Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/322

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THE BRITISH EMPIRE : — EGYPT

Suez Canal.

The following table shows the number and net tonnage of commercial vessels (excluding vessels requisitioned by the military authorities) of all nationalities that passed through the canal in 1919 : —

Nationality j 4 No - ?£ transits

Suez Canal net tonnage

Nationality

No. of transits

Suez Canal net tonnage

British

Japanese

French

Italian.

Greek

Norwegian

1,898

. ; 414

112

. ] 98 34

. ! 72

. i 42

74

8,417,365 1,420,693 513,994 296,044 91,577 255,421 153,637 311,842

Spanish

American.

Dutch

Other nationalities

Total.

35

50

175

44

95,127 160,879 739,147 111,315

Danish.

3,048

12,567,041

The number of Government vessels that passed through the Canal in 1919 was 939 of 3,447,210 Suez Canal net tonnage (including 818 British of 3,111,426 net tonnage).

The number and net tonnage of vessels that have passed through the Suez Canal (including warships), and the gross receipts of the company, have been as follows in six years : —

Tear

1913 1915 1916

No. of

Transits

5,085 8,708 3,110

Net Tonnage

20,033,884 15,260,155 12,325,347

Receipts ]

£ 5,197,038 3,929,124 3,561,771

Tear

No. of Transits

! 1917 ! 1918 ! 1919

2,353 2,522 1 3.9S6 |

Net Tonnage

Receipts

8,368,918 9,251,601 16,013,802

i Taken at 25 francs = £1.

The number of passengers (civil and military) who went through the canal was, in 1913, 282,235 ; 1915, 210,530 ; 1916, 283,030 ; 1917, 142,313 ; 1918, 105,914; 1919, 527,502.

The Suez Canal is 103 miles long, including 4 miles of approach channels for the harbours, connecting the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, opened for navigation November 17, 1869. The concession to the Suez Canal Company expires on November 17, 1968.

Internal Communications.

On March 31, 1920, there were (exclusive of sidings) 2,330 miles of rails (double and single) belonging to and worked by the State, and 721 miles of rails of agricultural light railways owned by private companies: 1,152 miles of State and 623 miles of companies' rails aro in the Delta, and 1,178 miles of State and 98 miles of light railways are in Upper Egypt. This is exclusive of the Sudan military railway to Khartoum, 375 miles long, of gauge 3 ft. 6 in. The railways have a gauge of 4 ft. 8£ in. inside rails, except the line from Luxor to Assuan, which is 3 ft. 6 in. gauge, and that to the Western Oases, which is 2 ft. 5£ in.

In May, 1918, Cairo was connected by railway with the Palestine system, by the completion of a swing-bridge over the Suez Canal at Kantara.

The length of line of the State Railways (excluding the auxiliary railways of Upper Egypt, 280 miles, and the Western Oasis railway, 141 miles) in 1919 was 1,909 miles; the number of passengers carried in 1919-20, 26,213,000 ; weight of goods carried, including service transports, 4,820,702 tons ; and the list receipts, 4!E1, 910,874.