a department of France, bounded on the N. by that of Basses Alpes, W. by that of Bouches-du-Rhone, S. by the Mediterranean, and E. by Nice. Its length from N.E. to S.W. is 83 miles; its greatest breadth 49; and its area 2825 square miles. The coast is bold and rocky, indented by many arms of the sea, and lined with a number of islands. The principal inlets, beginning from the E., are the bays of Juan and Napoule, opposite to which lie the Lerino islands, the gulfs of Fréjus and Grimaud, and the harbours of Hyères and Toulon. Off Hyères are the islands of the same name, comprehending Porquerolles, Portcros, and Levant, with others of smaller size. The interior of the department is mountainous, being traversed from east to west by a branch of the Alps, which separates the valley of the Durance, an affluent of the Rhone, on the north, from the country watered by the Argens and other rivers that fall into the Mediterranean on the south; while another chain of hills, connected with the former towards the west, runs along the coast to the south of the Argens. The latter ridge is called Les Monts des Maures. Some of the hills in these ranges attain a height of more than 3000 feet above the sea. Numerous rivers water the department, but most of them are small, and none of them navigable. The Var, from which it takes its name, rises in the department of Basses Alpes, and flows south-east into the Mediterranean, forming the boundary between Nice and Var. Its whole length is 70 miles, and its chief affluent is the Esteron from the right. The largest river wholly within the limits of the department is the Argens, which rises on the mountains towards the west, flows in an irregular course eastwards, and falls into the sea near Fréjus, after a course of 60 miles. It receives from the hills on either side numerous tributaries, among which are the Caulon, Calami, Bresque, Braque, Artuby, Endre, and Aille. The other streams that flow into the Mediterranean are the Loup and Siagne in the east, and the Gapou in the west of the department. The Verdon, an affluent of the Durance, forms for some distance its northern boundary; and the Durance itself at one point touches the limits of the department.

Along the coast there are three small lagoons called Pesquier, Napoule, and Villepoy. The climate of the country is mild, except when the mistral, a keen wind from the north-east, blows. In summer the heat is great, and the south-east wind has an enervating effect. The geological structure of the country consists partly of primary and partly of limestone and other secondary rocks; and the most important minerals that are found here are coal, marble, porphyry, granite, and gypsum. Lead and iron were at one time worked, but these operations not proving profitable, were given up. The soil is on the whole by no means good, although in some particular places it is of great fertility; and the hilly nature of the country is not favourable to agriculture, so that the arable land in the department is not more than one-sixth of the whole area; and the corn produced only supplies about a half of the consumption. There are extensive forests, and a large proportion of the ground is quite waste. Vines and olives are cultivated to a great extent, and yield good crops, the wines of the department being much esteemed. Oranges, pomegranates, citrons, figs, peaches, and other fruits, are raised here in great abundance, and of excellent quality. The principal trees in the forests are firs, oaks, and cork-trees. Tobacco is grown in considerable quantities. There is a good deal of pasture-land, but in summer the grass is so parched up that most of the flocks are driven to the mountain-pastures in the department of Basses Alpes. Sheep, goats, mules, asses, and pigs are the principal kinds of live stock; horses and cattle being few in number. Bees are kept in large numbers, and there are extensive plantations of mulberries, on which silkworms are reared. Game is abundant, and the fisheries in the rivers and in the sea are profitable; the former for sturgeon, trout, tench, carp, &c.; and the latter for sardines, tunny, and anchovies. The principal manufactures carried on are those of coarse woollen cloth, paper, leather, soap, oils, perfumery, earthenware, and marble goods. The trade is not very extensive, and the chief articles are wine, oil, fruit, timber, and fish. The department has for its capital Draguignan; and is divided into four arrondissements, as follows:

| Arrondissements | Cantons | Communes | Pop. (1854) | |-----------------|---------|----------|------------| | Draguignan | 11 | 60 | 86,919 | | Brignoles | 8 | 54 | 67,432 | | Grasse | 8 | 60 | 65,422 | | Toulon | 8 | 28 | 151,047 | | Total | 35 | 202 | 371,820 |

Varenius, or Varen, Bernhard, the author of the earliest work on physical geography, was born at Ulzen near Lüneburg. Nothing is known of his history, except what can be gleaned from the prefaces and dedications of his works, and of the date of his birth and his parentage we are alike ignorant; unless he may have been related to Henricus Varenius, who died pastor of the church at Ulzen in 1636 or to Augustus Varenius, a Lutheran theologian, who was born there in 1620. We learn that Bernhard attended the gymnasium at Hamburg, and published there, in 1642, a treatise on the Aristotelian definition of motion. He then studied medicine at Leyden, where he took refuge from the war raging in Germany; but, after finishing his course, having no prospect of obtaining a practice, he devoted himself to the mathematical and physical sciences, of which he was exceedingly fond. He wrote a work on Conic Sections, but was unable to find a publisher for such an abstruse production; and having come into contact with a number of Dutch navigators, he turned his attention to that science in which his genius and labours formed an important epoch. In 1649 he took his medical degree at Leyden, and settled as a practitioner in Amsterdam, where he published, about the same time, his first geographical work—a description of Japan—in Latin. This was followed in the succeeding year by a much more important and valuable treatise, the Geographia Generalis, which was the first attempt ever made at a system of physical geography. It consists of three parts, designated respectively—Absolute, Relative, and Comparative Geography; the first comprising a description of the form, dimensions, and character of the earth, considered in itself; the second, of its relation to the other heavenly bodies, and their influence on climate, seasons, length of days, &c.; and the third, of the relative position of places, latitude, longitude, the construction of maps, the theory and the practice of navigation. The whole, although not exempt from grave errors, is characterized by lucid and orderly arrangement, extensive mathematical acquirements, and much knowledge of natural history; and was thought worthy of being reprinted by Newton, with notes and illustrations, for the use of his students. In the preface the author intimates his intention of following this work by one on the food, drink, and medicines in use among different nations, but this design was never executed; and if, as is commonly stated, Varenus' death occurred in 1660, when he must have been comparatively young, it was probably this that prevented the prosecution of his studies. Besides the two editions of Newton (1672 and 1681), the Geographia Generalis was edited with further additions by Jurin in 1712, translated into English by Dugdale, and from that into French by Depuisieux.

Variations, Calculus of. See Calculus.

Variation of the Compass. See Magnetism.