THE MODERN GEOGRAPHICAL READERS. THE WORLD. Section 1.-INTRODUCTORY-Land and Water, Climate, Interchange of Productions. LESSON I. THE LAND. 1. Our world may well-nigh be called a world of waters, for on the surface of our planet water is the rule and land the exception. The waters stretch themselves over an area of 151 millions of square miles, whilst the land, which rises above their surface, occupies only 51 millions, 2. Nor is the distribution of this land at all regular. There is three times as much land in the hemisphere north of the equator as in the corresponding southern hemisphere. If, however, we divide the world into two hemispheres, having southern England and New Zealand respectively for their centres, nearly all the land will be found in the former hemisphere, and the latter will be a vast ocean containing innumerable islands, of which Australia and New Zealand are the chief. 3. There are two enormous masses of land, which, as they are surrounded by the ocean, might be called islands; but, from their vast extent, are commonly called conti |