CHILI.

Area and Population.

The area of Chili is 293,970 square miles. In 1885, the population, according to census, was 2,527,320, and in 1885 (census) was 2,712,145, or 9.2 persons per square mile.

In 1885, there were 1,263,645 males and 1,263,675 females. At the last census (1885) the foreign population amounted to 87,077 persons, comprising 34,901 Peruvians, 13,146 Bolivians, 9,835 Argentines, 6,808 Germans, 5,303 English, 4,198 French, 4,114 Italians, 2,508 Spanish, 1,275 Swiss, 1,164 Chinese, 924 AngloAmericans, 674 Austrians, 434 Swedes and Norwegians, and the rest from other countries of Europe and of America.

The total urban population in 1885 was 1,062,544; rural, 1,464,776. The two largest towns of Chili are Santiago, the capital, and Valparaiso; the first had 256,403 and the second 122,447 inhabitants in

1895.

Fiscal Affairs.

According to official statement, the income and expenditure of Chili have been:

In June, 1897, the public debt of Chili was: External, $88,145,000 (U. S. money), and interna (including municipal), 30,169,042 pesos. Total interest charge amounts to 12,675,733 pesos.

In 1896, a new 5 per cent. loan to the nominal amount of £4,000,000 was issued in London for railways and public works. The interest on the external debt is at 4%, 5, and a smal portion at 6 per cent.

Industries.

About 1,500,000 of the population are engaged in agriculture. Chili produces annually about 28,500,000 bushels of wheat and 8,500,000 bushels of other cereals, besides fruits, vegetables, etc. In 1888. 66,030 gallons of wine were exported. Over 600,000 head of cattle and 2,000,000 sheep, goats, etc., are annually reared in the country. The annual yield of copper is about 400,000 metric quintals; silver, 160,000 kilogrammes; gold, 500 kilogrammes; coal, 10,000,000 metric tons. Manganese and other minerals are also obtained.

The nitrate fields are estimated to cover 89,177 hectares and to contain 2,316 millions of metric quintals of the nitrate of commerce. The total produce is stated to have been 550,000 tons in 1884, 420,000 in 1885, 443,000 in 1886, 702.000 in 1887, 779,000 in 1888, 903,000 in 1889, 1,009,000 in 1890, and 877,000 in 1891, 804,842 in 1892, 938,871 in 1893, 1,082,285 in 1894, 1,220,000 in 1895, 1,092,000 in 1898.

Foreign Commerce.

The following table shows the value of the imports and exports of Chili, including bullion and specie, in pesos of 72 cents:

The values of exports in United States money, distributed by classes, were as follows:

The leading imports and exports are shown as follows, in thousands of pesos:

In 1893, the exports of bar silver amounted to 6,973,898 pesos; of silver ores, 6,703,628 pesos. Of the nitrate exported, about 39 per cent. goes to Germany, 17.3 to France, 13.3 to the United States, 11.2 to Great Britain, and 10.9 to Belgium.

The foreign trade was distributed as follows, in thousands of pesos (including bullion and specie):

-Imports from

1893.. 1894.

1895.

-Exports to-
1894.

1895.

1896.

25,492 32,087

12.376 17,299

20,081

France.

4,174

The trade in merchandise with the United States is shown as follows:

Year ending June 30. Imports into United States... $3,487,159 $3,995,441 $3,536,197 $4,465,561 $4,709,017 $3,792,434 $3,736,622 Exports from United States.. 2,272,530 2,794,099 3,431,804 2,590,539 2,351,727

3,544,707 2,980,831

The chief articles of import from the United States for the year ending June 30, 1896, were: Agricultural implements, $94,652; chemicals, drugs, dyes, etc., $141,155; cotton, and manufactures of, $637 231; iron and steel, and manufactures of, $1,035,552; oils, mineral, $477,168; wood, and manufactures of, $341,827.

Exports to the United States were: Chemicals, drugs, dyes, etc., $4,273,584, of which $3,704,205 was niter; wool, manufactured, $250,385; gold, $60,828; silver, $3,532.

Shipping, Railroads, Post-Office, Telegraphs. (See Index.)

At the beginning of 1895 there were 188 vessels, of 105,642 tons, of which 42 were steamers, of 29,931 tons net. In 1894 there entered the ports of Chili 1,761 vessels, of 2,669,860 tons, and cleared 1,681, of 2,555,540 tons.

Banking and Money.

The number of joint-stock banks of issue was 20 in 1897. There is no State bank. Their joint capital amounted to 50,818,829 pesos, and their registered issue to 13,448,261 pesos, the total issue authorized (1895) being 24,000,000 pesos. The banks are (1895) required to guarantee their note issue by depositing gold, Government notes, or securities in the Treasury. There are also a number of land banks which issue scrip payable to bearer and bearing interest, and lend money secured as a first charge on landed property and repayable at fixed periods. The hypothecary and commercial notes in circulation in 1895 amounted to 145,249.700 pesos.

The conversion law of 1892 provided for the redemption of the paper currency at the rate of 24d. per peso. That of February 11, 1895, provided that the redemption should be effected from June 1 of that year, at the rate of 18d. per peso, and authorized the issue of the coinage described under "gold and silver coins" (see Index), the proceeds of the sales of nitrate lands being devoted to this purpose. The new coinage, however, must, from December 31, 1895, or later, as the prescribed conditions might require, be withdrawn and replaced by silver pesos of 25 grammes weight .900 fine, or their equivalent in gold. In 1895 the mint coined: Gold, 23,085,195 pesos; silver, 6,115,137 pesos; bronze, 13,613 pesos. The metallic and paper money in circulation on February 29, 1896, was: Gold, 26,423,337 pesos; new silver, 6,118,118; Treasury bills, 154,000 pesos; Government notes, 9,064,190 pesos; bank-notes, 19,939,558 pesos; total, 61,699,703 pesos.

MONEY.-The monetary unit is the twentieth part of a colon or the (uncoined) gold peso. From the beginning of 1898, fiscal notes were not legal tender, and silver legal tender only up to 50 pesos. For gold and silver coins, see Index.

BOLIVIA.

Returns issued by the Bolivian Government show the area and population of the State to have been, for the period extending over 1890-1893: Area, 567,360 square miles, and population, 2,019,549.

For further details, consult "Commercial Year Book," Volume III, page 134.

As a result of the war with Chili, 1879-80, Bolivia mortgaged to that country the Litoral department, area 29,910 square miles, containing the port of Antofagasta. The aboriginal, or Indian, population of Bolivia is estimated at 1,000,000; the mestizos, or mixed races, at 500,000, and the whites about 500,000.

The revenue and expenditure, as estimated by the Government, have been as follows for the years indicated; the figures represent bolivianos, which are the equivalent of the 5-franc piece:

The outstanding debt in November, 1894, was stated as follows: External, 2,000,000 bolivianos internal, 4,428,705 bolivianos; various claims, 3,065,000; total, 9,493,705 bolivianos.

The general financial condition in 1896 is shown as follows (in bolivianos): Liabilities of the banks to the public (note circulation, bonds, deposits, shares, etc.), 19,500,000; liabilities of the public to banks, 18,800,000; public debt, external and internal, 10,000,000; public indebtedness, gross, 28,800,000; net, 9,300,000.

The agricultural products about suffice for domestic consumption alone. The mineral wealth of the country is great, including silver, copper, tin, antimony, bismuth, gold, etc. The silver mines of Potosi are estimated to have yielded, from their discovery in 1545 down to 1864, about $3,000,000,000. The total output of all the silver mines in 1894 is estimated at 22,000,000 ounces. The chief mines (mostly in the hands of foreigners) are at Huanchaca, Potosi, Colquechaca, and Oruro. The chief tin mining centre is in the Huanuni district, but the metal is found almost wherever silver is worked. annual production of concentrated tin ore is about 4,000 tons. Copper, of fine quality, is found in the Corocoro district, the annual output, in the form of barilla, being about 3,000 tons.

The

There are no official records of foreign trade. The chief imports are provisions, hardware, wines and spirits, cotton, woolen, linen, and silk goods, and ready-made clothes. The import trade is chiefly in the hands of Germans, but English goods are largely introduced. The exports in 1894 are estimated at £1,982,500, the chief items being silver, 15,000,000 ounces, value £1,562,500; copper, 3,000 tons, value, £100,000; tin and tin ore, 4,000 tons, value £100,000; rubber, 800 tons, value £160,000; also, wool, hides and skins, gold, coffee, cocoa, and cinchona. The silver and tin are exported by Antofagasta, the copper by Mollendo; the rubber goes by the Amazon to Para, whence it is shipped to Europe as Brazilian rubber.

The trade with the United States in 1895 amounted to but $10,888, the whole of which represented imports from the United States. In 1896, the imports from United States were $21,907.

A railway connects the Chilian port of Antofagasta with the Bolivian frontier at Ascotan, and it thence proceeds as far as Uyuni in Bolivian territory: from Uyuni there is a branch to Huanchaca, and the extension to Oruro is now complete. Nearly 500 miles of this railway are built in Bolivian territory. Besides this, concessions have been given for other lines which will, it is stated, soon begin to be built-namely, from the city of La Paz to the Peruvian frontier, to join the line from Mollendo on the Pacific coast to Puno on Lake Titicaca; from the River Paraguay, in the east of Bolivia, to the city of Santa Cruz; from Oruro to Cochabamba, and from Challapata, near Oruro, to Potosi. A line is also proposed from Uyuni to the Argentine frontier.

There is a line of telegraph between Puno, on Lake Titicaca, and La Paz, 145 miles, and from La Paz to Oruro, Cochabamba, and Colquechaca; another from Sucre to Colquechaca; another between the capital and Potosi and the Argentine frontier on the one hand and the Pacific coast on the other. The total length of line is 2,000 miles; offices, 29.

The banks in Bolivia are the National Bank and the Bank of Francisco Argandona. There are also three mortgage banks, whose mortgage bonds are held almost exclusively by Bolivians.

The silver boliviano, or dollar, of 100 centavos, was struck on the basis of the 5-franc piece; actual value, 18. 9d. No gold pieces have been coined for many years.

For RAILROADS, POST-OFFICE, TELEGRAPHS, see Index.

VENEZUELA.

The territory claimed by Venezuela covers an area estimated at 594,000 square miles; but of this Great Britain claims about 50,000 square miles as belonging to the Colony of British Guiana. In this disputed territory, the population appears to be about 30,000. For the whole country, as claimed by the State, a census taken in 1891 shows the number of inhabitants to have then been 2,323,527. The revenue and expenditure, for the years ending June 30, have been, in bolivars:

The chief source of revenue is customs, 27,000,000 bolivars in 1896-7. The outstanding amount of the debt of Venezuela in June, 1897, was £2,641,200, together with the 5 per cent, loan of 1896 for settlement of arrears of railroad guarantees amounting to £1,980,000 ; total foreign debt, £4,621,200. Internal debt December 31, 1896, 82,897,291 bolivars. For the unification of the internal debt, 65,000,000 bolivars in bonds of a new debt, to be called the National Internal Consolidated debt, was authorized.

The chief products in the year 1893-94 were: Coffee, 57,571,538 kilogrammes; cocoa, 7,352,240 kilogrammes; hides, 2,311,190 kilogrammes; timber and dye-woods, 8,982,970 kilogrammes; dividivi, 1,946,047 kilogrammes; cattle exported to the number of 11,026.

One-fifth of the population is engaged in agriculture. In 1888, there were stated to be in Venezuela, 8,476,300 cattle, 5,727,500 sheep and goats, 1,929,700 swine, 387,650 horses, 300,560 mules, and 858,970

asses.

Venezuela is rich in metals and other minerals. Gold is found chiefly in the Yuruari Territory. The quantity sent from that district in 1884 was 233,935 oz.; in 1885, 172,037 oz.; in 1886, 217,135 oz.; in 1887, 95,352 oz ; in 1888, 71,594 oz.: in 1889, 88,834 oz.: in 1890, 85,531 oz.: in 1891, 49,050 oz.; in 1892, 46,560 oz.: in 1893, 47,950 oz.; in 1894, 52,925 oz.; in 1895, 47,588 oz.; in 1896, 60,674 oz. There are silver mines in the States of Bermudez, Lara, and Los Andes. Copper and iron are abundant, while sulphur, coal, asphalt, lead, kaolin, and tin are also found. In 1890, copper to the value of £97.990 was exported; in 1894, none. Petroleum is found in Tachira, but capital is wanting for its exploitation.

The following table shows the progress of Venezuela commerce, in bolivars:

The trade of Venezuela is mostly with Great Britain and the West Indies, the United States, France, Germany, and Colombia. In the year 1895-96, the chief exports were: Coffee, 85,766,157 bolivars; cocoa, 10,091,037 bolivars; hides and skins, 5,313,516 bolivars; while other exports were cattle, caoutchouc, timber, cocoanuts. Gold in bars was exported to the value of 3,613,428 bolivars, and gold and silver coin amounting to 2,607,199 bolivars.

1892.

1893.

1895.

1894. 1896. 1897. 1898. Exports to United States.. $10,325,338 $3,625,118 $3,464,481 $10,073,951 89,649,911 $9,543,572 $7,711,449 Imports from United States...... 4,049,155 4,207,661 4,137,163 3,740,464 3,838,746 3,417,522 2,746,261

The chief articles of import from the United States for the year ending June 30, 1896, were: Breadstuffs, $927,191; chemicals, drugs, dyes, $153,356; cotton cloths, colored, $488,101: cotton cloths, uncolored. $158.207; flax, hemp, etc., $73,245; iron and steel, and manufactures of, $471,437; oil, mineral, $147.578; provisions, $624,873; tobacco, and manufactures of, $56,408; wool, and manufactures of, $77,555; gold, $1,227,665.

Exports to the United States were: Chemicals, drugs, and dyes, $69,174: cocoa and leaves and shells, $125,478: coffee, $8.128,254: feathers, $92,174; hides and skins, not furs, $1,107,411; india-rubber, $72,644. Gold, $532,879; silver, $919.

For Railroads, Telegraphs, Gold and Silver Coins, see Index.

PARAGUAY.

The area of Paraguay is 98,000 square miles. In 1893, the population was estimated at 480,000. Of foreigners in Paraguay in 1887, there were 5,000 Argentines, 2,000 Italians, 600 Brazilians, 740 Germans, 500 French, 400 Swiss, and 100 English.

The revenue and expenditure were as follows for the years indicated (Paraguayan dollars):

The revenue for 1896-97 was estimated at $5,771,896, and the expenditure at $5,453,551. In 1874, the principal of the foreign debt of Paraguay stood at £1,505,400, the outstanding amount of loans contracted in 1871 and 1872. In 1885, it was agreed that £850,000 of new bonds should be issued in exchange for this amount; an arrangement was made for the future payment of interest, and an assignment of land was executed in payment of arrears of interest up to July, 1886. Land warrants were issued to holders of unpaid coupons, and the Paraguay Land Company (now called the AngloParaguayan Land Company) was formed to deal with these warrants. Interest under the new arrangement was paid till January 1, 1892. In 1896, the outstanding principal amounted to £834,500, and the arrear bonds, with cost of concession, to £160,000; total, £994.600. The guarantee debt due by the Government to the Paraguayan Central Railway amounted to £409,467. The debt due to Brazil is put at 9,876,500 pesos, and that to the Argentine Republic at 12,393,600 pesos. The authorized amount of the issue of legal currency notes is 5,000,000 pesos.

Besides yerba maté, the chief products are: Maize, of which 8,229,823 acres were cultivated in 1890; manioc, 7,015,862 acres; beans, 2,574,962 acres; tobacco, 1,980,611 acres; sugar-cane, 887,796 acres; mani, 719,816 acres; potatoes and vegetables, 540,894 acres; rice, 371,492 acres; lucerne, 192,736 acres; cotton, 126,313 acres, and coffee, 69,970 acres.

Paraguay contains valuable minerals which are now unworked. Iron abounds in the south and marble in the north, and pyrites, copper, and kaolin are found.

The following is the value of the imports (gold dollars) and exports (paper dollars) :

The chief imports are textiles-85 per cent. from Great Britain: wines, rice. About 48 per cent. of the total imports come from Great Britain. The chief exports are yerba maté, or Paraguay tea, tobacco, hides, skins, and timber.

The banks in Paraguay (1894) were the National Bank, a State institution, and now in liquidation; the Agricultural Bank, a State institution, with certain State funds assigned to it as capital for the encouragement of agriculture; the Hypothecary Bank, now in liquidation; the Bank of Paraguay and the Plate River, also in liquidation. The only regular banks actually in operation are the Territorial Bank and the Mercantile Bank.

Paper money is the chief circulating medium, the value of the paper peso being about 15 cents, the amount in circulation being about 6,301,800 pesos.

For Railroads, Telegraphs, Gold and Silver Coins, see Index.