Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1479

 DEFENCE — PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRY 1857

' iiito the 3 per cent, diplomatic debt of 5,229,700/., of vvhicli at the end of 1909 the outstanding amount was 4,611, 500Z.

On December 31, 1911, the debt of Venezuela (according to official statement) stood as follows : — Bolivars

External debt 126,711,537

Internal debt 62,587,001

Total 189,298,538

(7,496,972i.)

Defence.

The active army consists of infantry, 20 battalions, each of 400 men ; ' artillery, 7 batteries, each of 200 men. The naval force contains one bat- talion distributed among the vessels of the navy which consists of 3 gun- boats, a transport, a tug, a torpedo boat, and a coastguard vessel.

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, balata (a gum resembling rubber) tonga beans, copaiba, vanilla, growing wild, are worked by the in- habitants. The area under coffee is estimated at from 180,000 to 200,000 acres. The coffee plantations number about 33,000, and those of cocoa 5,000. There are about 11,000 sugar plantations, which flourished formerly, but have suffered from various causes, the latest blow having been the establishment of a Government monopoly in rum. The annual production of sugar is about 3,000 tons.

One-fifth of the population is engaged in agriculture. The live stock in Venezuela is estimated as follows : — 2,004,257 oxen, 176,668 sheep, 1,667,272 goats, 191,079 horses, 89,186 mules, 312,810 asses, 1,618,214 pigs. A new census of stock has been ordered. 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 Yuruari Territory. The quantity sent from that district in the 16 years 1884-99 was 1,394,480 ounces. In 1906 there were only 4 mining concessions worked. In the years ending June 1906 and 1907, 564 kilos of gold valued at 60,746?., and 817 kilos valued at 90, 346Z. respectively were exported. There are silver mines in the States of Bermudez, Lara, and Los Andes. Copper, silver, and iron are abundant, while sulphur, coal, asphalt, lead, kaolin, and tin are also found. The copper mines at Aroa on the Bolivar railway have been re-opened (by an English Syndicate). Coal is worked at Coro in Falcon State and at Naricual. Iron mines at Imataca, on the Lower Orinoco, are being worked extensively since 1911. Salt mines in various States have been leased by the Government to a company at a yearly rent of 3,500,000 bolivars. Petroleum is found in many places and exclusive concessions were given to an English Company in 1909 and to an American in 1911. Asphalt from Lake Bermudez is exported to .the United States. Round the island of Margarita and neighbouring islets off the north coast of Venezuela pearl fishing is carried on.

Venezuela has few industries, all manufactured materials required being imported, even the sacking necessary for the export of Venezuelan produce. Salt and matches are Government monopolies ; the latter is farmed by an English Company.

Commerce.

The value of the imports into and exports from Venezuela in the last 5 years was :—