Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/958

 836 FRANCE : — FRENCH WEST APRlCA AND THE SAHARA

Djibouti has (1911) 13,396 inhabitants, of whom 556 are European (267 French). The natives are either of the Danakil or the Somali race. In 1902, a French mission school for boys and one for girls were opened at Djibouti with 50 pupils. The expenditure of France on the Somali coast (budget of 1913) was 1,097,500 francs. The local budget for 1911 balanced at 1,411,000 francs. The country has scarcely any industries, but with the coast fisheries and inland trade there is considerable traffic. The chief imports are cotton goods, butter, sugar, galvanised iron ; the chief exports were coffee, ivory, hides and skins. The total imports in 1911 reached 32,620,638 francs, and the total exports 18,774,926 francs. The ex])ort of the products of Abyssinia in 1911 amounted to 18,974,926 francs. Mercliandise imported at Djibouti, destined for Abvssinia, amounted to 22,708,001 francs. Much of the traffic with Abyssinia which formerly passed by Zailah now goes by Djibouti by railway to Dire-Dawah. The French Somaliland has about 192 miles of railway. [See also nndev Abyssinia.] The vessels of 4 French, 5 English, 1 German, 1 Austrian 1 Russian, and 1 Italian shipping company visit Djibouti, which is also in communication with Aden by means of French and English steamboats for local traffic. In 1911 there entered at Djibouti 379 steam merchant vessels of 692,188 tons, and cleared 378 of 692,019 tons.

FRENCH WEST AFRICA AND THE SAHARA.

A treaty of October 19, 1906, determines the course of the Anglo-French boundary from the Gulf of Guinea to the Niger. The British government has leased to France for purposes of commerce two pieces of land, one on the right bank of the Niger between Lealaba and the confluence of the rivers Moussa and Niger, and the other on one of the mouths of the Niger, each to form one block of from 25 to 120 acres with a river frontage not exceeding 436 yards ; the lease, at first, to be for 30 years. It is further stipulated that, within the boundaries indicated in the convention, British and French as regards persons and merchandise shall enjoy for 30 years the same treatment in all matters of river navigation, of commerce, and of tariff and fiscal treat- ment and taxes of all kinds.

Under the Anglo-French Convention of A}>ril 8, 1904, the river port of Yarbatenda on the Gambia (belonging to the British colony of Gambia), Avith all its landing places, was ceded to France, and, if this port should prove inaccessible to sea-going merchantmen, access to the river will be granted tc France at an accessible point lower down. At the same time the Los Islands were ceded to France.

By an agreement, dated July 6, 1911, between England and France, the boundary line between French Guinea and Sierra Leone was re-adjusted.

By a Convention between Great Britain and France the former recognised the right of France to all territory Avest of the Nile basin, Avhich practically includes the Avhole of the Sahara (exclusive of the Libyan Desert), and the State of Wadai. The French Sahara may be roughly estimated at about 1^ million square miles.

A decree of October 1, 1902, divided French West Africa as folloAvs : — (1) The colony of Senegal, (2) French Guinea, (3) the Ivory Coast, (4) Dahomey, (5) the Territories of Senegambia and of the Niger. The Senegambia and Niger Territories consist of the protectorate Avhich was formerly dependent on Senegal, the territories of the Upper Senegal, the Middle Niger, and the Military Territories, all being united under one administrative and financial regime. In 1903 the French Protectorate was extended over the Moorish tribes of Trarza and Brakna to the north of the loAVcr Senegal, and for these territories a provisional government, Avilh civil