THE precise extent and population of the globe will probably remain for ever unknown: estimates of both, however, have often been made by various writers, which differ materially from each other, according to the different ideas entertained by those who have directed their attention to the subject. Geographers roundly estimate the ocean and its branches to occupy three-fourths of the entire sur face of the earth. But to ascertain the exact proportion between the land and water, will afford them ample employment for ages to come, though every day adds to the stock of information already acquired. POPULATION. 3,256,659 3,220.704 2,942,166 11,270,725 11,063,347 10,357,510 16,282,808 15,301,736 12,144,738 3,681,168 4,655,520 3,902,200 50,554,960 49,978,427 41,648,651 America.. Europe Africa.. Asia Oceanica Totals.. Malte Brun. 660,000,000 707,279,600 686,000,000 690,000,000 700,000,000 437,000,000 The various nations of mankind may be reduced to five original races or types. The first is called the European race, and occupies Western Asia, Eastern and Northern Africa, Hindoostan, and Europe, and embraces the white inhabitants of America. This race is sometimes called the Caucasian, it being imagined that it originated near the mountains of Caucasus. The principal nations embraced in this class are the Europeans and their American descendants, the Arabs, Moors, Turks, Hindoos, and Abyssinians. They are distinguished by the following peculiarities; the skin more or less white or brown, the cheeks tinged with red, long hair, either light or brown, the head round, the face oval and narrow, the forehead smooth, the nose slightly arched, and the mouth small. The second variety is the Tartar or Mongul, and includes all the nations in Asia, east of the Gan. ges, excepting Malaya. It embraces also the Laplanders and Finns, in Europe, and the Esquimaux, from Behring's Straits to Greenland, in America. The characteristics are a yellow skin, black straight hair, the head square, the face large and flat, the nose small and flat, the cheeks round and prominent, and the chin pointed. The third, or American variety, consisting of the aborigines of the western continent, are of a copper colour, have hair black and straight, forehead low, eyes sunk, nose almost flat, the cheek bones very prominent, and the face large. There is considerable resemblance between this and the preceding variety. The fourth race is that of the Malay, comprehending the inhabitants of the peninsula of Malaya, and the islands of the Pacific Ocean, with the exception of New Holland, New Guinea, New Cale donia, and Van Diemen's Land. The following are its characteristics: a tawny colour, the hair black, soft, thick, abundant, and curled, the forehead bulging out, the nose thick, wide, and flattened, the mouth large, and the upper jaws a little projecting. The fifth race is that of the negro, which is spread over all Western and Southern Africa. It is found also upon the coasts of Madagascar, and in some of the islands adjacent to Asia, and occupies New Holland, Van Diemen's Land, New Caledonia, and New Guinea. The characteristics are, colour black, hair black and woolly, head narrow and compressed on each side, the forehead very convex and arched, the cheek bones projecting, the nose large and flat, the lips thick, the chin drawn in, and the legs crooked. Of these five races the Caucasian deserves to be considered the first. Not only is the countenance more beautiful, but the intellectual and moral endowments of this race are of a higher character. Whenever they have met with the other races, they have ultimately prevailed. They have excelled all others in literature and the arts, and seem to have given birth to most of the valuable institutions of human society. 563 The following table exhibits Hassel's enumeration of the various races of men : Man is the only animal that has a rational and articulate language. The various languages on the globe, including the dialects, are very numerous. In America, among the natives, no less than 1200 have been found. In Africa, 276; in Europe, 545; in Asia and the South Sea Islands, 991. The whole number is 3026. All these may be reduced to about 80 original languages, of which the others are only branches. Some of these, particularly those used by enlightened nations, are very copious, and have forms of expression for every shade of thought and feeling. There are others, belonging to savage nations, which have no words except for those objects which can be appreciated by the five senses. The most polished languages of Europe are the English, French, Italian, and German; in Asia, the Arabian, Persian, and Sanscrit. The most widely diffused languages in the world, are the German or Teutonic, with its dialects, of which the English is one; the Sclavonic, of which the Russian is a dialect; the Arabic, which is also the religious language of all Mahometan countries; and the Chinese, which is perhaps at present spoken by a greater number of persons than any other. But the English language appears destined to have more universal diffusion, in time to come, from the rapid growth, in various quarters of the earth, of those communities which have sprung from Great Britain. The following are the languages and dialects as far as known : All nations, even the most savage, appear to believe in the existence of some invisible being pos sessed of power superior to man. The various methods in which nations manifest this belief, constitute so many different religions; the external acts, which are the results of such religious belief, form modes of worship. The religion professed by any people is a remarkable and important feature in their social condition. Religious opinions do not come directly under the cognisance of the geographer; but he is called upon to mark this as a particular in which nations strikingly differ from each other. The inhabitants of the earth may, in regard to religion, be divided into three great classes-Christian, Mahometan, and Pagan. The first, as to numerical amount, considerably exceeds the second, and still falls short of the third; but the nations professing it, have acquired such an ascendency in arts, social improvements, and political power, while their colonies have filled, and are multiplying over all the lately savage and unoccupied portions of the globe, that, in all probability, this faith will, in a few generations, be more widely diffused than any other. The Mahometan nations, though in numbers they do not equal the last mentioned, and though they yet occupy a large proportion of the most fertile regions of the globe, are sunk into such a state of slavery and degradation, and are so decidedly surpassed by the Christian people, that their sway is not likely to endure above a century or two. Of the Pagan religions, much the most numerous, and the only civilized professors, are those attached to the kindred creeds of Brahma and Buddha, established, the one over the greater part of Hindoostan; the other in China, and other continental kingdoms and insular territories of Eastern Asia. From their peculiar habits, and the immutable nature of their institutions, they are likely to adhere to these systems with greater pertinacity than the votaries of superstition in Africa, the South Sea, and other quarters, where the train of belief and observance, however fantastic, is of a slighter and looser texture. POPULATION OF THE WORLD-CHRISTIAN MISSIONS. The following table shows the estimates of Hassel and Malte-Brun of the various religions. Pagans,. ACCORDING TO HASSEL. Christians,.. Mahometans,.. Jews, Divisions of Pagans. .315,977,000 ...111,353,000 565 Buddhists, Bramins, Fetichists, .....66,667,300 Sect of Tao-tse, China, Followers of Confucius,. ..25,000,000 ..11.200,000 .3,000,000 ..3,423,000 It is one of the characteristics of the present day, that exertions are making in Christian countries to disseminate Christianity in heathen lands, and through its influence to civilize savage and barbarous nations. Every benevolent mind must look with favour upon all judicious attempts to substitute the purifying worship of the "One Living and True God," for the debasing idolatries which man has invented, and to exchange the cruel and comfortless habits of savage life, for the happier conditions of the civilized state. The efforts of the missionaries in various countries, have not yet been, on the whole, attended with full success; but enough has been done to justify the conclusion, that the Christian nations have it in their power to diffuse their religious and their civil institutions over the whole earth. The time is probably not very distant, when the true method of conducting missions in heathen lands will be discovered, and when the people of Christendom will become convinced of the practi cability and the importance of their affecting a moral renovation of the globe. When this is done, the accomplishment of the anticipated event cannot be far remote. The following table contains the names of the principal missionary stations in the world, together with the societies by whom they have been formed and the countries in which they are situated: those having a affixed will be found on the map. In the table, the different societies are indicated by abbreviations, as follows, viz: A. B. C. F. M., American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. A. B. B. F. M., American Baptist Board for Foreign Missions. A. M. M. S., American Methodist Missionary Society P. E. M. S., Protestant Episcopal Missionary Society. Un. Breth., United Brethren, or Moravians. S. P. G., Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts. L. M. S., London Missionary Society. C. M. S., Church Missionary Society. W. M. S., Wesleyan Missionary Society. B. M. S., Baptist Missionary Society. L. J. S., London Jews' Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews. Ser. Bap., Serampore Baptists. S. M. S., Scottish Missionary Society. GI. M. S., Glasgow Missionary Society. F. P. M. S., French Protestant Missionary Society. Ger. M. S., German Missionary Society. R. M. S., Rhenish Missionary Society. N. M. S., Netherlands Missionary Society. |