In taking a general survey of the volcanic phenomena of the globe,
no facts come out more strikingly than that of the very unequal
distribution, both of the great volcanoes, and of the minor exhibitions
of subterranean energy.
Thus, on the whole of the continent of Europe, there is but one habitual
volcanic vent--that of Vesuvius--and this is situated upon the shores of
the Mediterranean. In the islands of that sea, however there are no
less than six volcanoes: namely, Stromboli, and Vulcano, in the Lipari
Islands; Etna, in Sicily; Graham's Isle, a submarine volcano, off the
Sicilian coast; and Santorin and Nisyros, in the Aegean Sea.
The African continent is at present known to contain about ten active
volcanoes--four on the west coast, and six on the east coast, while
about ten other active volcanoes occur on islands close to the African
coasts. On the continent of Asia, more than twenty active volcanoes
are known or believed to exist, but no less than twelve of these are
situated in the peninsula of Kamchatka. No volcanoes are known to exist
in the Australian continent.
The American continent contains a greater number of volcanoes than
the continents of the Old World. There are twenty in North America,
twenty-five in Central America, and thirty-seven in South America. Thus,
taken altogether, there are about one hundred and seventeen volcanoes
situated on the great continental lands of the globe, while nearly twice
as many occur upon the islands scattered over the various oceans.
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