Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1423

 PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRY — COMMERCE 1371

the vessels of the navy, which consists of an unarmoure I cruiser (acquired in September, 1912), 3 gunboats, a transport, a tug, a torpedo boat, and several coastguard vessels.

Production and Industry. The surface of Venezuela is naturally divided into 3 distinct zones — the agricultural, the pastoral, and the forest zone. In the first are grown coffee, co:oa, sugar-cane, maize, cotton, beans, &c. ; the second affords runs for cattle ; and in the third tropical products, such as caoutchouc, balata (a gum resem- bling rubber), tonka beans, copaiba, vanilla, growing wild, are worked by the inhabitants. The area under coffee is estimated at from 180,000 to 200,000 aeres. The coffee plantations number about 33,000, and those of cocoa 5,000. There are about 11,000 sugar plantations. The annual production estimated at 60,000 tons. One-nfth of the population is engaged in agriculture. The live stock in Venezuela is estimated as follows :— 2,004,257 oxen, 176,668 sheep, 1,« goats, 191,079 horses, 89,186 mules, 812,810 asses, 1,618,214 pigs. A new census of stock has been ordered. In the agricultural and cattle industries about 60,000 labourers are employed.

Venezuela is rich in metals and other minerals. One of the principal mining industries is the production of gold in the region to the south-east of Oiadad Bolivar. In 1918-19, 760,000 grammes of gold were produced and 958,000 grammes exported. Copper ore production was 29.7D8 tons in 1918. Coal is worked at Coro, in Falcon State, and atNaricual ; total production in 1918, 25,332 tons. Salt mines in various States are now worked by the Government. The gross revenue during the first year of Government ad- ministration was 6,377,259 bolivars, aud the net revenue exceeded 5,000,000 bolivars. Petroleum is found in many places, the production in 1919 amounted to 50,709 tons. Asphalt from Lake Bermudez is exported to the United States: output in 1918, 46,453 tons. Round the island ofMargarita and neighbouring islets off the north coast of Venezuela pearl fishing is carried on. Venezuela has few industries, most manufactured materials required being imported. There are two cotton mills at Valencia, one at Caracas, and one at Cumaua, producing textiles which compete with imported Man- chester goods in the cheaper qualities. Coarse fibre sacks are also manu- factured locallj -. There is also a cement aud a glass factory at Caracas. Salt and matches a;c Government monopolies ; the latter is farmed by a 1 Company.

Commerce. The value of the imports into and exports from Venezuela in the last

5 years was : —

—

1914-15 1913-16 | 191t>-17 | 1917-18 1918-19

.

£ £ £ £ £

,sis r..3ie.7-j-: -,3,147

4.10:i 74-1 4.7C

Princij>al domestic exports in 1918-19 and 1917-18 were: —

.

— 1917-13 1918-19 — 1917 1918-19

Bolivars ■-. ar.s Bolii Bolivars

Coffee. 29,219,510 1 25,093, 19S Hides 13.7S3.390

Cocoa 81,07* Cattle.

Balata An^i. 708,719 6.319.435 Gold. 8,630,732