Maury's New Elements of Geography for Primary and Intermediate Classes/Latitude and Longitude

by Matthew Fontaine Maury

LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE.

In measuring the length of your schoolroom you find yards and feet very convenient measures. For measuring the distance from one town to another miles are convenient. But for measuring great distances on the surface of the earth another measure is used called degree.

Let me explain what a degree is. If you should travel round the earth from east to west, you would go in a ring or circle. If you went round it from north to south, and from south to north again, you would also go in a circle.

Such circles are not really drawn on the surface of the earth. We only imagine them, and they are called imaginary circles. They are represented by the lines that you see on the map of the hemispheres, and on other maps. These lines are drawn from north to south, and from east to west. Those drawn from north to south are called meridians. Those from east to west are called parallels.

Every circle is supposed to be made up of 360 equal parts. Each one of the parts is called a degree.

Distance north or south is called latitude. Distance east or west is called longitude.

In measuring all distances, we need, of course, a line or a point from which to reckon.

We measure longitude from the meridian that passes through Greenwich, near London. We reckon it east and west halfway round the earth.

The starting line for measuring latitude is the equator, and, therefore, when we speak of the latitude of a place, we mean that it is so many degrees north or south of the equator.

On page 124 you will see the meridians drawn across the map from north to south. On the top margin find the meridian numbered 0. This is the meridian of Greenwich. All places through which this meridian passes are said to have no longitude. This is only another way of saying that they are neither east of the line nor west of it. The next meridian west of this line of no latitude is marked 10. This number means that all places on this meridian are 10 degrees westward of the Greenwich meridian.

Now look to the east of the Greenwich meridian on map, page 124. You see a number of meridians here also. Each one is 10 degrees from its neighbor. They might be drawn one or two or any number of degrees apart.

Look again on map on page 124, and notice the parallels. They also are drawn 10 degrees apart, though they, too, might be drawn any other number of degrees apart.

Now suppose I should say that a ship had sailed to some islands in the Pacific ocean that are 180 degrees from Greenwich. Looking at the map, you would see that the meridian of 180 passes through two groups of islands, the Fiji and the Aleutian. But here you would be puzzled. How could you tell whether I meant the Aleutian or the Fiji islands. I must tell you the latitude as well as the longitude. If I say a ship sailed to the islands in the Pacific that are 180 degrees westward from Greenwich, and nearly 20 degrees south of the equator, you can find the exact place on the map, and you see that the islands meant are the Fiji islands.

Just so any place whatever may be found, if we know its latitude and longitude.

TOPICAL REVIEW.

Topical Review.—Let pupils write or tell what they know about any one of the following topics:

Direction—Measurement of distance—Maps—Shape of earth—Forms of land and of water—Rotation of earth —Revolution of earth—Zones—Occupations of men— Government—Religion—Races of men—Conditions of society.

Early settlement of North America—Surface of the United States—Occupations in the United States—Great crops of different portions of United States—The great cities (Seaports—Inland—Lake Ports).

The climate of Europe—Products—Manufactures— Exports—Imports. The products of Asia—Its exports —Animals, wild and useful. Climate and products of Africa—Exports, Plants and animals of Australia. Products and exports of Oceania.

SIZE AND POPULATION

SUMMARY.
Length of the earth's axis (miles)		7,900
Length of the equator⁠"		24,900
⁠Earth's Surface	(sq. miles)	196,900,000
Pacific Ocean	⁠"⁠"	71,000,000
Atlantic Ocean	⁠"⁠"	34,000,000
Indian Ocean	⁠"⁠"	28,000,000
Antarctic Ocean	⁠"⁠"	7,500,000
Arctic Ocean	⁠"⁠"	4,000,000
The Sea	⁠"⁠"	144,500,000
⁠
	Area in Sq. Miles.	Population.
Asia	17,056,000	909,199,000
Africa	11,612,000	142,774,000
North America	9,431,000	122,713,000
South America	6,856,000	38,625,000
Europe	3,842,000	402,125,000
Australia, etc.	3,710,000	6,617,000
⁠The Land	52,407,000	1,622,053,000
⁠
ASIA.
Russia in Asia	6,656,000	20,950,000
Chinese Empire	4301,000	426,131,000
Japanese Empire	177,000	50,006,000
Korea	84,000	9,670,000
British India, etc.	1,918,000	299,422,000
Other British Possessions⁠	20,000	1,012,000
Nepal, Bhutan	73,000	3,200,000
Portuguese India, etc.	1,000	651,000
Siam	245,000	6,320,000
Fr. Indo-China, etc.	256,000	15,922,000
Afghanistan	241,000	4,550,000
Persia	635,000	9,000,000
Turkey in Asia	706,000	17,178,000
Arabia	955,000	1,950,000
East Indies	788,000	43,237,000
⁠Total	17,066,000	909,199,000
⁠

AFRICA.
Morocco	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	Including parts of the Sahara	176,000	7,000,000
Algeria			344,000	4,802,000
Tunis			65,000	1,800,000
Tripoli			406,000	1,000,000
Egypt			248,000	11,287,000
Sahara, remaining part⁠			2,461,000	791,000
Abyssinia			312,000	8,330,000
Eritrea			42,000	331,000
British E. Africa			433,000	4,908,000
Somaliland, etc.			214,000	603,000
Sudan			2,972,000	57,675,000
Belgian Kongo			927,000	19,000,000
Angola			491,000	3,840,000
Mozambique			296,000	2,300,000
Ger. E. Africa			374,000	6,855,000
Ger. S. W. Africa			318,000	210,000
The Transvaal			114,000	1,345,000
Orange Free State			48,000	387,000
C. of Good Hope			277,000	2,410,000
Rhodesia			408,000	1,350,000
Other Br. S. Afr.			348,000	2,503,000
African Islands			238,000	4,047,000
⁠Total			11,512,000	142,774,000
⁠

NORTH AMERICA.
	Area in Sq. Miles.	Population.
Greenl'd and Icel'd	877,000	91,000
British America	3,809,000	5,600,000
United States	3,089,000	91,972,000
Alaska	591,000	65,000
Mexico	767,000	13,606,000
Central America	206,000	4,422,000
West Indies	92,000	6,957,000
⁠Total	9,431,000	122,7l3,000
⁠
SOUTH AMERICA.
Colombia	466,000	3,917,000
Venezuela	364,000	2,445,000
Guiana, Brit.	95,000	296,000
Guiana, Dutch	50,000	87,000
Guiana, French	30,000	33,000
Brazil	3,301,000	14,334,000
Ecuador (incl. Galapagos Islands)	119,000	1,272,000
Peru	439,000	4,586,000
Bolivia	442,000	1,766,000
Chile	293,000	3,255,000
Argentina	1,083,000	4,957,000
Paraguay	98,000	636,000
Uruguay	69,000	1,039,000
Islands	7,000	2,000
⁠Total	6,856,000	38,625,000
⁠
EUROPE.
British Possessions	121,000	41,824,000
France	207,000	39,273,000
Spain	192,000	18,235,000
Portugal	36,000	5,424,000
Belgium	11,000	6,694,000
Netherlands	13,000	5,853,000
Denmark	15,000	2,605,000
German Empire	211,000	60,888,000
Switzerland	16,000	3,325,000
Austria-Hungary	261,000	47,153,000
Italy	111,000	32,487,000
Sweden	173,000	5,136,000
Norway	124,000	2,240,000
Russia in Europe	2,113,000	109,726,000
Turkey in Europe	65,000	5,897,000
Bulgaria	37,000	3,744,000
Crete	3,000	310,000
Roumania	51,000	5,957,000
Servia	19,000	2,494,000
Montenegro	4,000	228,000
Greece and islands	25,000	2,632,000
Spitzbergen, etc.	34,000
Total	3,842,000	402,125,000
⁠
AUSTRALIA, Etc.
Australia Com.	2,973,000	3,983,000
New Zealand	105,000	937,000
New Guinea Gr.	311,000	700,000
Hawaiian Islands	6,000	192,000
Other islands	61,000	805,000
South Polar Region	254,000
⁠Total	3,710,000	6,617,000
⁠
UNITED STATES. Population according to the Federal Census of 1910.
	Sq. Miles.	Population.
Alabama	51,998	2,138,093
Arizona	113,956	204,354
Arkansas	53,335	1,574,449
California	158,297	2,377,649
Colorado	103,948	799,024
Connecticut	4,965	1,114,756
Delaware	2,370	202,322
District of Columibia	70	331,069
Florida	58,666	752,619
Georgia	59,265	2,609,121
Idaho	84,313	325,594
Illinois	56,665	5,638,591
Indiana	36,354	2,700,876
Iowa	56,147	2,224,771
Kansas	82,158	1,690,949
Kentucky	40,598	2,289,905
Louisiana	48,506	1,656,388
Maine	33,040	742,371
Maryland	12,327	1,295,346
Massachusetts	8,266	3,366,416
Michigan	57,980	2,810,173
Minnesota	84,682	2,075,708
Mississippi	46,865	1,797,114
Missouri	69,420	3,293,335
Montana	146,572	376,063
Nebraska	77,520	1,192,214
Nevada	110,690	81,875
New Hampshire	9,341	430,572
New Jersey	8,224	2,537,167
New Mexico	122,634	327,301
New York	49,204	9,113,614
North Carolina	52,426	2,206,287
North Dakota	70,887	577,056
Ohio	41,040	4,767,121
Oklahoma	70,057	1,657,165
Oregon	96,699	672,765
Pennsylvania	45,126	7,665,111
Rhode Island	1,248	542,610
South Carolina	30,989	1,515,400
South Dakota	77,615	583,888
Tennessee	42,022	2,184,789
Texas	265,896	3,896,542
Utah	84,990	373,351
Vermont	9,564	355,956
Virginia	42,627	2,061,612
Washington	69,127	1,141,990
West Virginia	24,170	1,221,119
Wisconsin	56,066	2,333,860
Wyoming	97,914	145,965
Part Great Lakes	61,730
⁠Total Main Body	3,088,519	91,972,266
⁠
Outlying Territory, Etc.
Ter. of Alaska	590,884	64,356
Ter. of Hawaii	6,449	191,909
Porto Rico	3,435	1,118,012
Philippine Is. ('03)	115,026	7,635,426
Tutuila, etc.	77	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$ (?) 62,423
Guam	210
Canal Zone	474
Persons in the military and naval service of the U. S. stationed abroad		55,608
⁠Total Outlying	716,555	9,127,734
Grand Total	3,805,074	101,100,000

POPULATION OF IMPORTANT CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, 1910.

POPULATION OF IMPORTANT FOREIGN CITIES.

MOUNTAINS AND PLATEAUS.

RIVERS AND THEIR BASINS.