Alaska, as acquired by purchase from Russia in 1867, with 577,390 square miles.

This gives a grand total of three million, five hundred and seventy-eight thousand, three hundred and ninety-two (3,578,392) square miles of territory, which is about four-ninths of all North America, and more than one-fifteenth of the whole land surface of the globe.
And while this expansion has been thus rapidly going forward here, how has it been with the other leading nations of the globe?
Macmillian & Co., the London publishers, in announcing their "Statesman's Year Book" for 1867, make an interesting statement of the changes that took place in Europe during the half century between the years 1817 and 1867.

They say:-- "The half century has extinguished three kingdoms, one grand duchy, eight duchies, four principalities, one electorate, and four republics.

Three new kingdoms have arisen, and one kingdom has been transformed into an empire.

There are now forty-one States in Europe against fifty-nine which existed in 1817.