2.  Modern  Greece  is  divided  into  two  principal  portions  : — North-
ern Greece  or  Hel'  las,  and  Southern  Greece,  or  Mor6a — anciently
called  Peloponnesus.     The  former  includes  the  country  of  the  an-
cient  Grecian   States,  Acarnania,   JEtolia,    Locris,  Phocis,  Doris,
Bceotia,  Eubce'a,  and  At'tica;  and  the  latter,  the  Peloponnesian
States  of  E' lis,  Achaia,  Cor' inth,  Ar' golis,  Laconia,  and  Messenia;
whose  localities  may  be  learned  from  the  accompanying  map.     The
greatest  length  of  the  northern  portion,  which  is  from  north-west  to
south-east,  is  about  two  hundred  miles,  with  an  average  width  of
fifty  miles.     The  greatest  length  of  the  Morea,  which  is  from  north
to  south,  is  about  one  hundred  and  forty  miles.     The  whole  area  of
the  country  so  renowned  in  history  under  the  name  of  Greece  or
Hel'  las,  is  only  about  twenty  thousand  square  miles,  which  is  less
than  half  the  area  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.
3.  The  general  surface  of  Greece  is  mountainous ;  and  almost  the
only  fertile  spots  are  the  numerous  and  usually  narrow  plains  along
the  sea-shore  and  the  banks  of  rivers,  or,  as  in  several  places,  large
basins,  which  apparently  once  formed  the  beds  of  mountain  lakes.
The  largest  tracts  of  level  country  are  in  western  Hel'  las,  and  along
the  northern  and  north-western  shores  of  the  Morea.
