Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1195

 SURINAM — CURACAO

839

The other productions in 1897 were bananas, 562,949 bunches ; coffee, 280,875 kiloffranimes ; rice, 134,223 kilogrammes ; maize, 359,922 kilogrammes ; rum, 1,000,7-17 litres ; and molasses, 1,370,110 litres.

For gold mining were granted, at the end ol' 1896, 287 concessions, com- prising 413,919 hectares. In that year the export of gold was 874,897 grammes, valued at 1,198,600 guilders. This export was : to the Netherlands, 698,478 grammes ; to Great liritain, 42,890 grammes. The declared value since the beginning ol" the gold industry (1876) to the end of 1896 is 20,694,380 guilders. In 1896 the gold production amounted to 846,366 grammes. The working for gold has hitherto been carried on chiefly by alluvial washings, but several companies are now erecting plant for crushing operations.

In 1897 there entered 248 vessels of 107,153 tons, and cleared 253 ships of 108,988 tons. The following talde shows the value of the imports and exports during the years 1893-97 :—

Year

Imports

Exports

1893

1894 1895 1896 1897

5,730,365 guilders

6,225,076

5,203,029

5,335,180

5,635,161

5,467,631 guilders

5,062,814

5,490,735

4,391,728

5,241,671

In 1897 the imports into the United Kingdom from the Dutch West Indies, including Curasao, were valued at 12,476Z, ; and exports from the United Kingdom of British produce or manufacture to the Dutch West Indies, 58,921Z.

The colonial savings-bank had, at the end of 1895, a balance of 544,148 guilders.

The communication between several districts of the colony is carried on by vessels and small steamers.

British Consul at Paramaribo. — J. R. W. Pigott.

Cura9ao.

The colony of Cura(^ao consists of the islands Curasao, Bonaire, Aruba, St. Martin (as far as it belongs to the Netherlands), aS^. Eustache, and Saba, lying north from the coast of Venezuela.

—

Square Miles

Population Dec. 31, 189(i

Cura9ao ....

Bonaire ^. ..

Aruba ....

St. Martin ^.

St. Eustache.

Saba ....

210 95 69 17

7 5

403

28,884 4,524 8,955 3,613 1,530 2,093

49,599

1 Only the southern part belongs to the Netherlands, the northern to France.