Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/894

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ECUADOR

silver, copper, zinc and iron) to the value of 26,000?. ; total, 51,000?. At Pillzliuni in Canan rich silver ore is found, but is not now worked. Petro- leum is found ; the oil-fields of Santa Elena are being worked by two British Coni])anies. The country is known to be also rich in copper, iron, lead and coal ; and sulj^hur exists in great quantities in the Pichincha district and iu the Galapagos Islands.

Panama hats are made almost exclusively iu Ecuador, and the demand for them is greater than the makers can meet. To protect the industry a duty is charged on the straw exported. The value of exports of hats in 1910, 258,342?. There are flour mills, sugar works, breweries, and chocolate factories.

The value of imports and exports for five years is given as follows in sterling (10 sucres = £1) : —

1907

1908

1909

1910

1911

Imports.

' Exports.

£

1,969,067 2,290,605

£

2,055,473 3,089,429

£

1,870,424 3,000,623

£

1,647,660 3,427,100

£

2,807,040

In 1910 the chief imports were textiles, foodstuffs, iron -work, clothing, and gold and silver. The chief exports were cocoa, 2,105,701?. ; tagua, or ivory nuts, 476,086?. ; rubber, 206,590?. Of the imports in 1910, the value of 482,895?. was from the United States; 512,400?. from Great Britain; 323,321?. from Germany ; 108,134?, from France. Of the exports, in 1911, the value of 932,649?. went to France; 641,896?. to the United States; 439,405?. to Germany ; 204,397?. to Great Britain and colonies. Of the large quantities of cocoa shipped to Havre, the greater partis ultimately dis- tributed among other countries.

The chief articles of import from Ecuador into Great Britain in 1911 consisted of cocoa of the value of 344,386?. ; coffee, 2,823?. ; straw hats,, 183,513?. The chief exports of British produce to Ecuador in 1911 were cotton goods, to the value of 375,754?. ; Avoollens, 55,739?. ; iron, wrought and unwrought, 28,384?,

Shipping and Internal Communications.

In 1910 there entered at Guayaquil 213 vessels of 396,262 tons (190,390 tons British), and cleared 215 vessels of 401,258 tons (195,386 tons British). Guayaquil is visited by the steamers of three European lines passing through Magellan's Straits, as well as by steamers plying only on the Pacific coast.

The roads of the country are mostly bridle-roads only, and often impass- able for half the year. The one highway is from Quito toAvards Guayaquil, for a distance of 115 miles, but the work of thus connecting the capital and the port has long been discontinued. There is river communication through- out the principal agricultural districts on the low grounds to the west of the Cordillera by the rivers Guayas, Daule, and Yinces (navigable for 200 miles by river steamers in the rainy season), and other small affluents thereof. Navigation of these inland waters is carried on by about 17 American and Ecuadorian-built side-wheel and screw steamers, 20 steam yachts or tow- ferry boats, many small steam launches, and a largefleet of gasoline launches, canoes, and other small craft.

A railway is open from Durau (opposite Guayauil) to Latacunga (and