal trees that remain ; barley and oats are the only corn plants, but potatoes continue to be reared in the short cold summer,