Progressive Geography Author:James Douglas Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: The fisheries have long been important, and are still of increasing value. Herring, cod, haddocks, and other white fish, crabs, lobsters, and salmon, are chiefly... more » taken. Whale fishing is pursued in the Greenland seas. The foreign commerce is nearly the same as that of England, the imports being chiefly raw material for the manufactures, and the exports manufactured goods, coals, etc. Relioion And Education.—The religion is Fresbyterianism, but there are numerous dissenters, all sects being freely tolerated. Education is widely diffused, and generally is much appreciated. A national system was established in 1872. Government.—Since the Union in 1707, the government of Scotland has been united to that of England, but it still retains its own laws and its own mode of administering them. Population.—About 3| millions. IKELAND. Part First.—PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. Situation And Extent.—Ireland, occupying an area of 32,500 square miles, lies to the west of Great Britain. From Fair Head in Antrim to Mizen Head in Cork, the distance is 300 miles; its greatest breadth, from Slyne Head in Galway, to the most easterly point in Down, is 200 miles. Name.—Ireland means the west land. Ireland is derived from the native name Erin, which, from two Gaelic words, iar, the west, and in, an island, means the Western Isle. The country is so called from its situation with regard to Great Britain. Boundaries.—N.W. and 5., the Atlantic Ocean; E., the Irish Sea. Natural Features.—The country is for the most part level, but in the west and south, and in various parts along the coast, are mountains and cliffs of considerable elevation. In the middle of the country is a number of bogs, which occupy nearly two-fifths of the whole island. On the east the coast is unbroken, but else...« less