The Intermediate Condition of North America in Shape and in Relation to the Sea.—In proportion to its size North America has more deep arms of the sea than Asia, but less than Europe. We have already seen the value of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea in their effect on climate. Their effect on commerce is also impor tant as is evident from the presence' of such ports as New Orleans, or Galveston, where the outward shipments, chiefly cotton, are greater in value than those of any other American port except New York. From the standpoint of commerce the Great Lakes correspond in value to the Baltic Sea, which occupies a corresponding position in Europe. The fact that they extend from east to west along the line of greatest movement in a part of the continent where the favor able soil and climate would cause the population to be dense even if they did not exist, gives them an importance greater than that of the Gulf of Mexico. In this same general latitude the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and many other small arms of the sea do much to encourage commerce, especially on the Atlantic coast, but also on the Pacific. Farther north, however, the great inland waterway of Hudson Bay still remains almost unused. In spite of many projects to carry grain from western Canada to Europe by way of Hudson Bay, no important traffic has yet been established because of the ice and snow.
How the Southern Continents are at a Disadvantage.—The three southern continents are far less favored than the three northern. In size, to be sure, they do not suffer from the ponderousness of Asia, although the northern part of Africa expands to an unfavorable degree and contains the Sahara Desert. In other respects, however, they are severly handicapped. (1) Their location is such that most of their territory has a tropical climate which in many portions is ex tremely unhealthful and enervating. (2) Moreover, the parts of all three where the climate is most healthful, taper to small areas and . lie so far from the other continents that the long sea voyage inevi tably hampers commerce even in these days of swift steamships. (3) None of the three is particularly favored in its relief. In each case large parts of the coast are bordered by mountains so that com munication with the interior is difficult. (4) In shape and in rela tion to the sea Africa and South America are about as unfavorable as they could be. Both have smooth outlines with no important inden tations. Moreover, the coasts are generally of the unsubmerged type, so that good harbors are sadly lacking. Australia fares better in this respect, but its coasts as a whole are by no means so favorable as those of the northern continents.
The Railroads of the Continents.—The character of the continents is well summed up in their railroads. The most important of the continental railroads run east and west except in Africa. This is because they are designed to connect the regions of greatest progressiveness and commercial activity, and these regions are strung along east and west bands determined by climate (see Fig. 29).
Main Railroads of North America.—In North America nine main lines, that is, two in Canada and seven in the United States, cross the wide part of the continent, while four of minor importance follow short routes from ocean to ocean in Mexico and Central America. All these lines are obliged to run across the grain, so to speak, for • they have to pass across the great Rocky Mountain system. In -the arid western half of the United States they also have to cross great sparsely settled districts where local traffic is not sufficient to make a railroad pay. The profit comes from connecting the people in the well-populated region in the central and eastern parts of our country with smaller welI-po5ulited region of the Pacific This is one reason why the United States and southern Canada have a much greater number of miles of railway in proportion to the population than b as Europe. The United States has about 27 miles of railroad for each 10,000 people, while such countries as Britain, Germany, France, and Austria have only 6 or 7. In these European coun tries, however, waterways are much more in use than in America. Moreover, the advantage of the great railway mileage of the United States is partially offset by its great area. We have only about 6 miles of railroad for every hundred square miles of country, while the chief European countries have from 10 to 20.
Main Railroads of Europe.—In Europe seven main railway lines extend entirely across the continent from west to east. They do not have to follow long routes across the mountains or across semi-arid areas of scanty population. Starting from the Atlantic Ocean in France or on the shores of the North Sea two reach the Balkan Pe ninsula through Austria-Hungary, and three reach the Black Sea by routes north of the Carpathians. Only two are left for all the rest of the great plain of Russia. These alone continue into Asia.
Asian Railroads.—Few railroads pass from Europe to Asia because its vast desert interior is so sparsely populated and its moun tains are so' lofty. As yet it has not been worth while to build rail roads across the space which intervenes between the centers of popu lation on the east in China and Japan, and on the west in Europe.
Nevertheless in the easily traversed Siberian plain one great trans continental railway has been built, while in eastern Persia where the great central mountain mass breaks down, a line practically links Russia with India. The great length of the Trans-Siberian line was a great factor in the defeat of the Russians in the Russo-Japanese war. It was also a continual hindrance in the Great War while Russia was endeavoring to receive supplies through the port of Vladivostok.