Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1493

 DEFENCE — PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRY 1137

1881, and July, 1898, on the loan of 1896 were unpaid. The outstandiuc' internal debt, December 31, 1897, amounted to 131,292,120 bolivars. "

Defence.

In 1898 the permanent army consisted of about 3,600 men organised in 10 battalions. The army is dispersed in 20 towns of the Republic, and in Federal garrisons and shij)s.

Besides the regular troops, there is a national militia in which every citizen, from the 18th to the 45th year inclusive, must be enrolled. In times of civil war this force has been increased to 60,000 men. The number of citizens able for military service according to law was 250,000 in 1889.

Venezuela has three steamers and two sailing vessels with some small river gunboats.

Production and Industry.

The surface of Venezuela is naturally divided into 3 distinct zones — the agricultural, the pastoral, and the forest zone. In the first are grown sugar- cane, coffee, cocoa, cereals, &c. ; the second affords runs for cattle ; and in the third tropical products, such as caoutchouc, tonga beans, copaiba, vanilla, growing wild, are worked by the inhabitants. The area under cofiee is esti- mated at from 180,000 to 200,000 acres, and about 49,000 tons of coffee are annually shipped abroad. The coffee estates number about 33,000, and those of cocoa 5,000. There are about 11,000 sugar estates, Avhich flourished while sugar importation was prohibited, but the prohibition was recently removed. Efforts are being made to introduce improved methods and machinery in agriculture. All lands within the bounds of the Republic without a lawful owner (corporate or private) are considered public lands, and are managed by the Federal executive, who, under certain regulations, have power to sell or to make grants therefrom for the purpose of agricultural or mining settlements or to properly certified immigrants, in the proportion of 2^ acres to every member of the family.

One-fifth of the population is engaged in agriculture. In 1888 there were stated to be in Venezuela 8,476,300 cattle, 5,727,500 sheep and goats, 1,92(9,700 swine, 387,650 horses, 300,560 mules, and 858,970 asses. The generally accepted estimate of the number of cattle (1895) is from 4,000,000 to 5,000,000. In the agricultural and cattle industries about 60,000 labourers are employed.

Venezuela is rich in metals and other minerals. Gold is found chiefly in the Yumari Territory. The quantity sent from that district in 1884 was 233,935 oz. ; in 1885 172,037 oz. ; in 1886, 217,135 oz, ; in 1887, 95,352 oz. ; and in 1888, 71,594 oz. ; in 1889, 88,834 oz. ; in 1890, 85,531 oz. ; in 1891, 49,050 oz. ; in 1892, 46,560 oz. ; in 1893, 47,950 oz. ; in 1894, 52,925 oz. ; in 1895, 47,588 oz. ; in 1896, 60,674 oz. ; in 1897, 43,500 oz. There are silver mines in the States of Bermudez, Lara, and Los Andes. Copper and iron are abundant, while sulphur, coal, asphalt, lead, kaolin, and tin are also found. In 1890, copper to the value of 97,990Z. was exported; in 1894 none was exported. The salt mines in various States, 'under Government administration, produced in 1893-94 a revenue of 1,727,490, bolivars. Petroleum is found in Tachira, but capital is wanting for its exploitation.

Venezuela has practically no industries, all manufactured materials required being imported, even the sacking necessary for the export of Venezuelan produce.

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