See also:

• SICILY (Ital. Sicilia)

SICILY (Ital. Sicilia)  , an See also:

• ISLAND (O.E. ieg =isle, +land')

island of the Mediterranean See also:

• SEA (in O. Eng. sae, a common Teutonic word; cf. Ger. See, Dutch Zee, &c.; the ultimate source is uncertain)
• SEA, COMMAND OF THE

Sea belonging to the See also:

• KINGDOM

kingdom of See also:

• ITALY
• ITALY (Italia)

Italy, and separated from the nearest point of the mainland of Italy only by the Straits of See also:

• MESSINA

Messina, which at their narrowest See also:

• PART

part are about 2 M . M. width . It is nearly bisected by the See also:

• MERIDIAN
• MERIDIAN (from the Lat. meridianus, pertaining to the south or mid-day)

meridian of 14° E., and by far the greater part lies to the See also:

• SOUTH
• SOUTH, ROBERT (1634–1716)

south of 38° N . Its southernmost point, however, in 36° 38' N. is 40' to the See also:

• NORTH
• NORTH, BARONS
• NORTH, MARIANNE (1830—1890)
• NORTH, ROGER (1653-1734)
• NORTH, SIR THOMAS (1535?-16o1?)

north of Point See also:

• TARIFA

Tarifa, the southernmost point of See also:

• SPAIN
• SPAIN (Espana)

Spain and of the See also:

• CONTINENT (from Lat. continere, "to hold together "; hence " connected," " continuous ")

continent of See also:

• EUROPE

Europe . In shape it is roughly triangular,) whence the See also:

• ANCIENT
• ANCIENT (also spelt ANTIENT; derived, through the Fr. ancien, old, from the late Lat. antianum, from ante, before)

ancient poetical name of Trinacria, referring to its three promontories of Pelorum (now See also:

• FARO
• FARO (from Pharaoh, a picture of the Egypidan king appearing on a card of the old French pack)

Faro) in the north-See also:

• EAST
• EAST, ALFRED (1849- )

east, Pachynum (now Passero) in the south-east, and Lilybaeum (now Boeo) in the See also:

• WEST
• WEST, BENJAMIN (1738-1820)
• WEST, NICHOLAS (1461-1533)

west . Its See also:

• AREA

area, exclusive of the adjacent small islands belonging to the compartimento, is, according to the calculations of the Military See also:

• GEOGRAPHICAL

Geographical See also:

• INSTITUTE (from Lat. instituere, to establish or set up)

Institute of Italy, 986o sq. m.; while the area of the whole compartimento is 9936 sq. m . The island occupies that part of the Mediterranean in which the shallowing of the See also:

• WATERS, TERRITORIAL

waters divides that sea into two basins, and in which there are numerous indications of frequent changes in a See also:

• RECENT

recent See also:

• GEOLOGICAL

geological See also:

• PERIOD
• PERIOD (Gr. irepioSos, a going or way round, circuit, aepi, round, and &Sis, way, road)

period . The channel between Cape Bon in See also:

• TUNIS

Tunis and the south-west of See also:

• SICILY (Ital. Sicilia)

Sicily (a distance of 8o m.) is, on the whole, shallower than the Straits of Messina, being for the most part under 10o fathoms in See also:

• DEPTH

depth, and exceeding 200 fathoms only for a very See also:

• SHORT, FRANCIS JOB (1857– )

short See also:

• INTERVAL

interval, while the Straits of Messina, have almost everywhere a depth exceeding 150 fathoms . The geological structure in the neighbourhood of this strait shows that the island must originally have been formed by a rupture between it and the mainland, but that this rupture must have taken See also:

• PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place at a period See also:

• LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
• LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

long antecedent to the See also:

• ADVENT (Lat. Adventus, sc. Redemptoris, " the coming of the Saviour ")

advent of See also:

• MAN
• MAN, ISLE OF (anc. Mona)

man, so that the name Rhegium cannot be based even on the tradition of any such See also:

• CATASTROPHE (Gr. Karaurpoch, from KaraQrp4ecv, to over-turn)

catastrophe . The See also:

• MOUNTAIN (0. Fr. montaigne; popular Lat. montanea, an adjectival form from the classical mons, montis, whence Eng. " mount," a form usually used along with the name of an individual mountain, e.g. Mt Everest)
• MOUNTAIN, THE (La Montagne)

mountain range that runs out towards the north-east of Sicily is composed of crystal-See also:

• LINE

line rocks precisely similar to those forming the parallel range of See also:

• ASPROMONTE

Aspromonte in See also:

• CALABRIA

Calabria, but both of these are girt about by sedimentary strata belonging in part to an See also:

• EARLY
• EARLY, JUBAL ANDERSON (1816-1894)

early See also:

• TERTIARY

Tertiary See also:

• EPOCH (Gr. E7roxij, holding in suspense, a pause, from E1rxav, to hold up, to stop)

epoch . That a subsequent See also:

• LAND

land connexion took place, however, by the See also:

• ELEVATION

elevation of the sea-See also:

• BED
• BED (a common Teutonic word, cf. German Bett, probably connected with the Indo-European root bhodh, seen in the Lat. fodere, to dig; so " a dug-out place " for safe resting, or in the same sense as a garden " bed ")

bed there is abundant See also:

• EVIDENCE (Lat. evidentia, evideri, to appear clearly)

evidence to show; and the occurrence of the remains of See also:

• AFRICAN

African See also:

• QUATERNARY

Quaternary mammals, such as Elephas meridionalis, E. antiquus, See also:

• HIPPOPOTAMUS (" river-horse," Gr. lames, horse and aoraµbs, river)

Hippopotamus pentlandi, as well as of those of still living African forms, such as Elephas See also:

• AFRICANUS, SEXTUS JULIUS

africanus and Hyaena crocuta, makes it probable that there was a See also:

• DIRECT

direct See also:

• POST

post-Tertiary connexion also with the African continent . The north See also:

• COAST (from Lat. costa, a rib, side)

coast is generally steep and cliff-See also:

• BOUND, or BOUNDARY (from O. Fr. bonde, Med. Lat. bodena or butina, a frontier line)

bound, and abundantly provided with See also:

• GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

good harbours, of which that of See also:

• PALERMO (Greek, Havopuos; Latin, Panhormus, Panormus)

Palermo is the finest .

In the west and south, and in the south part of the east See also:

• SIDE
• SIDE (mod. Eski Adalia)

side, the hills are much See also:

• LOWER

lower and recede farther from the sea . The coast is for the most part See also:

• FLAT (a modification of O. Eng. flet, an obsolete word of Teutonic origin, meaning the ground beneath the feet)

flat, more See also:

• REGULAR

regular in outline and less favourable to See also:

• SHIPPING

shipping, while in the east, 1 The name T pu'wcpla was no doubt suggested by the epwa4 s, of See also:

• HOMER, WINSLOW (1836-191o)

Homer (which need not, however, be Sicily), and the See also:

• GEOGRAPHY (Gr. yil, earth, and ypiickty, to write)

geography was then fitted to the apparent meaning given to the name by the See also:

• CHANGE (derived through the Fr. from the Late Lat. cambium, cambiare, to barter; the ultimate derivation is probably from the root which appears in the Gr. «a urmu', to bend)

change . But of these three so-called promontories the last is not a true promontory, and it is more accurate to treat Sicily as having a See also:

• FOURTH

fourth side on the west . where the sea-bottom sinks rapidly down towards the eastern See also:

• BASIN, or BASON (the older form bacin is found in many of the Romanic languages, from the Late Lat. baccinus or bacchinus, probably derived from bacca, a bowl)
• BASIN, THOMAS (1412—1491)

basin of the Mediterranean, steep rocky coasts prevail except opposite the See also:

• PLAIN (O. Fr. plain, from Lat. plenum)

plain of See also:

• CATANIA (Gr. Katane, Rom. Catinal)

Catania . In the See also:

• NORTHERN

northern See also:

• HALF

half of this coast the See also:

• LAVA

lava streams of See also:

• MOUNT, WILLIAM SIDNEY (1807-1868)

Mount See also:

• ETNA
• ETNA (Gr. AZ-rvn, from aZOw, burn; Lat. Aetna)

Etna stand out for a distance of about 20 m. in a line of bold cliffs and promontories . At various points on the east, north and west coasts there are evidences of a rise of the land having taken place within See also:

• HISTORICAL

historical times, at See also:

• TRAPANI (anc. Drepanum)

Trapani on the west coast even within the 19th See also:

• CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century . As in the See also:

• REST (O. Eng. rest, reste, bed, cognate with other Teutonic forms, e.g. Ger. Rast, Riiste, rest, and probably Gothic Rasta, league, i.e. resting or stopping place)

rest of the Mediterranean, tides are scarcely observable; but at several points on the west and south coasts a curious oscillation in the level of the waters, known to the natives as the marrobbio (or marobia), is sometimes noticed, and is said to be always preceded by certain atmospheric signs . This consists in a sudden rise of the sea-level, occasionally to the height of 3 ft., sometimes occurring only once, sometimes repeated at intervals of a See also:

• MINUTE
• MINUTE (Lat. minutes, small; minuere, to make less)

minute for two See also:

• HOURS, CANONICAL

hours, or even, at Mazzara, where it is most frequently observed, for twenty-four hours together . The See also:

• SURFACE

surface of Sicily lies for the most part more than 500 ft. above the level of the sea . Caltanissetta, which occupies the See also:

• MIDDLE

middle point in elevation as well as in respect of geographical situation, stands 1900 ft. above sea-level . Considerable mountains occur only in the north, where the lower slopes of all the heights See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form one continuous See also:

• SERIES (a Latin word from serere, to join)

series of See also:

• OLIVE (Olea europaea)

olive-yards and orangeries . Of the rest of the island the greater part forms a See also:

• PLATEAU (a French term, older platel, for a flat piece of wood, metal, &c., from plat, flat)
• PLATEAU, JOSEPH ANTOINE FERDINAND (1801-1883)

plateau varying in elevation and mostly covered with See also:

• WHEAT
• WHEAT (Triticum)

wheat-See also:

• FIELDS, JAMES THOMAS (1817-1881)

fields .

The only plain of any See also:

• GREAT

great extent is that of Catania, watered by the Simeto, in the east; to the north of this plain the active See also:

• VOLCANO

volcano of Etna rises with an exceedingly See also:

• GENTLE (through the Fr. gentil, from Lat. gentilis, belonging to the same gens, or family)

gentle slope to the height of so,868 ft. from a See also:

• BASE

base 400 sq. m. in extent . This is the highest elevation of the island . The steep and narrow crystalline See also:

• RIDGE (a word. common to many Teutonic languages, meaning " back," whether of a man or an animal, cf. German Rucke)
• RIDGE, WILLIAM PETT (1864- )

ridge which trends north-eastwards, and is known to geographers by the name of the Peloritan Mountains, does not reach 4000 ft . The Nebrodian Mountains, a See also:

• LIMESTONE

limestone range connected with the Peloritan range and having an east and west trend, rise to a somewhat greater height, and farther west, about the middle of the north coast, the Madonie (the only one of the See also:

• GROUPS
• GROUPS, THEORY

groups mentioned which has a native name) culminate at the height of nearly 6500 ft . From the western end of the Nebrodian Mountains a lower range (in some places under r 5oo;ft. in height) winds on the whole south-eastwards in the direction of Cape Passaro . With the exception of the Simeto, the See also:

• PRINCIPAL

principal perennial streams—the Salso, the Platani and the Belice—enter the sea on the south coast . See also:

• GEOLOGY (from Gr. yp7, the earth, and Abyor, science)

Geology.1--In See also:

• GENERAL
• GENERAL (Lat. generalis, of or relating to a genus, kind or class)

general, the older beds occur along the northern coast, and progressively newer and newer beds are found towards the south . Folding, however, has brought some of the older beds to the surface in the hills which See also:

• LIE, JONAS LAURITZ EDEMIL (1833—1908)
• LIE, MARIUS SOPHUS (1842–1899)

lie to the north and north-east of See also:

• SCIACCA

Sciacca . The Monti Peloritani at the north-eastern extremity of the island consists of See also:

• GNEISS

gneiss and crystalline See also:

• SCHISTS (Gr. vxq'ecv, to split)

schists; but with this exception the whole of Sicily is formed of Mesozoic and later deposits, the Tertiary beds covering by far the greater part . Triassic rocks form a discontinuous See also:

• BAND

band along the northern coast, and are especially well See also:

• DEVELOPED

developed in the neighbourhood of Palermo . They rise again to the surface in the See also:

• SOUTHERN

southern part of the island, in the hills which lie to the north of Sciacca and Bivona . In both areas they are accompanied by See also:

• JURASSIC

Jurassic, and occasionally by Cretaceous, beds; but of the latter there are only a few small patches .

In the south-eastern part of the island there are also a few very small outcrops of Mesozoic beds . The See also:

• EOCENE (Gr. *In, dawn, icauvos, recent)

Eocene and Oligocene form a broad See also:

• BELT (a word common to Teutonic languages, the Old Ger. form being bale, from which the Lat. balteus probably derived)
• BELT, THOMAS (1832-1878)

belt along the northern coast, very much more continuous than the Mesozoic band, and from this belt a See also:

• BRANCH (from the Fr. branche, late Lat. branca, an animal's paw)

branch extends southwards to Sciacca . Another patch of considerable See also:

• SIZE

size lies to the east of Piazza-Armerina . See also:

• MIOCENE

Miocene and See also:

• PLIOCENE (from the Gr. sr?eiov, mere, and xatvbs, recent)

Pliocene deposits See also:

• COVER (from the Fr. convert, from couvrir, to cover, Lat. cooperire)

cover nearly the whole of the See also:

• COUNTRY (from the Mid. Eng. contre or contrie, and O. Fr. cuntree; Late Lat. contrata, showing the derivation from contra, opposite, over against, thus the tract of land which fronts the sight, cf. Ger. Gegend, neighbourhood)

country south of a line See also:

• DRAWN

drawn from Etna to See also:

• MARSALA

Marsala; and there is also a considerable Miocene area in the north about Mistretta . Volcanic lavas and ashes of a recent geological period form not only the whole of Etna but also a large part of the Monti Iblei in the south . Small patches occur also at Pachino and in the hills north of Sciacca . See also:

• CLIMATE

Climate.—The climate of Sicily resembles that of the other lands in the extreme south of Europe . As regards temperature, it has the warm and equable See also:

• CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character which belongs to most of the Mediterranean region . At Palermo (where continuous observations have been made since 1791) the range of temperature between the mean of i A general See also:

• ACCOUNT
• ACCOUNT (through O. Fr. acont, Late Lat. comptum, cornputare, to calculate)

account of the geology of the island will be found in L . Baldacci, Descrizione geologica dell' isola di Sicilia (See also:

• ROME
• ROME (Roma)

Rome, 1886), with See also:

• MAP
• MAP (or MAPES), WALTER (d. c. 1208/9)

map . For See also:

• FULLER, ANDREW (1954-1815)
• FULLER, GEORGE (1822—1884)
• FULLER, M
• FULLER, MARGARET, MARCHIONESS
• FULLER, MELVILLE WESTON (1833-1910)
• FULLER, THOMAS (16o8-1661)
• FULLER, WILLIAM (1670--c. 1717)

fuller and later See also:

• INFORMATION (from Lat. informare, to give shape or form to, to represent, describe)

information reference should be made to the publications of the Reale Comitato Geologico d'Italia . the coldest and that of the hottest See also:

• MONTH
• MONTH (a common Teutonic word, cf. Ger. Mond, Du. maand, Dan. maaned, &c., and cognate with Lat. mensis, Gr. µi7v, &c., in other branches of the Indo-Germanic family; all ultimately from the root seen in the word for the moon in nearly all those languages

month is little reater than at See also:

• GREENWICH

Greenwich .

The mean temperature of See also:

• JANUARY

January (51i° F.) is nearly as high as that of See also:

• OCTOBER

October in the south of See also:

• ENGLAND
• ENGLAND, THE CHURCH OF

England, that of See also:

• JULY

July (77° F.) about 13° warmer than the corresponding month at Greenwich . In only seven of the See also:

• THIRTY

thirty years, 1871-1900, was the thermometer observed to sink below the freezing-point; See also:

• FROST (a common Teutonic word, cf. Dutch, vorst, Ger. Frost, from the common Teutonic verb meaning " to freeze," Dutch, vriezcn, Ger. frieren; the Indo-European root is seen in Lat. pruina, hoar-frost, cf. prurire, to itch, burn, pruna, burning coal, Sans
• FROST, WILLIAM EDWARD (1810–1877)

frost thus occurs in the island even on the See also:

• LOW, SETH (1850- )
• LOW, WILL HICOK (1853- )

low grounds, though never for more than a few hours . On the coast See also:

• SNOW (in O. Eng. sndw; a common Indo-European word; cf. in Teutonic languages, Ger. Schnee, Du. sneeuw; in Slavonic snieg', Lith. snegas; Gr. vi4a, Lat. nix, nivis, whence the Romanic forms, Ital. neve, Fr. neige, &c.; Ir. and Gael. sneachd; the original

snow is seldom seen, but it does fall occasionally . On the Madonie it lies till See also:

• JUNE

June, on Etna till July . The See also:

• ANNUAL

annual rainfall except on the higher mountains does not reach 30 in., and, as in other parts of the extreme south of Europe, it occurs 'chiefly in the See also:

• WINTER, JOHN STRANGE
• WINTER, PETER (c. 1755-1825)

winter months, while the three months (June, July and See also:

• AUGUST (originally Sextilis)

August) are almost quite dry . During these months the whole rainfall does not exceed 2 in., except on the slopes of the mountains in the north-east . Hence most of the streams dry up in summer . The See also:

• CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief See also:

• SCOURGE (Ital. scoriada, from Lat. excoriare, to flay, corium, skin)

scourge is the See also:

• SIROCCO

sirocco, which is experienced in its most characteristic form on the north coast, as an oppressive, parching, hot, dry See also:

• WIND
• WIND (a common Teut. word, cognate with Skt. vats, Lat. ventus, cf. " weather," to be of course distinguished from to " wind," to coil or twist, O.Eng. windan, cf. "wander," "wend," &c.)

wind, blowing strongly and steadily from the south, the See also:

• ATMOSPHERE (Gr. fir µ6r, vapour; orkaipa, a sphere)

atmosphere remaining through the whole period of its duration leaden-coloured and hazy in consequence of the presence of immense quantities of reddish dust . It occurs most frequently in See also:

• APRIL

April, and then in May and See also:

• SEPTEMBER (Lat. septem, seven)

September, but no month is entirely See also:

• FREE

free from it . Three days are the longest period for which it lasts . The same name is sometimes applied to a moist and not very hot, but yet oppressive, south-east wind which blows from See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time to time on the east coast . See also:

• MALARIA

Malaria occurs in some parts of the island .

See also:

• FLORA

Flora.—The flora of Sicily is remarkable for its See also:

• WEALTH

wealth of See also:

• SPECIES

species; but, comparing Sicily with other islands that have been long separated from the mainland, the number of endemic species is not great . The orders most abundantly represented are the See also:

• COMPOSITAE

Compositae, Cruelferae, See also:

• LABIATAE (i.e. " lipped," Lat. labium, lip)

Labiatae, See also:

• CARYOPHYLLACEAE

Caryophyllaceae and See also:

• SCROPHULARIACEAE

Scrophulariaceae . The See also:

• ROSACEAE

Rosaceae are also abundantly represented, and among them are numerous species of the See also:

• ROSE
• ROSE (Rosa)
• ROSE, GEORGE (1744-1818)
• ROSE, HUGH JAMES (1795—1838)
• ROSE, WILLIAM STEWART (1775-1843)

rose . The general aspect of the vegetation of Sicily, however, has been greatly affected, as in other parts of the Mediterranean, by the introduction of See also:

• PLANTS

plants within historical times . Being more densely populated than any other large Mediterranean island, and having its See also:

• POPULATION (Lat. populus, people; populare, to populate)

population dependent chiefly on the products of the See also:

• SOIL

soil, it is necessarily more extensively cultivated than any other of the larger islands referred to, and many of the See also:

• OBJECTS

objects of cultivation are not originally natives of the island . Not to mention the olive, which must have been introduced at a remote period, all the members of the See also:

• ORANGE
• ORANGE (Citrus Aurantium)
• ORANGE, HOUSE OF

orange tribe, the See also:

• AGAVE

agave and the prickly See also:

• PEAR (Pyrus communis)

pear, as well as other plants highly characteristic of Sicilian scenery, have been introduced since the beginning of the See also:

• CHRISTIAN
• CHRISTIAN, WILLIAM (1608-1663)

Christian era . With respect to vegetation and cultivation three zones may be distinguished . The first reaches to about 1600 ft. above sea-level, the upper limit of the members of the orange tribe; the second ascends to about 3300 ft., the limit of the growth of wheat, the See also:

• VINE

vine and the hardier evergreens; and the third, that of forests, reaches from about 330o ft. upwards . But it is not merely height that determines the general character of the vegetation . The cultivated trees of Sicily mostly demand such an amount of moisture as can be obtained only on the mountain slopes, and it is worthy of See also:

• NOTICE

notice that the structure of the mountains is peculiarly favourable to the See also:

• SUPPLY (through Fr. from Lat. supplere, to fill up)

supply of this want . The limestones of which they are mostly composed See also:

• ACT (Lat. actus, actum)

act like a sponge, absorbing the See also:

• RAIN (O.E. regn; the word is common to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Regen, Swed. and Dan. regn; it has been connected with Lat. rigare, to wet, Gr. 13pixeav)

rain-See also:

• WATER

water through their innumerable pores and fissures, and thus storing it up in the interior, afterwards to allow it to well forth in springs at various elevations lower down . In this way the See also:

• IRRIGATION (Lat. in, and rigare, to water or wet)

irrigation which is absolutely indispensable for the members of the orange tribe during the dry See also:

• SEASON (0. Fr. seson, seison, mod. saison, Lat. satio, sowing time, the spring, from serere, to sow; in Late Lat. the word is found with its present meaning, the spring being considered as particularly the season of the year)

season is greatly facilitated, and even those trees for which irrigation is not so indispensable receive a more ample supply of moisture during the See also:

• RAINY, ROBERT (1826-1906)

rainy season .

Hence it is that, while the plain of Catania is almost treeless and See also:

• TREE (0. Eng. treo, treow, cf. Dan. tree, Swed. Odd, tree, trd, timber; allied forms are found in Russ. drevo, Gr. opus, oak, and 36pv, spear, Welsh derw, Irish darog, oak, and Skr. dare, wood)
• TREE, SIR HERBERT BEERBOHM (1853- )

tree-cultivation is comparatively limited in the west and south, where the extent of land under 1600 ft. is considerable, the whole of the north and north-east coast from the See also:

• BAY

Bay of Castellammare See also:

• ROUND (O. Fr. rond, Lat. rotundus, the Fr. is the source also of Du. rond; Ger., Swed., Dan. and Nor. rond)

round to Catania is an endless See also:

• SUCCESSION (Lat. successio, from succedere, to follow after)

succession of orchards, in which oranges, citrons and lemons alternate with See also:

• OLIVES, MOUNT OF, or MOUNT OLIVET ("Opus 'EXc uwos or riov 'EXauav; mod. Jebel-et-Tur)

olives, almonds, pomegranates, See also:

• FIGS

figs, carob trees, pistachios, mulberries and vines . The limit in height of the olive is about 2700 ft., and that of the vine about 3500 ft . The See also:

• LEMON
• LEMON, MARK (1809-1870)

lemon is really grown upon a See also:

• BITTER, KARL THEODORE FRANCIS (1867– )

bitter orange tree, grafted to See also:

• BEAR
• BEAR, BLACK
• BEAR, BROWN
• BEAR, GRIZZLY
• BEAR, ISABELLINE
• BEAR, WHITE

bear the lemon . A consider-able See also:

• SILK

silk See also:

• PRODUCTION (Lat. productionem, from producere, to pro-duce)

production depends on the cultivation of the mulberry in the neighbourhood of Messina and Catania . Among other trees and shrubs may be mentioned the See also:

• SUMACH

sumach, the date-See also:

• PALM (Lat. palma, Gr. iraX6.jn )
• PALM, JOHANN PHILIPP (1768-1806)

palm, the See also:

• PLANTAIN (Lat. plantago)

plantain, various bamboos, cycads and the See also:

• DWARF (A.S. dweorg, D. dwerg, Icel. dvergr)

dwarf-palm, the last of which grows in some parts of Sicily more profusely than anywhere else, and in the desolate region in the south-west yields almost the only See also:

• VEGETABLE

vegetable product of importance . The Arundo Dcnax, the tallest of See also:

• EUROPEAN

European See also:

• GRASSES

grasses, is largely grown for vine-stakes . Population.—The area and population of the several provinces are shown in the table on the next See also:

• PAGE
• PAGE, THOMAS NELSON (1853- )
• PAGE, WILLIAM (1811-1885)

page . Thus between 1881 and 1901 the population increased at the See also:

• RATE

rate of 20.5 % . The See also:

• AVERAGE

average See also:

• DENSITY (Lat. densus, thick)

density is extremely high for a country which lives almost exclusively by See also:

• AGRICULTURE
• AGRICULTURE (from Lat. ages, field, and colere, to cultivate)
• AGRICULTURE, BOARD OF

agriculture, and is much higher than the average for Italy in general, 293 per sq. m . In 1905 the population was 3,568,124, the rate of increase being only 4.4% per annum; the low rate is due to See also:

• EMIGRATION (from Lat. emigrare; e, ex, out of, and migrare, to depart)

emigration . * In 1861, 2,392,414; in 1871, 2,584,099 . The chief towns in each of these provinces, with their communal populations in 1901, are as follow: Caltanissetta (43,023), See also:

• CASTROGIOVANNI (Arab. Kasr-Yani, a corruption of Castrum Ennae)

Castrogiovanni (26,081), Piazza Armerina (24,119), See also:

• TERRANOVA

Terranova (22,019), See also:

• SAN

San Cataldo (18,090); Catania (146,504), See also:

• CALTAGIRONE

Caltagirone (44,527), See also:

• ACIREALE

Acireale (35,203), Giarre (26,194), See also:

• PATERNO

Paterno (22,857), Leonforte (21,236), See also:

• BRONTE
• BRONTE, CHARLOTTE (1816–1855), EMILY (1818-1848)

Bronte (20,166), Vizzini (18,013), See also:

• AGIRA (formerly SAN FILIPPO D'ARGIRO)

Agira (17,634), See also:

• NICOSIA

Nicosia (15,811),, See also:

• GRAMMICHELE

Grammichele (15,017); See also:

• GIRGENTI (anc. Agrigent'um, q.v.)

Girgenti (24,872), Canicatti (24,687), Sciacca (24,645), See also:

• LICATA

Licata (22,993), See also:

• FAVARA

Favara (20,403) ; Messina (147,106), Racalmuto (16,028), See also:

• PALMA, JACOPO (c. 1480-1528)
• PALMA, or PALMA DE MALLORCA
• PALMA, or SAN MIGUEL DE LA PALMA

Palma (14,384), Barcellona (24,133), Milazzo (16,214), Mistretta (14,041); Palermo (305,716), Partinico (23,668), See also:

• MONREALE (contraction of monte-reale, so called from a palace built here by Roger I.)

Monreale (23,556), Termini Imerese (20,633), See also:

• BAGHERIA

Bagheria (18,329), See also:

• CORLEONE (Saracen, Korliun)

Corleone (16,350), See also:

• CEFALU (anc. Cephaloedium)

Cefalu (14,518); See also:

• SYRACUSE
• SYRACUSE (Gr. Mvpaaovoat; Lat. Syracusae, Ital. Siracusa)

Syracuse' (31,807), See also:

• MODICA

Modica (49,951), See also:

• RAGUSA
• RAGUSA (Serbo-Croatian Dubrovnik)

Ragusa (32,453), See also:

• VITTORIA

Vittoria (32,219), Comiso (25,837), See also:

• NOTO

Noto (22,284), Lentini (17,100), Avola (16, oi), Scicli (16,220), Palazzolo Acreide (15,106); Trapani (61,448), Marsala (57,824), See also:

• ALCAMO

Alcamo (51,798), See also:

• MONTE

Monte S .

Giuliano (29,824), Castelvetrano (24,510), Castellammare del Golfo (20,665), Mazzara del Vallo (20,044), Salemi (17,159)• The archiepiscopal See also:

• SEES

sees (the See also:

• SUFFRAGAN (Med. Lat. suffraganeus suffragator, one who assists, from suffragari, to vote in favour of, to support)

suffragan sees, if any, being placed after each in brackets) are Catania (Acireale), Messina (Lipari, Nicosia, See also:

• PATTI
• PATTI, ADELINA JUAKA MARIA [BARONESS CEDERSTROM] (1843- )

Patti), Monreale (Caltanissetta, Girgenti), Palermo (Cefalu, Mazara, Trapani), Syracuse (Caltagirone, Noto, Piazza Armerina) . Agriculture.—Sicily, formerly called the granary of Italy, ex-ported See also:

• GRAIN (derived through the French from Lat. granum, seed, from an Aryan root meaning " to wear down," which also appears in the common Teutonic word " corn ")

grain until the end of the 18th century . Now, although the island still produces every See also:

• YEAR

year some 15 million bushels, the supply barely suffices for the See also:

• CONSUMPTION (Lat. consumere)

consumption of a population of which See also:

• BREAD

bread is almost the exclusive See also:

• DIET

diet . The falling-off in the exportation of cereais is not a consequence of any decadence in Sicilian agriculture, but rather of the increase of population, which nearly doubled within the 19th century . Two types of agriculture prevail in Sicily—the extensive and the intensive . The former covers mainly the interior of the island and half the southern coast, while the latter is generally adopted on the eastern and northern coasts . Large holdings of at least 500 hectares (a hectare equals about 21 acres) are indispensable to the profitable pursuit of extensive agriculture . These holdings are usually called feudi or latifondi . Their proprietors alternate the cultivation of wheat with that of See also:

• BARLEY (Hordeum sativum)

barley and beans . During the years in which the soil is allowed to lie See also:

• FALLOW

fallow, the grass and weeds which See also:

• SPRING (from " to spring," " to leap or jump up," " burst out," O. Eng., springau, a common Teut. word, cf. Ger. springer, possibly allied to Gr. QnrFpxecOac, to move rapidly)

spring up serve as pasture for See also:

• CATTLE (Norman Fr. catel, from Late Lat. capitale, wealth or property, a word applied in the feudal system to movable property and particularly to live stock, and surviving in its wider meaning as " chattel " or " chattle ")

cattle, but the poverty of the pasture is such that at least two hectares are required for the See also:

• MAINTENANCE (Fr. maintenance, from maintenir, to maintain, support, Lat. manu tenere, to hold in the hand)

maintenance of every See also:

• ANIMAL
• ANIMAL (Lat. animalis, from anima, breath, soul)

animal . This poverty is due to the lack of rain, which, though attaining an annual average of 29 in. at Palermo, reaches only 21 in. at Syracuse on the east coast, and about 191 in. at Caltanissetta, on the central high plateau . The See also:

• SYSTEM

system of extensive cultivation proper to the latifondi gives an annual average See also:

• GROSS

gross return of about 200 lire per hectare (£3, 4s .

5d. per See also:

• ACRE
• ACRE, or AQUIRY

acre) . Intensive agriculture in Sicily is limited to See also:

• FRUIT (through the French from the Lat. fructus; frui, to enjoy)

fruit trees and fruit-bearing plants, and is not combined with the culture of cereals and vegetables, as in central and parts of northern Italy . Originally the Sicilian system was perhaps due to See also:

• CLIMATIC

climatic difficulties, but now it is recognized in most cases to be more rational than combined culture . Large extents of land along the coasts are therefore exclusively cultivated as vineyards, or as olive, orange, and lemon groves . Vineyards give an annual gross return of between £II and £13 per acre, and orange and lemon groves between £32 and £48 per acre . The by-products of the citrus-essences, citrate of See also:

• LIME
• LIME (O. Eng. lim, Lat. limes, mud, from linere, to smear)

lime, &c. are also of some importance . Much damage is done by the olive See also:

• FLY (formed on the root of the supposed original Tent. fleugan, to fly)

fly . Vegetables are grown chiefly in the neighbourhood of large cities . Almonds are freely cultivated, and they seem to be the only trees susceptible also of cultivation upon the latifondi together with grain . A large export See also:

• TRADE (O. Eng. trod, footstep, from tredan, to tread; in M. Eng. the forms teed, trod and trade appear, the last in the sense of a beaten track)
• TRADE, BOARD OF

trade in almonds is carried on with north and central Europe . See also:

• HAZEL (0. Eng. hresell; cf. Ger. Hasel, Swed. and Dan. Kassel, &c.,; Fr. noiselier, coudrier)

Hazel nuts are grown in See also:

• WOODS, LEONARD (1774-1854)
• WOODS, SIR ALBERT (1816-1904)

woods at a level of more than 1200 ft. above the sea . These also are largely exported to central Europe for use in the manufacture of See also:

• CHOCOLATE

chocolate .

The See also:

• LOCUST

locust See also:

• BEAN (a common Teutonic word, cf. Ger. Bohne)

bean (used for See also:

• FORAGE

forage), figs, and peaches are widely grown, while in certain See also:

• SPECIAL

special zones the pistachio and the See also:

• MANNA

manna-ash yield See also:

• RICH, BARNABE (c. 1540-1617)
• RICH, CLAUDIUS JAMES (1787-1821)
• RICH, JOHN (1692-1761)
• RICH, PENELOPE, LADY (c. 1562–1607)
• RICH, RICHARD, 1ST BARON RICH (1490?-1567)

rich returns . On the more barren soil the sumach See also:

• SHRUB

shrub, the leaves of which are used for tanning, and the prickly pear grow freely . The latter fruit constitutes, with bread, the See also:

• STAPLE

staple See also:

• FOOD
• FOOD (like the verb " to feed," from a Teutonic root, whence O. Eng. foda; cf. " fodder "; connected with Gr. lrareicOae, to feed)

food of the poorest part of the rural population for several months in the year . The cultivation of See also:

• COTTON
• COTTON (Fr. coton; from Arab. qutun)
• COTTON, CHARLES (163o–1687)
• COTTON, GEORGE EDWARD LYNCH (1813–1866)
• COTTON, JOHN (1585–1652)
• COTTON, SIR ROBERT BRUCE

cotton, which spread during the See also:

• AMERICAN

American See also:

• WAR
• WAR (O. Eng. werre, Fr. guerre, of Teutonic origin; cf. O.H.G. werran, to confound)

War of See also:

• SECESSION

Secession, is now rare, since it has not been able to withstand the competition of more favoured countries . All these branches ofintensive cultivation yield a higher gross return than that of the extensive system . Along the coast landed See also:

• PROPERTY

property is as a See also:

• RULE

rule broken up into small holdings, usually cultivated by their owners . There is possibility of great development of See also:

• MARKET (Lat. mercatus, trade or place of trade)

market-gardening . Climatic conditions prevent cattle-raising in Sicily from being as prosperous an undertaking as in central Italy . The See also:

• TOTAL

total number of bullocks in the island is calculated to be less than 200,000; and although the ratio of consumption of See also:

• MEAT

meat is low in proportion to the population, some of the cattle for slaughter have to be imported . See also:

• SHEEP
• SHEEP (from the Anglo-Saxon sceap, a word common in various forms to Teutonic languages; e.g. the German Schaf)

Sheep and goats, which subsist more easily on scanty pasturage, are relatively more numerous, the total number being calculated at 700,000 . Yet the See also:

• WOOL, WORSTED AND WOOLLEN MANUFACTURES

wool See also:

• HARVEST (A.S. hcerfest " autumn," O.H. Ger. herbist, possibly through an old Teutonic root representing Lat. car pere, " to pluck ")

harvest is scarce, and the See also:

• PRO

pro- duction of See also:

• BUTTER (Lat. butyrum, Gr. 0obrvpov, apparently connected with $ous, cow, and rvpbs, cheese, but, according to the New English Dictionary, perhaps of Scythian origin)

butter a negligible quantity, though there is abundance of the principal product of Sicilian pasture lands, See also:

• CHEESE (Lat. caseus)

cheese of various kinds, for which there is a lively See also:

• LOCAL

local demand . The Sicilian See also:

• RACE

race of horses would be good but that it is not prolific, and has degenerated in consequence of insufficient nourishment and overwork .

A better breed of horses is being obtained by more careful selection, and by See also:

• CROSSING

crossing with Arab and See also:

• ENGLISH

English stallions imported by the See also:

• GOVERNMENT
• GOVERNMENT (0. Fr. governement, mod. gouvernement, O. Fr. governer, mod. gouverner, from Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, guide, rule; cf. Gr. xv(3epvav)

government . Donkeys and mules of various breeds are good, and would be better were they not so often weakened by heavy See also:

• WORK

work before attaining full maturity . Forests.—The See also:

• ABSENCE (Lat. absentia)

absence of forests, which cover hardly 3 % of the total area of the island, constitutes a serious obstacle to the prosperity of Sicilian See also:

• PASTORAL (from Lat. pastor, a shepherd)

pastoral and agrarian undertakings . The few remaining forests are almost all grouped around Etna and upon the high See also:

• ZONE (Gr. 'WV77, a girdle, from 'wvvLvay to gird)

zone of the Madonian Mountains, a range which rises 40 M. west of Palermo, See also:

• RUNNING

running parallel to the northern coast almost as far as Messina, and of which many peaks reach nearly 6000 ft. above the sea . Here they are chiefly composed of oaks and chestnuts . In that part of the island which is cultivated intensively some Too million gallons of See also:

• WINE (Lat. vinum, Gr. oivos)

wine are annually produced . Had not the See also:

• PHYLLOXERA (Gr. 4suXXov, leaf, and Erlpbs, dry)

phylloxera devastated the vineyards during the last See also:

• DECADE (from Gr. Oka, ten)

decade of the 19th century, the production would be considerably higher; 7,700,000 gallons of olive oil and 2500 million oranges and lemons are also produced, besides the other See also:

• MINOR
• MINOR (Lat. for smaller, lesser)
• MINOR, ROBERT CRANNELL (1839-1904)

minor products above referred to . The zone of the latifondi, or extensive culture, yields, besides wheat, nearly 8,000,000 bushels of barley and beans every year . See also:

• MINING

Mining.—The most important Sicilian See also:

• MINERAL

mineral is undoubtedly See also:

• SULPHUR

sulphur, which is See also:

• MINED

mined principally in the provinces of Caltanissetta and Girgenti, and in minor quantities in those of Palermo and Catania . Up to 1896 the sulphur See also:

• INDUSTRY (Lat. industria, from indu-, a form of the pre, position in, and either stare, to stand, or struere, to pile up)

industry was in a See also:

• STATE
• STATE, GREAT OFFICERS OF

state of crisis due to the competition of See also:

• PYRITES

pyrites, to the subdivision of the mines, to antiquated methods, and to a series of other causes which occasioned violent oscillations in and a continual reduction of prices . The formation of the Anglo-See also:

• ITALIAN

Italian sulphur See also:

• SYNDICATE

syndicate arrested the downward tendency of prices and increased the output of sulphur, so that the amount exported in 1899 was 424,018 tons, See also:

• WORTH
• WORTH, CHARLES FREDERICK (1825-1895)

worth £1,738,475, whereas some years previously the value of sulphur exported had hardly been £800,000 . Nineteen-twentieths of the sulphur consumed in the See also:

• WORLD

world was formerly drawn from Sicilian mines, while some 50,000 persons were employed in the extraction, manufacture, transport and trade in the mineral .

But the development of the See also:

• UNITED

United States sulphur industry at the beginning of the 20th century created considerable difficulties, including the See also:

• PRACTICAL

practical loss of the United States market . In 1906, when the See also:

• CON

con-cession to the Anglo-Sicilian Sulphur See also:

• COMPANY

Company was about to expire, the government decreed that it'should be formed into an obligatory syndicate for a See also:

• TERM

term of twelve years for the See also:

• CONTROL (Fr. contrdle, older form contre rolle, from Med. Lat. contra-rotulus, a counter roll or copy of a document used to check the original; there is no instance in English of the use of " control " in this, its literal, meaning)

control of all sulphur produced in Sicily, and exempted from See also:

• TAXATION
• TAXATION (from " tax," derived, through the French, from Lat. taxare, to appraise, which again is connected with the same root as tangere, to touch)

taxation and legal dues, See also:

• FOREIGN

foreign companies established in Italy to exploit See also:

• INDUSTRIES

industries in which sulphur is a principal See also:

• ELEMENT (Lat. elementum)

element . The See also:

• BANK

Bank of Sicily was further obliged to make advances to the sulphur industry up to four-fifths of the value of the sulphur deposited in the warehouses . The ex-ports of sulphur in See also:

• DECEMBER (Lat. decent, ten)

December 1906 were 17,534 tons, as compared with 40,713 tons in 1905; in the year 1904 the total production was 3,291,710 tons (value about £1,522,229) and the total exports 508,980 tons, as compared with 470,341 tons in 1905 . Another Sicilian mineral industry is that of See also:

• COMMON

common See also:

• SALT (a common Teutonic word, cf. Dutch zout, Ger. Salz, Scand. salt; cognate with Gr. &Xs, Lat. sal)
• SALT, SIR TITUS, BART

salt and See also:

• ROCK
• ROCK (O.Fr. rake, Sp. rota, Ital. rocca; possibly from a Lat. form rupica, from rupes, rock)
• ROCK, DANIEL (1799–187t)

rock-salt . The former is distilled from sea-water near Trapani, and the latter obtained in smaller quantities from mines . The two branches of the industry yielded in 1899 about 180,000 tons per annum, worth £80,000, while in 1906 about 200,000 tons were made at Trapani ' alone .. About half this quantity is exported, principally to See also:

• NORWAY
• NORWAY (Norge)

Norway . Besides salt, the See also:

• ASPHALT, or ASPHALTUM

asphalt mining industry may be mentioned . Its centre is the See also:

• PROVINCE
• PROVINCE (Lat. provincia; perhaps a contraction of providentia)

province of Syracuse . The value of the annual output is about £40,000, and the exports in 1906 amounted to nearly 103,000 tons . See also:

• PUMICE (Lat. purnex, spumex, spuma, froth)

Pumice See also:

• STONE
• STONE (0. Eng. shin; the word is common to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Stein, Du. steen, Dan. and Swed. sten; the root is also seen in Gr. aria, pebble)
• STONE, CHARLES POMEROY (1824-1887)
• STONE, EDWARD JAMES (1831-1897)
• STONE, FRANK (1800-1859)
• STONE, GEORGE (1708—1764)
• STONE, LUCY [BLACKWELL] (1818-1893)
• STONE, MARCUS (184o— )
• STONE, NICHOLAS (1586-1647)

stone is also exported from Lipari (i1,oio tons in 1904) .

Other Industries.—Deep-sea See also:

• FISHERIES

fisheries give employment to some twenty thousand Sicilians, who exercise their calling not only off the coasts of their island, but along the north African See also:

• SHORE

shore, from See also:

• MOROCCO

Morocco to See also:

• TRIPOLI
• TRIPOLI (Tarabulus el-Gharb, i.e. Tripoli of the West)
• TRIPOLI, or TARABULUS (anc. Tripolis)

Tripoli . In 1894 (the last year for which accurate See also:

• STATISTICS

statistics have been issued) 35o fishing smacks were,in active service, giving a catch of 2480 tons of See also:

• FISH (O. Eng. fist, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dutch visch, Ger. Fisch, Goth. fisks, cognate with the Lat. piscis)
• FISH, HAMILTON (1808-1893)

fish . Approximately, the value of the annual catch may be reckoned at from £600,000 to £800,000 . During 1904 the See also:

• CORAL

coral fisheries employed 98 vessels with 1 138 men : the Province . Area in Population Population No. of Density 1881 . Communes . Per sq. m . sq. m . 1901 . 190I . Caltanissetta 1263 266,379 329,449 28 262 Catania . 1917 563,457 703,598 63 371 Girgenti 1172 3,2,487 380,666 41 317 Messina .

1246 460,924 550,895 97 440 Palermo . 1948 699,151 796,151 76 403 Syracuse 1442 341,5z6 433,796 32 296 Trapani 948 283,977 373,569 20 373 9936 *2,927,901 3,568,124 357 Av . 352 profits were about £75,264, the expenses being £64,664 . The sponge See also:

• DIVERS

divers brought up See also:

• SPONGES

sponges valued at £24,630 . The estimated hauls of See also:

• TUNNY (Thunnus thynnus)

tunny fish were 5534 tons, valued at £110,324 . The See also:

• MAJORITY (Fr. majorite; Med. Lat. majoritas; Lat. major, greater)

majority of the scanty Sicilian industries are directly connected with various branches of agriculture . Such, for instance, is the preparation of the elements of citric See also:

• ACID (from the Lat. root ac-, sharp; acere, to be sour)

acid, which is manufactured at an See also:

• ESTABLISHMENT (0. Fr. establissement, Fr. etablissement, late Norm. Fr. establishement, from O. Fr. establir, Fr. etablir, Lat. stabilire, to make stable)

establishment at Messina . Older and more flourishing is the Marsala industry . Marsala wine is a product of the western vineyards situated slightly above sea-level . In 1899, wine was exported to the value of more than £120,000, while in 1906, 24,080 pipes of the value of £361,200 were shipped . The quantity consumed in Italy is far greater than that exported abroad . Another flourishing Sicilian industry carried on by a large number of small houses is that of preserving vegetables in tins .

Artichokes and See also:

• TOMATO

tomato See also:

• SAUCE

sauce are the principal of these products, of which several dozen million tins are annually exported from Sicily to the Italian mainland, to See also:

• GERMANY
• GERMANY (Ger. Deutschland)

Germany and to South See also:

• AMERICA

America . Manufactories of See also:

• FURNITURE (from " furnish," Fr. fournir)

furniture, carriages, gloves, matches and See also:

• LEATHER (a word which appears in all Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Leder, Dutch leer or leder, Swed. leder, and in such Celtic forms as Welsh llader)
• LEATHER, ARTIFICIAL

leather exist in large number in the island . They are, as a rule, small in extent, and are managed by the owners with the help of five, ten or at most twenty workmen . There are several See also:

• GLASS
• GLASS (O.E. glees, cf. Ger. Glas, perhaps derived from an old Teutonic root gla-, a variant of glo-, having the general sense of shining, cf. " glare," " glow ")
• GLASS, STAINED

glass See also:

• WORKS

works at Palermo, a cotton See also:

• DYEING (0. Eng. dedgian, dealt ; Mid. Eng. deyen)

dyeing works at Messina, and a large See also:

• METAL
• METAL (through Fr. from Lat. metallum, mine, quarry, adapted from Gr. µATaXAov, in the same sense, probably connected with ,ueraAAdv, to search after, explore, µeTa, after, aAAos, other)

metal foundry at Palermo . Large See also:

• SHIPBUILDING

shipbuilding yards and a yard for the construction of trams and railway carriages have been constructed in the latter See also:

• CITY (through Fr. cite, from Lat. civitas)

city . There are dry docks both at Palermo and Messina . Communications.—Before 186o there was no railway in Sicily . The total length of Sicilian See also:

• RAILWAYS

railways is now 890 in., all single lines . Their construction was rendered very costly by the mountainous character of the island . They formed a See also:

• SEPARATE

separate system (the Rete Sicula) until in 1906, like the rest of the railways of Italy, they passed into the hands of the state, with the exception of the line round Mount Etna and the line from Palermo to Corleone . Messina is connected with the railway system of the mainland by See also: