MINNESOTA ranks fourth among the Stites of the Union in wheat and barley, eighth in oats and hay, twenty-sixth in popula tion. The first settlement in Minnesota was by Americans, Red River, 1812. Admitted into the Union in 1858.

-7,000,000 square miles, nearly twice that of Europe, or oneeighth of the entire land surface of the globe. The number of inhabitants, according to the latest estimates, amounts to over 32,000,000. With two-thirds of its area within the torrid zone, the average temperature in South America is necessarily higher than that of North America. The moisture is also very great, attains its maximum in the extreme north, and is everywhere greater on the eastern side of the Andes than on the western.

COLOMBIA.-The Republic of Colombia, as the former Republic of New Granada is now styled, is a federal republic of nine departments, in the northwest part of South America. The most western of these departments is the isthmus connecting the two continents. There is no state religion, natives and foreigners alike being guaranteed the most complete freedom of worship; in Bogota and other towns Protestant churches have been opened. Government-Republican. Executive-The President, assisted by seven Ministers. Legislative-The Congress, consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives, the former composed of 27 members, the latter of 66. Each department administers its own finances, etc. The forces comprise a standing army of 3,000 men. Education-Considerable attention is paid to education, there being as many as 1,800 schools giving instruction to 75,000 pupils, while an “Escuela Normal," or college for the instruction of teachers, is provided for in the capital of each department. Panama Canal-The canal in course of construction across the isthmus, between Panama and Colon, will have a total length of 47 miles; average depth, 28 feet; minimum width, 72 feet.

VENEZUELA.--Religion-The Roman Catholic is the state religion, but there is toleration of all others, though they are not permitted any external manifestations. Only one per cent. of the population in 1884 were whites. Government-Republican. Executive-The President, assisted by six Ministers and the Federal Council of 16 members. Legislative-The Congress, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the former with 24 senators, the latter with 52 representatives. The Provinces or States of the Republic have each their own executive and legislature. Education-There were (1884) two universities, 19 federal colleges with 2,538 students; 19 private colleges and normal schools with 907 students, and 1,794 schools attended by 95,000 pupils.

GUIANA.-Guiana, in its widest sense, certainly embraces the whole of the Sierra Parime, thus including districts at present belonging to Venezuela and Brazil; but the name is now generally restricted to the colonial possessions of Britain, Holland and France, in this part of the world. British Guiana is by far

the most flourishing, agriculturally and commercially, of the three colonies. The population embraces 7,538 origines. Government-The Governor, appointed by the British Crown, assisted by the Court of Policy of nine members, and a Combined Court containing, in addition to those nine, six financial representatives.

ECUADOR.-Included within the Republic of Ecuador are the Galapagos Islands, situated in the Pacific about 730 miles due west of the coast. According to the constitution the religion of the Republic is Roman Catholic to the exclusion of every other. Government-Executive, the President. Legislative, the Congress of two houses, the first consisting of two senators for each province, and the second of deputies elected by the people. Army-About 1,600 men. Education-Only about 75,000 of the population can read or write.

PERU. The population of Peru includes about 350,000 uncivilized Indians. By the terms of the constitution the Roman Catholic is declared the religion of the state, and the public exercise of any other is prohibited. At the census of 1876 there were 5,087 Protestants and 498 Jews. Government-Republican. Executive, the President, assisted by a Cabinet of 5 Ministers. Legislative, the Senate and House of Representatives, the former composed of deputies (1 for every 30,000 inhabitants), and the latter of representatives nominated by the provincial electoral colleges of each department. During the war with Chili the army was raised to about 19,000 men; it now numbers about 5,900. The fleet consists of 2 cruisers and 2 small troop ships. Education-By a return of 1880 the facilities provided for education consist of I university at Lima, lesser universities, 45 higher class schools and 650 public and private schools with 32,555 pupils.

BOLIVIA.-Bolivia is the most centrally situated state of South America, and, with the exception of Paraguay, is the only one without a seaboard. Religion-The mixed races forming the population are regarded as at least nominally Christian. Government-Republican. Executive, the President, assisted by a Vice-President and a cabinet of 5 Ministers. Legislative, the Congress, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives, both elected by universal suffrage. The standing army consists of 1,013 officers and 2,000 men, and costs upwards of two-thirds of the public revenue. EducationAccording to a report issued in 1884, the schools and universities were attended by only 12,000 pupils and students, or about 5 per cent. of the population of school age. There are four universities.

MISSISSIPPI ranks second among the States in cotton, fifth in rice, sixth in mules and molasses, seventh in sugar, eighteenth in population. The first settlers in Mississippi were French, at Natchez, 1716. Admitted into the Union in 1817.

Genevieve, 1764. Admitted into the Union in 1821 railway, sheep and potatoes. First settlement, French, at Ste. seventh in oats, eighth in wheat and tobacco, ninth in miles of copper, fifth in population, sixth in iron ore, wool and horses, MISSOURI ranks first in mules, third in oxen, hogs, corn and