ranks the fifth in population among all the States in the world, while it is the fourth in territorial extent. In this table the British empire stands second only to the Chinese empire in population, while we hold the fifth place. But the population of the British Islands is much less than of this country; and to give the British empire the place it holds in this table, the enormous population of India must be added to that of the British Islands and colonies. By Table II. we learn that this country is only the twenty-third, if the countries of the world are ranked according to the density of population, or the number of inhabitants to the square mile of surface. Belgium stands at the head. This little State, which is smaller in extent than any but 7 of our 37 States, has 451 persons on each square mile; while we have but 11. That is to say, this country is 3,421 times as large in extent as Belgium, while that country has 41 times as many living on each square mile as this country. The British Islands have 24 times as many, France 15 times as many, and Germany 17 times as many persons to the square mile as we have. Many ages must elapse before our population can press upon our means of subsistence, all which are derived primarily from land, so as to make it as difficult for the masses to live here in comfort as it now is there. No wonder that their crowded population is pouring into our vacant lands at such a rapid rate. Table III. relates to railroads. Here we lead the world in the number of miles open to traffic, having more than four times as many as the British Islands, which come next to us. And yet we rank but the eleventh in the number of miles of railroad to each square mile of surface. Table IV. relates to telegraphs. Here, too, we lead the world in the miles of telegraph; but not so widely as in railroads, Russia, which comes next to us, having nearly half as many. We hold a still lower place, only the seventeenth, -if the nations are ranked by the miles of telegraph to the square miles of surface. Table V. relates to the mercantile navies of the world. It shows us that we rank second, Great Britain alone exceeding us, having more than twice as many in tonnage, and three times as many in number as we have. Table VI. gives the debts and revenue of the various nations, in pounds sterling, to which all of them are reduced; this sum multiplied by five gives the amount in dollars. Here Great Britain takes the lead, France coming next, and we holding the third place. The debts are also compared with the revenues. The debt of Great Britain is equal to the revenue of 10 years; that of France to its revenue of 7 years; while our debt equals the revenue of 62 years. |