LESSON LIII.
1. Northern Europe.—The cold countries of Europe are Sweden, Norway, and Russia.
2. Sweden and Norway together occupy a peninsula in the northwest of Europe. They used to be both governed by one king, but each now has its own king. Except in the southern part, Sweden is mostly mountainous and rocky. Its chief wealth is in its mines, forests, and fisheries. Swedish iron is the best in the world. Stockholm is the capital of Sweden; Christiania, of Norway.
Drying fish on the coast of Norway.
3. Russia (rush'a) is the largest country in Europe. It covers more than half the continent.
Sleighing in a Russian village.
It extends from the cold shores of the Arctic ocean to the warm lands on the Black sea. It has, therefore, a great variety of climate.
The southern half is like our prairie region. It is one of the great wheat-growing countries of the world. Immense crops of hemp and flax also are grown, and vast herds of cattle are raised.
The leading exports are grain, hides, and tallow. Odessa is the chief grain port.
A great deal of the trade of Russia is carried on at fairs. These are great gatherings of buyers and sellers of all kinds of goods.
The largest fair in all the world is held at Nizhni Novgorod (nizh'ne nov'-go-rod). Here we may see 5,000
STUDIES ON THE RELIEF MAP.
Highlands and Lowlands.—The surface of Europe, like that of North America and of South America, is composed of several highland regions bordering a Great Central plain. Find the Great Central highland region of Europe. In which directions does it extend? What is it called? Find the sources of four rivers in this region. Trace the one flowing north. The two flowing east. The one flowing south. Find the highland region northeast of the Alps. What is its name? What highland region southeast? What kind of surface have the peninsulas in the south of Europe? Find the highland region separating France and Spain. In what directions does it extend? Trace the highland region extending from the Black to the Caspian sea. What is its name? Trace the dividing highlands between Europe and Asia. These mountains form the natural boundary of the two continents. What is their name? Direction? Truce the highlands in the northwestern part of Europe.
Coast.—Trace the coast line of this section. What can you say of it? Name five of the great inlets on this coast. How does it compare with the southern coast? What other continent has a very irregular coast line? Now look at the Great Central plain. Find a place in it that seems to be the source of rivers. This high region is in the central part of Russia. Locate this place on the political map a little west of the city of Moscow. Four great rivers rise in this section. Trace these rivers and give their names. Find the body of water into which each one flows. In what parts of the continent do you find a great number of islands? Notice that these sections are mountainous. The islands seem to be the tops of mountains that project above the water. Notice that the mountainous coasts have also the greatest number of good harbors.
Climate.—Trace the part of Europe that is in the cold zone. What part of it is in the Temperate zone? What kind of plants are found in the southern part? (See lesson LI.) Find the portion where the vine grows. Find the grain-raising section. The western coast of Europe has a mild climate. What is the reason for this? The parts bordering on the Mediterranean also are very mild because the mountains shut off the cold winds from the north. The parts of the Great Central plain bordering on the Black sea are not protected in this way, and hence have a very cold climate in winter. Find these portions. These studies may be continued further at the discretion of the teacher.
