Page images
PDF
EPUB

Q. What is the capital?

A. Warsaw, on the Vistula, with a population of 64,421. Q. What is the government?

A. The emperor of Russia has not yet decided this question.

OF THE RUSSIAN ISLES.

Q. What islands belong to Russia in Europe?

A. Nova Zembla, and Kalgueva; and near the coast of Greenland, Spitzbergen.

Q. Describe Nova Zembla ?

A. Nova Zembla is separated from the continent by the Straits of Weggatz, is between 69o and 77o N. lat. and 52o and 70° E. long. and contains about 125,000 square miles. It is uninhabited. The Russian hunters and whalers resort thither in the summer. It is rocky and destitute, of verdure. Reindeer, white bears, and white and blue foxes are found here. Russia claims it. Kalgueva is a much smaller island, a little E. of the mouth of the White Sea.

Q. What is the situation of Spitzbergen?

A. Spitzbergen is really an American Island, lying only 150 miles E. of Greenland, and 320 from Norway. It is between 760 and 80° 7' N. latitude, and between 90 and 20° E. longitude. It is 300 miles long, and 140 broad. The climate is so severe that the island is rendered uninhabitable. The country is covered chiefly with rocks and mountains of ice. The reindeer and the arctic fox are the only animals. The Dutch whalers visit it every summer.

OF THE DANISH DOMINIONS.

Q. What territories belong to Denmark?

A. In Europe, the peninsula of Jutland, and the islands in the Baltic, Zealand, Funen, Lapland, Folster, and some others, constituting Denmark Proper; Iceland, and the Ferro Isles; and in the West Indies, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. In North America, the large peninsula or island of Greenland.

[ocr errors]

Q. What large territory has Denmark lately lost?
A. Norway, ceded to Sweden.

OF DENMARK.

Q. What is the situation of Denmark ?

A. The peninsula lies between 53° 35′ and 57° 45′ N. latitude; and between 7° 55', and 11° 5' East. Its northern extremity is 70 miles 5. from Norway. It is 290 miles long, and from 35 to 105 broad; and contains 15,948 square miles;

the island of Zealand is 80 by 50, and contains 2884. Funen is 50 by 30, and contains 1938.

Q. What are the divisions?

A. It is divided into 8 provinces, Aalburg, Aarhuus, Riperhuus, Wiborg, Schelswick, Holstein, Zealand, and Funen. Q. How is the peninsula bounded?

A. On the N. by the Scaggerac; on the E. by the Cattegat, the Little Belt, and the Baltic; on the S. by Germany and the Elbe; and on the W. by the German Ocean.

Q. What is the climate?

A. It is humid, but mainly temperate. The soil of the island is very fertile; that of the peninsula is much less so. The agriculture is superior. Hops, tobacco, turnips, madder, ye, barley, wheat, and oats, are every where cultivated. Wheat is the great staple. The number of sheep, in 1780, was 847,000.

Q. What are the rivers?

A. The Eyder and the Gulden. The Lymfiord is a long narrow bay, in the peninsula.

Q. What is the religion?

A. The Lutheran. There are six bishoprics.

Q. What is the constitution ?

A. It is an absolute monarchy.

Q. What is the population?

A. In 1796, it was 1,490,384; and in 1808, by accurate estimate, 1,548,000. Of which 1,030,000 are in the peninsula. These estimates include the duchy of Holstein.

Q. What is the military strength?

A. It amounts to 38,776 regular troops, and a militia of 59,000.

Q. What is the naval strength?

A. In 1809, it consisted of 2 frigates, and 17 smaller vessels. Q. What is the revenue?

A. It amounts to $3,600,000.

Q. What is the language?

A. A dialect of the Gothic, and similar to the Swedish, Norwegian and Icelandic.

Q. What is the state of literature?

A. Each parish has a school, and all the inhabitants are taught to read and write. There are also numerous Latin

schools, and two universities, at Copenhagen and Kiel. Q. What is the capital?

A. Copenhagen, in 55° 41' 4'' N. and 12o 35' 15/'E. It is on the E. shore of Zealand, 25 miles S. of the Sound, is admirably built, has a fine harbour, and in 1806, had 97,438 inhabitants. Its commerce is extensive.

C

Q. Describe Altona?

A. It is on the Elbe below Hamburgh, and has 30,000 in-. habitants. The other towns are Kiel, Schleswick, Odensee, and Aalburg.

Q. What are the manufactures?

A. Leather, earthen ware, calicoes, cottons, muskets, sabres, cannon, saltpetre, silks, course linens and woollens, and thread-lace.

Q: What is the state of trade?

A. The exports are corn, horses, oxen, hogs, bacon, beef, butter and cheese.

OF THE DANISH ISLANDS.

Q. What islands in the Baltic belong to Denmark ? A. Zealand, Funen, Lapland, Falster, Moen, Langeland, Aeroe, Alsen, Femeren, Hindsholm, Samsoe, and farther eastward, Bornholm.

OF THE FERRO ISLANDS.

Q. What is the situation of the Ferro Islands?

A. They lie between 61° 15' and 62° 20' N. lat.; one third of the distance from the Shetland Islands to Iceland: about 240 miles N. W. of Scotland; and 360 W. of Norway. They are 22 in number, and consist of a group of steep high rocks separated by narrow channels. They have a thin soil. Only 17 are inhabited. In 1801, the population was 5265. They yield a revenue of 6407. ster. They compose 7 parishes and 39 congregations, with each its church. Each parish has a clergyman. The religion is Lutheran. The inhabitants can all read and write; and are a moral and religious people.

OF ICELAND.

Q. What is the situation of Iceland?

A. Iceland is properly an American island; being only 120 miles E. of Greenland, while it is 600 N. W. of Scotland, and 700 W. of Norway. It lies between 63° and 67° N.; and 13° and 28° W. It is 400 miles long, and 270 broad. Q. What is the climate ?

mer.

A. It is intensely cold in winter, and often very hot in sumThe country is chiefly mountainous. Corn will not grow. Cattle and sheep are the chief objects of husbandry. The vallies form fine meadows.

Q. What are the rivers and mountains?

A. The Skalfanda, Oxarfird and Brua, all run from S. to N. The mountains are broken ridges. Snaefeld is 6861 feet

high. Heckla, 25 miles from the S. coast, and 5000 feet high, is a celebrated volcano.

Q. How are the inhabitants supplied with fuel?

A. The fuel is chiefly drift-wood, floated on the coast.
Q. What is the religion?

A. The Lutheran. The see of Skalholt has 127 parishes, and the see of Hoolum 62. The clergy have from 400 to 500 dollars salary.

Q. What is the government?

A. Iceland is a colony of Denmark. The population is 60,000. The revenue is $30,000. The Icelanders are of a middle size, moral, faithful and hospitable. Their houses are made of drift-wood, or lava.

Q. What is the language?

A. It is the purest dialect of the ancient Gothic, and is remarkably rich in poetical expressions. All the inhabitants are taught to read and write, and are well instructed in the doctrines of religion. The Icelanders have long been distinguished for their attention to letters. The number of their poets is very great. Sturleson, the author of the Edda, died in 1241.

Q. What are the towns?

A. Skalholt in the S; Hoolum in the N and Besested in the S. W.

Q. What are the manufactures and commerce ?

A. Leather and coarse woollens.

The exports are cider,

down, fish, flesh, butter, oil, skins and wool.

OF PRUSSIA.

Q. What is the situation of the Prussian territories? A. The eastern, and much the largest division of the Prussian territories, lies N. of Bohemia, Moravia, and the duchy of Warsaw, between 510 and 569 N. latitude and between 28° and 40° 40' east longitude. The principal western division lies on the Rhine, between the Netherlands on the N. W. and Hanover on the N. E.

Q. What is its extent ?

A. The eastern division is 630 miles long, from S. W. to N. E. and 350 miles broad.

Q. How is Prussia bounded?

A. Prussia is bounded on the N. by the Baltic and Rus sia; E. by Russia and Poland; S. by Austria and Saxony; and W. by Germany.

Q. How is Prussia divided?

A. Prussia is now divided into the following 10 provin ces, and 25 circles: viz.

[blocks in formation]

Q. What territories has Prussia lately gained?

A. At the peace of Tilsit, Prussia lost large territories. These, except the duchy of Warsaw, have been restored to her; and with them large tracts on the Rhine, and about half of the kingdom of Saxony.

Q. What is the climate?

A. It is on the whole cold and moist. The southern provinces are the most healthy.

Q. What is the face of the country ?

A. Prussian Poland is an immense plain, having a soil of superior fertility. Silesia is still more fertile, and is a succession of hills and vallies. Brandenberg is a barren sandy country. Saxony is one of the richest countries in Europe, and in its surface resembles Silesia. The large territory on the Rhine is extensively productive.

Q. What is the state of agriculture?

A. In the Polish provinces, in Silesia, Saxony, and the territory on the Rhine, every variety of grain and vegetables, is raised in abundance; also hops, flax, hemp; tobacco, saffron,

« PreviousContinue »