Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/302

 250 THE BRITISH EMPIRE : — SIERRA LEONE

Governor of the Gold Coast being appointed Governor of Ashanti, though the laws and ordinances of the Gold Coast do not apply to the annexed territory. The population (census 1911) was 287,814. Coomassie, -the chief town, lias about 24,000 inhabitants. There are Government schools at Coomassie (511 pupil.s in 1919), Sunyani (101), and Juaso (121), and a number of mission schools. Police force (1918), 137 ; convictions (1918), 4,049, but there is little serious crime. Agriculture is extending, cocoa and rubber plantations arc being formed. Gold output (1918), 421,7312. In the western parts of the Gold Coast Colony and especially of Ashanti are rich forests with excellent timber trees (mahogany, cedar, &c. ), trees yielding fruits, rich in oil, rubber-bearing plants, and species yielding gum copal. The country is well watered, and with proper restraints on wasteful native farming and on over-exploitation, would contain inexhaustible supplies of valuable forest products. On the eastern side the forests are sparser, though timber and oil trees are common and game plentiful ; the products there are chief!}- maize, koko, yams, bananas, ground-nuts, and cocoa, the plantations of which are rapidly extending. Imports into Ashanti, 1918, 822,300?. ; exports, 1,292,736Z. (mainly gold, 421,7362. ; cocoa, 360,0002.; kola, 360,0002. ; rubber, 6,0002. -cattle and sheep, 70,0002. ; hides, 20,0002.; snails, 20,0002).

In 1901 the Northern Territories lying to the north of the parallel of 8 °N lat., bounded on the west and north by the French possessions and on the east by Togoland, were placed under British protection. They are administered, under the Governor, by a Chief Commissioner with his headquarters at Tamale. The country is divided into three provinces under Commissioners ; the Southern Province, with headquarters at Tamale ; North-Eastern province, with headquarters at Navarro ; and North- Western Province with headquarters at Wa. By the census taken in 1911 the population of the region to the north of Kintampo (variously estimated at from 31,000 to 50,000 square miles) is put at about 360,000. The Mohammedans have substantial mosques ; there are Roman Catholic and other missions. Government schools have been established at Tamale, Gambaga, Lorha, and Wa. Good permanent roads are being made. The Northern Territories are capable of producing various agricultural crops (cereals, indigo, tobacco), and are said to contain wide auriferous areas.

The Bank of British West Africa, Ltd. and the Colonial Bank operate in the Colony. For currency, see p. 246. French, Spanish, and American gold coins are also legal tender at fixed values. For small purchases cowries are still used. The natives tend to melt down the silver and nickel coins for ornaments. West African currency OfttfiS in circulation at December -'SI. 1919, amounted to 3,959,4952.

Governor of the Gold Coast. — Brig. -General F. G. Guqgisberg, CM. D.S.O., R.E.

Chief Gammissioner of Ashanti. — C. 11. Harp.r, O.li. K.

SIERRA LEONE.

Sierra Leone lies between French Guinea on the north and the Republic of Liberia on the east and south-east. Sierra Leone proper consists of a peninsula about 26 miles long, and 12 miles broad,, with an area of about 300 square miles, terminating in Cape Sierra Leone. The Colony of Sierra Leone extends from the Scarcies River on the north, to the border of Liberia on the south, 180 miles. It extends inland to a distance varying from 8 to 20 miles and includes the Yellaboi and other islands towards the north, as well as Sherbro and several smaller islands to the south,