Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1137

 AllKA AND POPULATION — COMMERCE 781

President of Liberia. — W. D. Coleman.

Vice-President. — J. J. Eoss.

The President is assisted in his executive function by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the .Secretary of the Interior, the Attorney-General, the Postmaster-General, and the Secretary for War and Navy.

Area and Population.

Liberia has about 500 miles of coast line, and extends back 200 miles on an a\erage, with an area of about 14,360 square miles. The total population is estimated to number 1,068,000, all of the African race, and of which number 18,000 are Anierico-Liberians, and the remaining 1,050,000 aboriginal in- habitants. Monrovia, the capital, has, including Krootown, an estimated poi)ulation (1897) of 5,000. Other towns are Robertsport, 1,200 ; Buchanan and Edina, 5,000 ; Harper, 3,000, and Greenville (Sinoe), with suburbs, 1,000.

For defence every citizen from 16 to 50 years of age capable of bearing arms is liable to serve. Two small gunboats are used in preventive service.

Finance.

The reveinic and expenditure for three years, ending September 30, are stated to have been (in American dollars) : —

Revenue Expenditure.

1892

1893

1894

Dollars 176,291 165,214

Dollars

185,345

188,187

Dollars 158,861 151,975

The revenue is derived mainly from customs duties, while the expenditure embraces chiefly the cost of the general administration. A debt of 100,000^. at 7 per cent, was contracted in 1871 ; of this the interest, unpaid since August, 1874, amounts to 171,500Z. There is also an internal debt, of which the arrears of interest exceed the principal, and the ordinary revenue is in- sufficient to meet the cost of administration.

Commerce.

The principal exports are coffee, palm oil, palm kernels, rubber, cocoa, sugar, arrowroot, ivory, hides, and piassava. No statistics are available, but the exports and imports combined probably do not exceed 500,000/. A syndi- cate holds a concession for exportation of rubber on condition that at least 200 tons are exported annuallv for three years ending January 1, 1899,

According to the 'Annual Statement of Trade' issued by theBoard of Trade, the value of the trade between the United Kingdom and Liberia wa.s as follows in 1897 : —

1897

! £

Imports into U.K. from Liberia I 36,434 Exports of British produce to

Liberia I 32,048