Northern and largest division of Western Continent, separated from South
America by Gulf of Mexico, and connected with it by Isthmus of Panama.
Area, 8,918,346 square miles; extends from Arctic Ocean to about 8deg north
latitude; extreme width, over 3,000 miles. Eastern coast line to southern
extremity of Mexico, about 13,000 miles; western, about 11,000 miles. Has
remarkable lake and river systems: the latter includes the Mississippi and
its tributaries, whose combined navigable length is about 40,000 miles, and
it is estimated that the great lakes contain a third of all fresh waters on
the globe. The political divisions are Greenland, Iceland, Dominion of
Canada, Newfoundland, United States, Central America and Mexico.
Extent in latitude results in great variety of climate, while the Gulf of
Mexico and surrounding oceans furnish to most localities abundant moisture.
Ottawa, capital of Dominion of Canada, and great lumber depot; pop.,
27,412; St. Johns, capital of Newfoundland, and easternmost seaport of
North America; pop., 22,583. Number lighthouses in United States, Canada
and Spanish America, 1,127.
Record of great fires: New York, 1835; loss $29,199,000. San Francisco,
1851; loss, 2,500 blocks. Chicago, 1871; loss, $160,594,500. Boston, 1872;
loss, $72,997,500.
Rich soil and excellent tillage combine to produce abundant food supply for
home consumption and foreign export. Tobacco, cotton, woods, dye-stuffs,
grain, flour, meat, eggs and butter are among the supplies exported. Value
of grain crops, United States and Canada, $1,114,428,500. Annual import of
fruit in United States since 1871, 6 lbs. per inhabitant.
Canada has 900,000,000 acres forest; income, $58,398,000. United States,
560,000,000 acres; income, $374,720,500. Mexico and Central America are
rich in mahogany and dye-stuffs. Number acres forest felled daily by United
States wood-cutters, 10,000; annual consumption of firewood, United States
and Canada, 1,550,000,000 cubic feet; number saw-mills, 1882, 15,740.
Nearly every variety of minerals abundant; iron widely diffused. Copper
especially plentiful in region of great lakes; gold and silver in mountain
regions of both sides of continent; lead abundant in central United States;
quicksilver, in California and Mexico, coal fields numerous, and supply
almost inexhaustible; salt also widely distributed. Annual consumption of
coal in United States and Canada, 72,000,000 tons; gold production,
1830-1880, United States and Spanish America, 4,262 tons.
Lakes and rivers well stocked with fish; coast fisheries productive and
profitable, especially on banks of Newfoundland, and along coasts of
Washington and Oregon. Newfoundland has a world-wide reputation for cod
fisheries, and seal fisheries rank next in importance. Average annual catch
of cod, about 1,500,000 quintals; number seals taken yearly, about 600,000;
of herring, about 175,000 bbls. Value fisheries of United States and
Canada, $16,546,100,000.
Population, over 60,000,000, Mexico numbering 10,046,872, and Canada,
4,324,810.
Greenland and Iceland are Danish colonies. Canada and Newfoundland belong
to Great Britain. Executive power of Canada vested in the Governor General,
a representative of the Queen; legislative power exercised by a Senate and
House of Commons, each Province having its own Lieutenant Governor and
legislature. Public affairs of Newfoundland managed by governor, executive
council, and legislative assembly. {65}
[Illustration]
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{66}
ONTARIO. On-t[=a]'re-o.
The most populous Province of the Dominion of Canada; established in 1867.
Previous to 1791 formed part of the Province of Quebec; from 1791 to 1840
known as Upper Canada; in 1840 reunited with Quebec, under the name of
Canada.
Area, census of 1881, 101,733 square miles. Total land occupied, 19,259,909
acres; improved, 11,294,109 acres, of which 8,370,266 acres were under
crops; 2,619,038 acres in pasture, and 304,805 acres in gardens and
orchards.
Temperature at Toronto: winter, 4.8deg to 62.5deg; summer, 38.7deg to
92.7deg; mean temperature, 44.16deg. Rainfall at Toronto, 28.43 inches.
The surface of the country is diversified by numerous lakes and rivers. The
agricultural resources are very great, and the mineral wealth varied and
rich.
Public affairs are administered by a Lieutenant Governor, assisted by an
Executive Council of 6, and a House of Assembly of 89 members. Capital,
Toronto; pop. 86,415. Ottawa, the capital of the Dominion; pop., 27,412.
Ontario sends 24 members to the Dominion Senate.
Agricultural products, 1881: wheat, 27,406,091 bushels; barley, 14,279,841
bushels; oats, 40,209,929 bushels; rye, 1,598,871 bushels; peas and beans,
9,434,872 bushels; buckwheat, 841,649 bushels; corn, 8,096,782 bushels;
potatoes, 18,994,559 bushels; turnips, 33,856,721 bushels; other root
crops, 6,479,222 bushels; hay, 2,038,659 tons; grass and clover seed,
173,219 bushels; flaxseed, 38,208 bushels; tobacco, 160,251 pounds; hops,
615,967 pounds.
Latest reported orchard products: apples, 11,400,517 bushels; grapes,
3,697,555 pounds; other fruits, 644,707 bushels.
Amount of butter produced on farms, 54,862,365 pounds; cheese, 1,701,721
pounds; wool, 6,013,216 pounds; cloth, flannel and linen, 1,440,199 yards.
Maple sugar produced 1881, 4,169,706 pounds; honey, 1,197,628 pounds; flax
and hemp, 1,073,197 pounds. Value of fur product, $129,578.
Number of farm animals in the Province, 1881: horses, 590,298; oxen,
23,263; milch cows and other cattle, 1,678,904; sheep, 1,359,178; swine,
700,922.
Latest reported timber product: white pine, 12,262,570 cu. ft.; red pine,
1,848,927 cu. ft.; oak, 5,448,263 cu. ft.; tamarack 1,515,360 cu. ft.;
walnut, 741,431 cu. ft.; birch and maple, 612,760 cu. ft.; elm, 2,925,382
cu. ft.; all other timber, 26,577,869 cu. ft.; number of pine logs,
14,945,670; other logs, 7,621,610.
The Province has 259 steam vessels, with a tonnage of 44,550; and 289
sailing vessels, with a tonnage of 55,058. There are 5 vessels with 14 men,
and 1,129 boats with 2,101 men and 928,008 fathoms of nets engaged in the
681 fisheries. Product for 1881: herring, 15,605 barrels; whitefish, 38,301
barrels; trout, 55,497 barrels; other fish, 18,817 barrels; fish oil, 1,629
gallons.