Geography. Geography is that science which describes the earth on which we live; its lands and waters; its mountains and valleys; its hills and plains; its towns, cities, countries, nations, and inhabitants. The above picture is a representation of one half of the earth, or what is called the _Western Hemisphere_. On this you see the _continent_ of America, the Atlantic _Ocean_, the Pacific ocean, the Northern ocean, and the Southern ocean. About three fourths of the surface of the Western hemisphere is covered with water. The continent of America consists of North America and South America. These are united by a narrow strip of land, called the _isthmus_ of Darien. In the narrowest part, this isthmus is but about thirty-seven miles wide. North America is separated from Asia at the north-west, by Behring’s _Straits_, which are about thirty-nine miles wide. North America is separated from Greenland, which is a great _island_, almost always covered with snow and ice, near the north _pole_. The continent of North America is about 9000 miles long, from _Cape_ Horn, to the Northern ocean. It has a vast _range of mountains_, extending, in a bending line, nearly the whole length of it. This range is the longest in the world. In South America, some of the mountains are about five miles high, and are the loftiest in the world, except the peaks of the Himmaleh mountains, in Asia. It is supposed that there are two hundred _volcanoes_ in America. The largest _river_ in the world is the Mississippi, which, including the Missouri, properly one of its branches, is about 4000 miles long. The river Amazon, in South America, though not quite as long, spreads its branches wider than any other river in the world, and carries more water to the sea than any other river. The largest fresh water lake in the world, is that of Lake Superior, in North America. [Illustration: _The Eastern Hemisphere._] The above picture represents the _Eastern Hemisphere_. It includes the Eastern Continent, which is divided into Europe, Asia, and Africa. Africa is the south-western portion, Europe the north-western portion, and Asia the north-eastern portion. The eastern continent contains about twice as much land as the western continent. Between Europe, Africa and Asia, is the Mediterranean sea, which is about 2000 miles long, from east to west. The Atlantic ocean lies west of Europe and Africa; the Indian ocean lies south of Asia, and south-east of Africa; the Pacific ocean lies east of Asia. Between the Indian ocean and Pacific ocean, are many large islands. The largest is New Holland, which is about as extensive as all Europe. This island belongs to the British nation, who have settlements here, occupied by English, Scotch, and Irish people.