Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/874

 752 CUBA

The debts of the Republic of Cuba (August 1, 1911) were (according to the President's message) as follows : —

dollars Revolutionary 6 per cent, bonds, 1896. 2,196,585 Redeemed. ..... 1,464,585

In circulation 732,000

Interior debt, 5 per cent 10,871,100

,, 1906, 4^ per cent. . .16 500,000

Total 27,371,100

Loanof 1904, 5 per cent. . . .35,000,000

Amortisation 1,020,000

Total 33,980,000

Total debt. . . . 62,083,100

During the year 1910 the public debt was decreased by 3,645,827 dollars. For the preservation of order there is a Rural Guard, horse and foot, of

5,298 men, and a regular army of 4,311 enlisted men, and 212 officers. The

navy consists of 13 steam launches and revenue cutters.

Production and Industry.

The staple products of Cuba are tobacco and sugar, but cofiee, cocoa, cereals, and potatoes are grown, and a considerable trade is done in fruits and minerals. In 1911 the sugar crop was 1,459,630 tons ; that for 1912 was 1,896,000, the largest ever raised in Cuba. In 1910 there were 175 sugar mills. The proauction ot tobacco in 1911 was 308,497 bales (of 120 lbs. each). In 1911, 188,129,188 cigars were exported. The principal fruits exported were pineapples (25,775 tons in 1911) and bananas (38,000 tons in 1910), also 3,000,000 cocoanuts were exported.

On June 30, 1909, the live stock in the island consisted of 2,936,549 head of cattle, 523,702 horses, 57,310 mules, and 3,202 asses.

Cuba has forest lands, many of which are in private ownership, but the forests belonging to the State have an area of about 1,250,000 acres. These forests contain valuable cabinet woods, such as mahogany and cedar, besides dye-woods, fibres, gums, resins, and oils. Cedar is used locally for cigar- boxes, and mahogany exported. Many other hard woods are used for railway sleepers, carts, X)loughs and other local purposes.

In the district of Santiago de Cuba, copper., manganese, and iron mines are worked. The iron mines employ over 4, 000 workmen, and supply on an average 50,000 tons of ore per month to the United States. Gold is found but little worked. There are rich beds of asphalt which are not largely worked.

Commerce.

The value of the imports and exports for 3 years (ending June 30) were as follows: —

— I 1909 I 111 10 1911

dollars dollars dollars

Imports ' 91,447,581 ' 103,675,581 113,266,997

Exports 1-24,745,304, 150,909,020 I 123,136,379