Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/577

 AREA AND POPULATION.

541

The actual government of the republic does not recognise any portion of the above liabilities, except the Six per cent. Internal Mexican debt, the interest of which has not been paid for a great number of years.

Area and Population.

The area of Mexico and number of inhabitants are only known through estimates. The most reliable of these, based on partial enumerations made by the Government at the two periods of 1837 and 1857, state the population of the nineteen States, together with the Federal city of Mexico, the seat of the legislature, as follows : —

-

States

Extent in

Population

Population

square miles

in 1837

in 1857

Chiapas ....

18,750

92,000

167,472

Chihuahua ....

107,500

190,000

164,073

Cohahuila ....

193,600

90,000

62,109

Durango ....

54.500

150,000

144,331

Guanaxuato

8,000

500,000

729,103

Mexico ....

35,450

1,500,000

1,029,629

Miehoacan ....

22,466

460,000

554,585

New Leon ....

21,000

100,000

213,369

Oaxaca ....

32,650

660,000

525,938

Puebla ....

18,440

900,000

558,609

Queretaro ....

7,500

100,000

165,155

San Luis Potosi.

19,000

300,000

397,189

Sonora and Sinaloa

254,700

300,000

329,374

Tabasco ....

14,676

75,000

70,628

Tamaulihas, or New Santander

35,100

150,000

109,673

Vera Cruz ....

27.660

150,000

349,125

Xalisco ....

70,000

870,000

90,158

Yucatan ....

79,500

570,000

668.623

Zacatecas ....

19,950

200,000

296,789

Federal city

Total

—

200,000

269,534

1,030,442

7,557,000

7,995,426

The Mexican population comprises five different classes : — 1. The whites, constituting the aristocracy of the country, and generally called Creoles. They are the direct descendants of the Spaniards, and their number is estimated at 300,000. 2. Those who consider themselves whites. They are the descendants of Spanish and Indian parents, and chiefly follow the military profession or hold situations under Government. This class numbers about 800,000. 3. The Indians, reduced to a state of abject misery and servitude. They live in villages, and constitute the agricultural class. Their number,