Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/635

 REVENUE, POPULATION, AND TRADE.

599

The public debt of Venezuela, internal and foreign, amounted to

10,594,350/. at the end of 1869. The internal liabilities are returned

at 19,500,000 Pesos, or 3,900,000/., while the foreign debt amounts

to 6,694,350/. The foreign debt, contracted chiefly in England,

comprises : —

£ 3 per cent, stock 2,812,000

1^- per cent, stock or ' deferred debt ' 6 per cent, loan of 1862 6 per cent, stock, issued for arrears 6 per cent, loan of 1864

Total.

1,382,350 900,000 200,000

L/400,000

6,694,350

"With the exception of the dividends on the 6 per cent, loan of 1S64, no interest has been paid by the government on any of the liabilities here enumerated since the year 1865.

The army of the republic numbered 5,000 men, nominally, in 1869. Besides the regular troops, there is a national militia in which every citizen, from the 18th to the 45th year inclusive, must be enrolled. Eecent intestine wars were chiefly carried on by the militia.

The area of Venezuela is estimated to embrace 368,235 English square miles, and to contain a population of 2,200,000 souls, inclu- sive of about 600,000 unsettled aborigines, or Indians. The following table gives the numbers of the white, or European descended, population of each of the thirteen states of the republic,

orhcial estimates : —

States

Population

Caracas.

363,858

Barquisimento.

313,881

Cnrabobo.

230,509

Barinas ....

126,925

Maracaibo

89,718

Merida ....

84,843

Barcelona ....

78,634

Cumana ....

75,828

Coro .....

72,321

Trujillo ....

60,937

Apure ....

32.485

Margarita.

20,906

Guayane ....

13,588

Total

1,564,433

The trade of Venezuela is not very considerable, although the country possesses vast agricultural and mineral resources. During the five years 1865-69, the total imports averaged 1,000,060/., and the exports 1,200,000/. per annum, the commerce being carried on. chiefly with the United States and Great Britain. The total value.