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LIV.

QUESTIONS ON THE MAP.

General. How many states on this map? Which three belong to the West Central States? (See page 29.) To what do the others belong? Which is the smallest of the seven? The largest? Which are crossed by the Missouri? Which are partly bounded by it?

Minnesota. What chain of lakes forms the northeast boundary of Minnesota? What ridge in the northern part of the state? What great river rises in this state? In what lake? What branch crosses the southwestern part of this state? What river has its source very near that of the Minnesota? Into what lake does it flow? What city is the capital? What city west of it? North? What city in the southeast on the Mississippi? What one on Lake Superior? In what part of the state are most of the towns?

Iowa.-Between what rivers is Iowa? What river crosses it? What city is the capital? What city on the Missouri? What four cities on the Mississippi?

Missouri. What mountains in the southwestern part of Missouri? What two mountains in the southeastern part? What river crosses the state? What city is the capital? What two other cities on the Missouri? What two on the Mississippi? What city west of the capital?

North Dakota.-What plateau occupies the central part of North Dakota? What great river west of the plateau? Name its chief branches in the state. What river on the eastern boundary? Its chief branches? What two other rivers east of the plateau? Name the chief cities on each of these rivers. Which is the capital?

LINCOLN? Omaha? Hastings? Nebraska City? Plattsmouth? TOPEKA? Leavenworth? Wichita? Kansas City? Atchison? Mountains. Where are they?

Height of Land? Ozark? Pilot Knob? Iron? Black Hills? Rivers. Where does it rise? In what direction does it flow? Through what states? Into what body of water? Mississippi? Missouri? Minnesota ? James? Des Moines? Platte? Kansas? [For Sections LVI. and LVII., see page 54.]

Red River of the North?

LVIII.

WEST CENTRAL STATES.

1. The five states of this group form a belt of nearly equal width from the Gulf of Mexico to the northern boundary of the United States. (See map on page 28.)

2. Surface.—The West Central States resemble each other in the fertility of their soil and in the general level of their surface.

They are mostly low prairies, with timber in the "bottom lands." The only elevations are the short, low ranges of the Boston and Ozark Mountains, and the clay and sand hills of Minnesota. Each state has the Mississippi as its eastern boundary, and is divided almost diagonally by a great navigable branch flowing towards the southeast.

3. Climate. — The chief difference is in climate, which ranges from the short summers and long, cold

PLAINS.

winters of Minnesota to the almost tropical seasons of Louisiana.

4. Productions.-The difference in climate causes a corresponding difference in the products. Agriculture is the leading interest throughout this group of states. The great staples, in the order of latitude, are rice, sugar, cotton, corn, hemp, and wheat. There are also immense quantities of live stock.

Each of these states strongly resembles its eastern neighbor in climate, soil, and productions.

5. Population.-The population of the northern half of this group is mostly derived from the same sources and is of the same general character as that of the North Central States. Public education is provided for with equal liberality, and the common schools are among the first in excellence. The population of the southern half of the

54

LVI.

QUESTIONS ON THE MAP.

General.-How many states and territories on this map?
To what group do Arkansas and Louisiana belong?
(See p. 29.) Texas, Oklahoma, and Indian Territory?

Arkansas.-What mountains in the northwest? What
river crosses the state? What is the capital? What other
towns on the Arkansas? What town southwest of the capital?
Louisiana.-What river crosses the centre of Louisiana?
What two lakes in the southeast? What cities on the Missis-
sippi River? Which is the capital? What city on Red River?
Indian Territory.-What rivers cross the territory?
Oklahoma.-What rivers cross the territory?
part is mountainous? What are the chief towns?
Texas. Name the six chief rivers of Texas. What

What

group is similar to that of the South Central States.

6. Commerce.-The numerous railways and the many navigable rivers present remarkable

commercial advantages.

The chief commercial centres are
St. Louis, in Missouri; Minneapolis
and St. Paul, in Minnesota; and New
Orleans, in Louisiana.

7. Minnesota.- Minnesota con-
tains the crest of the Great Low Plain
of North America.

The waters from this crest, which is called
the Height of Land, flow by Red River
of the North into Hudson Bay, by the
St. Lawrence into the Atlantic, and by
the Mississippi into the Gulf of Mexico.
In the north are numerous lakes.

It has many rapid rivers with inex

haustible water-power.

St. Paul, at the head of navigation on the Mississippi, is the capital. Minneapolis, at the Falls of St. Anthony, is the largest city. It employs its immense water-power chiefly in the manufacture of lumber and flour.

Sioux City, on the Missouri, and Dubuque, Davenport, and Burlington, on the Mississippi, are important cities. Des Moines is the capital.

9. Missouri.-Missouri is noted for its advantageous central position, and for the variety and extent of its agricultural and mineral wealth.

Coal

It is the fifth state in population. and iron, the two most important minerals of civilization, are abundant and excellent; iron is the leading mineral interest. Iron Mountain and Pilot Knob are remarkable masses of iron-ore. Lead-mining is an important interest, the rich and extensive deposits of lead-ore being among the most valuable resources of the state.

St. Louis, the metropolis of the Mississippi Valley, is the fifth city of the United States in population, and is the central depot of exchange and supply for a large part of the Union. Its chief manufactures are iron, flour, and machinery. As a depot for agricultural and grazing products it has a very extensive and rapidly increasing busiFour great water-ways, the Missouri, Ohio, and Upper and Lower Mississippi, with their numerous branches,

ness.

56

make it the centre of many thousands of miles of river navigation, about 1000 miles being within the limits of the state or on its boundaries. Very many lines of railway centre at St. Louis, and connect it with all parts of the country, from Galveston and Mobile to New York, Boston, and San Francisco. A great railroad bridge, with arches of steel, connects it directly with the railroads east of the Mississippi.

Other important places are Kansas City and St. Joseph. The capital is Jefferson City.

10. Arkansas.-The great staples are cotton and corn. Arkansas is rich in water-power, timber, and coal, and in valuable ores of iron, zinc, lead, and silver. The development of these great resources has but lately begun.

Little Rock is the capital and largest city.

11. Louisiana.-Louisiana was settled by the French. Their descendants, who still constitute a considerable part of the population, speak the French language, and are called creoles-that is, natives.

HIGH WATE LOW WATER

This state is in the lowest part of the Great Plain. The surface of the Lower Mississippi during the annual floods is several feet higher than the country through which it passes, especially in Louisiana, and broad walls of earth, called levees, have been constructed to confine it and its tributaries within their banks. Sometimes the water breaks through the levees, and hundreds of square miles of valuable sugar, rice, and cotton plantations are ruined. Such a breach is called a crevasse. The state has no mineral wealth except a vein of pure rock-salt, singularly situated in a low island in the southern marshes.

SCENE ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

River. Trunk railways connect New Orleans, on the one hand, with the whole system of roads east of the Mississippi, and on the other with the great transcontinental lines which extend into Mexico and to the ports of the Pacific Ocean. It is also connected with the Gulf through lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne by canals for vessels of light draught.

Questions (I.)-1. What do the five states of this group form?-2. In what respects do they resemble each other? What river forms their eastern boundary? By what is each divided?-3. In what do they chiefly differ?-4. What other differences arise from difference in climate? What is the leading interest? Name the great staples in the order of their latitude. What other important products?-5. What is said of the population of the northern half of this group? Of public education? Of the common schools? Of the population of the southern half?-6. What commercial advantages has this group? What is the chief commercial centre? What other two important depots?-7. What elevation does Minnesota contain? For what is Minnesota noted? St. Paul? Minneapolis ?-8. What kind of a surface has Iowa? What are its products? Which is the largest city? What other important towns?-9. For what is Missouri noted? For what is St. Louis distinguished? What other important places? What is the capital ?-10. What are the great staples of Arkansas? What city is the capital?-11. By whom was Louisiana settled? Who are the creoles? For what is New Orleans noted? What other trade has it? What is the capital?

(II.)-2. What is the general character of the surface of the West Central States? What elevations have they?-4. What does each of these states resemble?-7. How is the Height of Land drained? Where are the lakes?-9. How does Missouri rank in population? What is said of its coal and iron? Which is the leading mineral interest? What remarkable iron-mines has it? What is said of its lead-mines? What manufactures has St. Louis? What other business has it? Of what is it the centre? What is said of its railway connections?-10. What is said of the resources of Arkansas?-11. Where is Louisiana situated? How does the height of its surface compare with that of the Mississippi? What are levees? What is their use? What is a crevasse? What mineral has this state? Where is New Orleans situated? What is said of its railways? In what other way is it connected with the Gulf?