Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/238

 180 THE BRITISH EMPIRE : — ZANZIBAR

Mail services by motor and relays of runners radiate from Entebbe, Kam- pala and Jinja. Money and postal orders and parcel post exchange systems are working in most districts. The Sudan-Egyptian telegraph and telephone system is established to Rejaf. The Uganda telegrapn line is extended to Mutir and to Nimule, 89 miles from Rejaf. The length of telegraph line in the Protectorate is (1919) 1,225 miles, with 24 telegraph pffices. Telephone exchanges are installed at Entebbe, Kampala, and Jinja

The currency was based on the rupee (originally valued at l.v. id., but in 1920 at 2s,), and consisted of silver rupees, with a subsidiary coinage of silver 50 and 25 cent pieces, and nickel 10 cent, 5 cent, 1 cent, and \ cent pieces. The florin has been introduced, 8Dd standardised at 2,s. Both florins and rupees are current for the present at the same value. E. Africa Govern- ment currency notes of 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, and one florin, are also in circulation. New cental coins were issued during 1907-08. See also under Kenya, p. 182. The Savings Bank had 7,711/. deposits and 618 depositors on March 31, 1920. The National Bank of India (Limited) has branches at Entebbe, Kampala, Jinja, and the Standard Bank of South Africa has opened branches at Kampala and Jinja.

Governor and Commander-in-Chief. — Sir R. T. Coryndon, KG. M.fJ.

Chief Secretary. -— E. B. Jarvis, C.M.G.

ZANZIBAR. Situation and Area. — The Island of Zanzibar is situated in 6* S. latitude, and is separated from the mainland by a channel 22h miles across at its narrowest part. It is the largest coralline island on the African coast, being 48 miles long by 15 broad, and having an area of fi40 square miles. To the north-east, at a distance of some 30 miles, lies the Island of Pemba in 5° S. latitude. It is smaller than Zanzibar, being 40 miles long by 10 broad, and having an area of 380 square miles.

Constitution and Government —The Sultan, Seyyid Khalifa bin Harub, K.C.M.G. (Hon.) K.13.E. (Hon.) (born 1879), succeeded on the abdi- cation of his brother-in-law, Ali bin Hamoud bin Mahomed, December 9, 1911. The Government is administered by a High Commissioner and a British Resident, who are appointed by commissions under His Majesty's Sign Manual and Signet, and exercise their functions under the Zanzibar Ocder-in-Council, 1914.

Legislation consists of certain British and Indian Statutes and also of Decrees of His Highness the Sultan, which latter are binding on all persons when countersigned by the British Resident under the Ordcr-in-Council.

There is a Council for the Protectorate, which exercises functions of an advisory and consultative nature, and consists of his Highness the Saltan as President, the British Resident as Vice-President, and three official and four unofficial members.

It was during the sixteenth century that the Arabs of the East Coast sought the assistance of the Imams of Muscat to drive out the Portuguese. On the ruins of the Portuguese power arose that of the Imams of Muscat. The allegiance to Muscat, however, was of a more or less nominal character until Seyyid Said, after having subdued his enemies on the mainland, transferred his capital to Zanzibar in 1832. On his death in 185fl the African possc-sions were, under an nihitration by Lord Canning (then Governor-General of India), declared, independent pf the parent state. In 1890 the supremacy of the British interests in the Island was recognised