APPENDIX, No. 1. (CHAPTER OF DEFINITIONS.) I. INTRODUCTION. GEOGRAPHY. (From G. ge the earth, and grapho, to describe) a description of the earth's surface.1 I. Physical Geography describes the earth as it exists by nature. II. Political Geography describes the earth's surface as divided and occupied by man. III. Mathematical Geography determines the shape, size, motions, &c., of the earth. —0— II.-NATURAL DIVISIONS. (LAND.) CONTINENT. (From L. con, together, and teneo, to hold) a large extent of land, containing several countries, all joined. ISLAND.-Formerly iland (from A.S. ea-land, land girt round by the sea), land surrounded by water, and smaller than a continent. PENINSULA. (From L. pene, almost, and insula, an island) land almost surrounded by water. ISTHMUS. (From G. isthmos, a neck) a narrow neck of land uniting two larger portions. CAPE. (From L. caput, the head) HEAD, POINT, NESS, NAZE BILL, or MULL, land projecting into the sea. 1 MINERALOGY and GEOLOGY explore whatever lies below the surface. METEOROLOGY takes note of the atmosphere above the surface. All beyond that belongs to Astronomy. F PROMONTORY. (From L. pro, forward, and mons, a mountain) a mountainous cape. MOUNTAIN. (From L. mons, a mountain, a heap) an elevation of land rising 1,000 feet and more above the surface. HILLS are lower elevations. VOLCANO.—(From Vulcanus,1 the heathen God of fire) a mountain which emits fire, smoke, or gases. If the last it is called a Solfatara. DELTA. (From G. letter Delta ▲) an island or deposit at the mouth of a river. 2 DESERT.-(From L. desertus, forsaken) a barren tract of uninhabited country. OASIS.—(From G. oasiș, an inhabited place) a fertile spot in a desert. VALLEY. (From L. vallis, low ground) country between mountains or hills. PLAIN. (From L. planus, smooth, level) flat land.3 OCEAN. (From L. oceanus, the main sea) a large extent of salt water. SEA. (From S. sæ, secge, a repository, a basin) an expanse of water, smaller than an ocean, partly enclosed by land. LAKE. (From L. lacus, a puddle, a stand of water) LOCH, LOUGH, water surrounded or partly surrounded by land. GULF. (From S. golfe, a bay) an arm of the sea almost surrounded by land. BAY.-(From F. baie, a bend.) BIGHT, a wide open gulf. 1 Vulcanus was fabled by the Greeks to forge Jupiter's thunder bolts, within Mount Etna. 2 The term was first applied to an island of triangular shape, between the two principal arms of the mouths of the Nile; but is now applied to the deposits of other rivers regardless of shape. The great plains of N. America are called Savannahs and Prairies; of S. America Llanos or Pampas. CREEK.--(From W. crig, a crack.) COVE.-(From cof, a den) a small inlet or bay.1 HARBOUR.—(From Ger. herberge, a resting place) a creek suited for vessels to anchor in. HAVEN.-(From D. haven, mouth of a river) a safe station for ships. PORT. (From L. porta, the gate of a city) a harbour close to a town. STRAIT. (From L. strictus, narrow) a narrow portion of water uniting two larger portions. CHANNEL. (From L. canalis, a pipe to convey water) a wide strait. RIVER. (From L. rivus, a stream of water) a stream of fresh water running through the land into a sea or lake. BROOK or RIVULET, a small river.2 ESTUARY. (From L. astus, the tide) FIRTH, LOCH, LOUGH, FIORD, mouth of a river as far inland as the salt water runs. AFFLUENT. (From L. ad and fluo, to flow.) TRIBUTARY.(From L. tribuo, to give.) FEEDER.-(From S. feedan, to feed.) BRANCH.- (F. branche, an arm) rivers which contribute to a principal river. RIVER-BASIN.-(From L. rivus and F. bassin, a hollow vessel) the country drained by a river. WATERSHED.-(From S. scedan, to pour out) the line of elevated land separating two river basins. RIVER-BED.-(From S. bed, a lay or spread) the channel in which a river runs. ARCHIPELAGO.-(From G. archos, chief, and pelagos, sea) a sea interspersed with islands. GEYSER. (From Icelandic geysa, to range or burst forth impetuously) a boiling spring or fountain. CATARACT. (From G. kata, down or downwards, and raktos, a precipice) a large water-fall. CASCADE.-(From L. cado, to fall) a small one. 1 In the Colonies "Creek" is often used for river. 2 Wady or Ouad in Palestine; Guad in Spain. The first means a brook dry in summer. 3 Rapids are gradual descents of water increasing in swiftness. IV. ARTIFICIAL DIVISIONS. EQUATOR. (From L. æquus, equal) an imaginary line passing round the earth midway between the poles.. AXIS. (From L. axis, that on which anything turns) the imaginary straight line supposed to pass through the centre of the earth, and on which it may be supposed to turn. NORTH AND SOUTH POLES.-(From G. poleo, to turn) the two ends of the earth's axis. LATITUDE.-(From L. latitudo, breadth) distance N. and S. from the equator. LONGITUDE. (From L. longitudo, long) distance from a given meridian E. or W.1 MERIDIANS. (From L. medius-dies, mid-day) lines which run N. and S. from pole to pole. 2 PARALLELS. (From G. para, by the side of, and allelon, one another) lines which run from E. to W., parallel to the equator. ZONE. (From G. zone, a girdle or belt) a division of the earth having reference to temperature. ARCTIC CIRCLE.-(From G. arktos, a bear) a circle 23° from the North Pole. ANTARCTIC CIRCLE.-(From G. anti, opposite to, and arktos) a circle 23° from the South Pole. TROPIC OF CANCER.-(From G. trepo, to turn, and Cancer, the sign in the Zodiac) a circle 23° North of the Equator. TROPIC OF CAPRICORN. -(From G. trepo, and Capricorn, the sign in the Zodiac) a circle 234° South of the equator. " FRIGID ZONES.-(From L. frigeo, to grow cold) those portions of the globe which lie between the Polar Circles and the poles. N. AND S. TEMPERATE ZONES.- (From L. tempero, to 1 The ancients had more knowledge of the world E. and W., and therefore called distance in those directions longitude or length; and as less was known N. and S., distance in these directions was called latitude or breadth. 2 Every place on the globe has its meridian, and when the sun arrives at it, it is mid-day, hence the name. 3 The sun recedes from the equator till it reaches the tropics, and then s back again, hence the name. moderate) those portions of the globe which lie between the Tropics and the Polar Circles. TORRID ZONE.-(From L. torreo, to scorch) that portion of the globe which lies between the Tropics. HORIZON. (From G. horos, a limit or boundary) the line where sky and water or earth seem to meet. ORBIT.-(From L. orbis, a circle) the track the earth makes in its motion round the sun. V. POLITICAL DIVISIONS. EMPIRE. (From L. imperium, rule or command) a territory of greater extent than a kingdom, governed by a military commander. KINGDOM. (From S. cyng, a king) a territory governed by a king. MONARCHY. (From G. monos, alone, and arche, government) a government of one person and called an Empire or a Kingdom.1 REPUBLIC. (From L. res publicæ, public affairs) a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people, or in representatives chosen by them." DEMOCRACY. (From G. demos, people, and kratos, power) a form of Government in which the supreme power is lodged in the hands of the people collectively, or in which the people exercise the powers of legislation. The government of Athens was a democracy. COMMONWEALTH.-(From A. S., and means the common good or happiness) a form of government supposed best to secure the public good. The term is applied to the government of Great Britain, which is of a mixed character. Sometimes applied to a republic. 1 Called absolute if the Sovereign rules by his own will; limited if he is controlled by a constitution. Other Political Divisions (found chiefly in Germany) are Duchy, Grand-Duchy, Electorate, Principality, Landgraviate, Margraviate, Popedom, &c. 2 A Republic may be either an aristocracy, as was the case with Venice and Genoa, or a democracy, as Hamburg, Frankfort, Lubeck, and Bremen. The most perfect examples, however, are found in the United States, and in some of the South American confederations which have shaken off the Spanish yoke. |