This document takes the data in Table 6 of Spread of the
Industrial Revolution and presents it in different ways in order to show how
statistical data may be used.
Table 6
Spread of Railways in Ten Selected Countries
(Length of line open [in kilometers [1km = 5/8 mile])
1840 |
1860 |
1880 |
1900 |
|
| Austria-Hungary | 144 | 4,543 | 18,507 | 36,330 |
| Belgium | 334 | 1,730 | 4,112 | 4,591 |
| France | 496 | 9,167 | 23,089 | 38,109 |
| Germany | 469 | 11,089 | 33,838 | 51,678 |
| Great Britain | 2,390 | 14,603 | 25,060 | 30,079 |
| Italy | 20 | 2,404 | 9,290 | 16,429 |
| Netherlands | 17 | 335 | 1,846 | 2,776 |
| Russia | 27 | 1,626 | 22,865 | 53,234 |
| Spain | - | 1,917 | 7,490 | 13,214 |
| Sweden | - | 527 | 5,876 | 11,303 |
Visually this version of the table can be presented as follows. In this version the
percentage of total European railways belonging to each country in particular years is
shown. Great Britain, a small island, had well over 60 percent of railroads in Europe in
1840, but a much smaller percentage, even though its absolute amount of track increased
tenfold, by 1900.
|
In this next graph, the same data are present in a way which emphasizes the absolute
increase in railroads during the period.
|
This text is part of the Internet Modern History Sourcebook. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts for introductory level classes in modern European and World history.
Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational purposes and personal use. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No permission is granted for commercial use of the Sourcebook.
(c)Paul Halsall Aug 1997
halsall@murray.fordham.edu
