Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/864

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COLOMBIA

render the locality highly favourable for the development of metallurgical industries. The salt mines at Zipaquirk, north of Bogota, are a government monopoly and a great source of revenue, supplying most of the interior departments. The maritime departments use sea salt evaporated at the numerous natural salt pans along the coast. In several of the departments there are extensive deposits of coal and petroleum. The Government has undertaken the working of the coal mines at San Jorge, which had been abandoned. On the coasts there are valuable pearl hsheries which the Government desires to concede for a term of years.

Only a small section of the country is under cultivation. Much of the soil is fertile, but of no present value, from want of means of communication and transport. Coffee is the staple product, but transport is difficult. In 1910-11, 12,641,156 kilograms of coffee were exported, and in 1911-12, 12,237,875 kilograms. Tobacco is grown and shipped to Germany. Cotton is produced in Magdalena, Bolivar, Antioquia and Santander, and is beginning to be cultivated in Boyaca and Cundinamarca. Cocoa, sugar, vegetable, ivory, and dyewoods are produced, besides wheat, maize, plantains, &c. Banana culti- vation is extending, and near Santa Marta a large amount of capital is being invested in this industry. The rubber tree grows wild, and its cultivation has begun. Tolu balsam is cultivated, and copaiba trees are tapped but are not cultivated. Dye and cedar woods are abundant on the Magdalena river, but little or no wood of any sort is exported. The Panama hat industry is making great strides ; some 86 per cent, of the hats manufactured are sent to the United States. The greatest industrial development was at Barranquilla, where several new factories were opened, including two match factories, a glass factory for the production of all kinds of glassware (no flat glass), a shoe factory, a nail factory, a cotton-goods factory, a cotton gin, and an ice factory. There is a considerable export trade in cattle.

In 1905, concessions of land embracing about 145,000 square miles in the rubber region were granted for 25 years. The concessionaires are to pay 1 gold dollar on every 100 lbs. of rubber gathered ; the)'' are to establish agricultural colonies, to provide a steamboat service on the rivers, and to construct mountain roads.

Commerce.

In 1911 the imports amounted to 18,108,863 pesos gold, and the exports to 22,375,899. In 1910 the imports amounted to 17,385,039 pesos gold, and the exports to 17,786,806. The principal articles of export (1911), coffee, 9,475,458 gold pesos ; cocoa, 139,324 ; bananas, 2,172,582 ; rubber, 900,886.

About 67 per cent, of the coffee exported from Colombia goes to the United States ; most of the tobacco to Germany ; cotton to Liverpool or Havre. The chief imports are flour, lard, petroleum, and cotton goods from the United States ; rice from Germany ; and cotton goods from Great Britain.

Total trade between United Kingdom and Colombia for 5 years : —

—

1907

1908 19.19

1910

1911

Imports from Colombia into U.K. Export.s to Colombia from U.K..

£

408,113

1,018,722

£ £ 430,382 764,802 933,009 885,185

£ 1,041,151 1,196,760

£ 1,046,215 1,086,052