CHAPTER I. GEOGRAPHY OF GREECE. I. GREECE proper is a peninsula in the southern part of Europe, situated between the 36th and 40th degrees of North Latitude. It is 250 miles long, from its extreme northern to its extreme southern limit, i.e. from the promontory Acroceraunia to Cape Tænarum, and 180 miles broad in its widest part, i.e. from Cape Actium to the plain of Marathon. It is in size but little larger than the State of Maine, which has about 35,000 square miles. Greece is bounded on the north by Illyricum and Macedonia; on the east by the Egean sea; on the south by the Mediterranean; on the west by the Ionian sea. It may be divided for convenience into three grand divisions; viz., Northern Greece, Central Greece, and Southern Greece, or the Peloponnesus, as the last is usually called. Northern Greece includes Thessalia, Epeirus, and J Dolopia. Հ Central Greece includes Acarnania, Ætolia, Western Locris, Phocis, Doris, Malis, Central Locris, Eastern Locris, Boeotia, Attica, and Megaris.' The Peloponnesus includes all south of Megaris; viz., 12 GEOGRAPHY OF GREECE. 8 Corinthia, Sicyonia, Achaia, Elis, Messenia, Arcadia, II. Greece is surrounded by many islands, the largest of which is Euboea, separated from the mainland by the narrow strait of Euripus. Salamis and Ægina are small islands south of Attica, in the Saronic gulf. Cythera is south of Laconia, in the Laconic gulf. Corcyra, Leucas, Cephallenia (or Samos), Ithaca, and Zacynthus are west of Greece in the Ionian sea. In the Egean sea are many important islands, of which we shall mention only a few. Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Rhodos, Cos, (Naxos, Paros, Delos),1 Scyros, Lemnos, Thasos, and Tenedos. III. Greece is a very mountainous country. The Cambunian range bounds it on the north; the range of Pindus separates Thessalia from Epeirus. This range runs with some interruptions through Central Greece to Sunium, the southern promontory of Attica. The highest peaks among these ranges are Olympus (nearly 10,000 feet high), Ossa, Pelion, Othrys, Eta, Parnassus (8,000 feet), Helicon (sacred to Apollo and the Muses), Citharon, Parnes, Pentelicus, and Hymettus. Of the numerous ranges in the Peloponnesus, we shall only mention Taygetus and Parnon; the former separating Laconia from Messenia, the latter running parallel to it further east. Cyllene, in Arcadia, is a high peak, rising more than 8,000 feet. IV. Owing to the numerous mountains, there are but few plains in Greece. The greater portion of Thessalia is a vast plain hemmed in by mountain ranges, and drained by the single river Peneius. In Boeotia there 1 Belonging to the Cyclades. |