Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1455

 COMMERCE — MONEY AND CREDIT

1099

I'riiu'ipality, in 1895, was 69,020,29;') levs ; ('Xi»orts, 77,685,546 lcvs ; in 1 imports, 76,530,278; exports, 108,739,977; in 1897, imports, 83,994,^ exj)orts, 59,790,511.

The following table shows the trade by countries lor 1897 : —

896, 236 ;

i

j Country

Imports from

Exports ' to

Lcvs

Country

Imports* from

Lcvs

Exports to

■

Lcvs

Lcvs

United King-

1

Belgium

2,367,679

5,128,891 !

dom.

23,077,913

17,293,824

Switzerland.

936,301

7,000

Austria.

21,614,362

3,600,351

Servia.

1,085,954

256,351


 * Turkey.

9,488,518

10,935,194

' United States

328,525

17,354

i France.

4,117,603

8,505,413

Greece

468,086

1,042,851

Russia.

4,209,018

74,684

Other coun-

CJcrmany

10,623,657

7,784,811

tries.

281,274

4,024,198

Rumania

2,236,595

365,898

Italy.

3,158,751

753,691

Total.

83,994,236 59,790,511

The chid" imports in 1897 were textiles, 32,078,812 levs ; colonial goods, 5,382,087 ; metals and metal goods, 9,499,726 ; machinery, 4,319,623 ; timber and lurniture, 3,791,974 levs. The chief articles of exjiort were grain 46,418,601 levs to England, Germany, France, and Turkey ; live stock, 2,375,793.

According to the Board of Trade Returns the imjiorts from Bulgaria into Great Britain in 1897 were valued at 396,832/., and ex]»orts from Great liritain of British produce, at 385, 90H. ; the imports into Great Britain were wheat, 388,976/. ; barley 7,856/. ; and the principal exports from Great Britain to Bulgaria were cottons, valued at 183,558/., iron, co}»per, and tin, 57,349/.

Shipping and Communications.

The number of vessels entered at the ports of Bulgaria in 1897 was 8,306 of 2,432,282 tons (185 of 227,799 tons British), and 8,298 of 2,434,875 tons (187 of 230,356 tons British) i-leared. 'J'hc chief ports arc Varna and Bourgas.

Bulgaria (including Eastern Rumelia) had 612 miles of railway ojien and 457 miles under construction in 1898. Railways connect Solia with Gonstauti- iioplc on the one hand, and 13clgradc and the general European system on the otluir. There were in 1897 3,250 miles of State telegraph lines with 6,910 miles of wire, the number of messages (1897) was 2,316,826. There are 1,028 miles of teleithone line. There were 1,981 post and telegraph offices, and the nund)er of letters, newspapers, kc, carried was 18,783,017. Receipts from posts and telegraphs (1897), 3,013,003 levs ; expenditure, 3,352,259 lcvs.

Money and Credit.

There is a National Dank of Bulgaria, with hcadijuarters at Sofia and brandies at rhilip]>op(jlis, Rustehuk, Varna, Bourgas and Tirnovo ; its capital is 10,000,000 levs. provided by thi; State, a reserve fund of 3,333,333 levs, and notes in iMiTulation to the value of 1,956,875 levs (December, 1897). The Impciial Ottoman Bank has l)ianehes at Sotia, Philippojtolis ami Rustehuk. 'i'heie are 85 agricultural banks for making advances on 1»ersonal security, with an aggregate eapital of 26,680,663 levs and power to borrow from the National Bank. 'J'herc are a few Bulgarian gold coins, of the value of 100, 40, 20, and 10 francs, but the gold circulation is supplied