Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1289

 SHIPPING, ETC. — INTERVAL COMMUNICATIONS 1*237

For pre-war trad* of Russia. «ee The Statesman's Year-Book for 1920, pp. 1208 and 1209.

The chief articles of import from Russia into the United Kingdom and of export (domestic produce and manufactures) from the United Kingdom to Russia in 1919 were, according to the Board of Trade returns : — Imports: sugar, 56,582/. ; tobicco, 759,558/. : flax, 725,895/. ; manganese ore, 1 46, 747/. ; paper-making material, 229,996/. ; tar, 147,462/ ; pit props, 2.057,101/. ; sleepers, 9,296,599/. Exerts : fish, 374,286/. : coal. 561,292/. ; arms and ammunition, 1,374,385/. ; boots, 469,399/. ; <:otton, 2,045,429/. : woollens, 2,535,329/.

Total trade between Russia and the United Kingdom in thousands of pounds for 5 years (Board of Trade returns : —

-

< 1916

1917

1918

1919

1920

Imports from Russia into U. Kingdom Kx ports to Russia from D. Kingdom

. 24,977

17,936 48,736

6,711 M

16,370

34,183 11,893

Shipping and Navigation.

The registered mercantile marine of Russia on January 1, 1914, numbered 3,700 vessels of 783,019 tons, distributed as follows :— White Sea, 503 of 37,017 tons ; Baltic, 992 of 200,341 tons ; Black Sea and Sea of Azov, 1,325 of 291,489 tons ; in the Pacific, 49 of 23,988 tons ; and in the Caspian. 831 of 230,184 tons.

Internal Communications.

In European Russia there are 153,782 miles of rivers, canals and lakes, 20,670 miles being navigable for steamers, 7,482 for small sailing vessels, 88,739 for rafts. In Asiatic Russia there are 86,422 miles of rivers, canals, and lakes, 21,421 miles being navigable for steamers, 8,678 for small sailing vessels, 33,224 for rafts.

Tne railway-net open for traffic on January 1, 1913, had a length of 46,573 miles, of which 35,9S7 miles were in European Russia, 10,586 miles in Asiatic Russia. The length of the lines belonging to and worked by the Government was 33,928 miles ; that of the lines belonging to public com- panies wa3 11,149 miles; short local lines, 1,496. In October, 1917, the length of the railways was 34,000 miles.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

MONEY.

The legal unit of money is the silver Hmible of 100 Kopecks. It was of the value of 2s. l - 6d., bat in official calculations 9"46 roubles were taken as equal to the pound sterling. Exact equivalents : 1,000,000 roubles = £105,735 7*. But except for the purpose of foreign trade all currencies have ceased to be legal tender.

WEIOHT8 AND MEASURES.

1 Verst (500 sajhus). . = 3,500 ft., or two-thirds of a statute

mile 10 662879). 1 Sajene (3 arshina) . . = 7 feet English.

1 Arshin (16 vershoks). . = 28 inches.