Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/520

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ARGENTINE CONFEDERATION.

immigration. In 1863, the number of immigrants was 10,408; in 1864, it rose to 11,682 ; in 1865, to 11,767 ; in 1866, to 13,960 ; in 1867, to 17,046; and in 1868, to 29,384. Bather more than one- half of the immigrants of 1863-68 were Italians, next to whom natives of Spain and of France were most numerous. More than 70,000 Italians are settled in the province of Buenos Ayres alone, of whom near 40,000 are in the capital.

Trade and Industry.

The total imports of the Argentine Confederation in the five years 1865-69 were of the average annual value of 6,540,000/., while the exports averaged 4,970,000/. The imports into the Confederation consist chiefly of manufactured cotton and woollen goods, machinery, coal, and iron, Avhile the exports are made up to the amount of more than one-half by the article wool. Other exports, besides wool, are ox and cow hides, sheep skins, salt meat, horsehair, and ostrich feathers.

The commercial intercoiu-se between the Argentine Confederation and the United Kingdom is shown in the subjoined tabular statement, which gives the total value of the exports of the Confederation to Great Britain and Ireland, and of the imports of British and Irish produce and manufactures in each of the five years 1865 to 1869:—

Years

Exports from the Argentine

Confederation to Great

Britain

Imports of British Home

Produce into the Argentine

Republic

1865 1866 1867 1868 1869

£ 1,014,329 1.073,013 911,851 1,496,136 1,267,583

£

1.950,892 2,840,936 2,837.124 1,927,428 2,271,496

The two staple articles of Argentine exports to the United Kingdom are hides and tallow, the former amounting to 196,909/., and the latter to 608,862/. in 1869. The imports of British produce into the Argentine Confederation consist chiefly of cotton and woollen manu- factures, the value of the former amountinc to 684,225/., and of the latter to 285,305/. in 1869.

A network of railways, constructed mainly at the expense of the State, has been in progress for several years. The following state- ment gives the names of the various lines, amount of capital subscribed, and of interest guaranteed by the Government : —