Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/803

 RELIGION — INSTRUCTION

44.7

The Indians are estimated at about 50,000, and if 15 per cent, be added to the census population for probable omissions, the total population may be put at about 3,200,000.

In 1885 there were in Chile 1,263,645 males and 1,263,675 females At the census of 1885 the foreign population amounted to 87,077 persons, ot whom 34,901 were Peruvians, 13,146 Bolivians, 9,835 Argentines, 6,808 German, 5,303 English, 4,198 French, 4,114 Italian, 2,508 Spanish, 1,275 Swiss, 1,164 Chinese, 924 Anglo-American, 674 Austrian, 434 Swedish and Norwegian, and the rest from other countries of Europe and of America.

The total urban population in 1895 was 1,240,353, and the rural 1,471,792.

The estimated population at the end of 1897 was 3,049,352. The esti- mated population of Santiago (December, 1897) was 302,131 ; Valparaiso, 139,038; Conception, 49,607 ; Talca, 39,613.

The registration of births, marriages, and deaths in Chile began in 1885. The official figures are : —

Year

Births

Marriages

Deaths

99,371 90,399 92,197

88,456

Surplus of Births

1 1892 1894 1895 1897

103,065 108,724 110,154 109,057

12,895 14,726 14,779 13,454

3,694 18,325 17,957 20,601

Immigration is small, but is encouraged by the Government. The number of immigrants (agricultural and industrial) who, by the Colonisation Agency in Europe, entered Chili in 1895, was 1,402 ; in 1896, 2,102. The latter number included 261 British, 400 German, 402 French, 365 Spanish, 274 Italian, 179 Dutch, 106 Belgian. In 1897 the total number was 870. In 1898 the sum of 616,890 pesos was provided for colonisation purposes.

Religion.

The Roman Catholic religion is maintained by the State, but according to the Constitution all religions are respected and protected. There is one archbishop and three bishops. For 1898 the amount of subsidies to the clergy and for building and other purposes was 578,888 pesos. Civil marriage is the only form acknowledged by law.

Instruction.

Education is gratuitous and at the cost of the State, but is not com- pulsory. It is divided into superior or professional, medium or secondary, and primary or elementaiy instruction. Professional and secondary in- struction is provided in the University and the National Institute of Santiago, and in the lyceums and colleges established in the capitals of provinces, and in some departments. In the University the branches included are ilaw, physical and mathematical sciences, medicine, and

students inscribed for the study of these The number of students at the National There are 2 lyceums for girls in Santiago There are, besides, provincial colleges, normal, agricultural, and other special schools. At the seats of the bishops there are seminaries under ecclesiastics where instruction is given similar to that in the Government colleges. There were in 1897, 1,321 jjublic primary schools, with 109,058 pupils, and an average attendance of 65,507, and 2,268 teachers. There were also 411 private schools, with an attendance of 18,052. The National Library contains over 86,000 volumes of printed

tine arts. The namber of branches in 1897 was 774, Institute in 1897 was 1,278. maintained by Government.