Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/396

 344

THE BRITISH EMPIRIC : — LEEWARD ISLANDS

The following table shows the area and population of the Leeward Islands: —

__

Area:

Square miles

Population 1901

Population according to

Census taken on 2nd April,

1911

Males

Females

Total

Antigua

Barbuda and Redonda.

108 ) 62 \

35,073

13,989

18,280

32,269

Virgin Islands

58

4,908

2,613

2,949

5,562

Dominica

305

28,894

15,231

18,632

33,863

St. Kitts

65

29,782

10,969

15,314

26,283

Nevis

50

12,774

5,521

7,424

12,945

Anguilla

35

3,890

1,562

2,513

4,075

Montserrat.

32

12,215

5,245

6,951

12,196

Total.

715

127,536

55,130

72,063

127,193

The" principal religious bodies are Anglican, Roman Catholic, Wesleyan, and Moravian. Education is denominational, except in Dominica, where, with four exceptions, the schools are under Government control, and in Antigua, where the schools were placed entirely under Government control in April 1914, and were reduced to 17 in number ; the schools in the Presidency of St. Kitts-Nevis were also placed under entire Government control in April, 1915, and were reduced to 33. In 1918-19, 98 schools with average attendance of 11,228 ; Government grant 8,854Z. ; 8 secondary schools, average attendance of 256; Government grant 1,7651. ; an agri- cultural school, and an industrial school.

In 1919 there were 9,301 summary convictions, and 64 convictions at the Circuit Court.

Sugar and molasses are the staple products in most of the islands. The production of lime-juice and the manufacture of citrate of lime is carried on in Dominica and Montserrat. The cultivation of cocoa and of onions is successful, and tobacco and cotton, except in Dominica, are being suc- cessfully grown.

Financial and commercial statistics for six years : —

-

1913-14 (pre-war)

1915-16

1916-17

1917-18

1918-19

1918-20

£

£

£

£

£

£

Revenue

174,331

162,239

190,060

192,047

198,019

•-•40,471'.

Customs

99,425

94,028

110,866

112,861

114,424

141,421

Expenditure

171,128

187,615

185,094

198,157

202,054

250,578

Public debt

244,1

201,250

259,850

259, H50

259,450

251,250

Imports

58S.302

584,518

642,249

901,779

908,401

—

Exports

568,903

670,101

1,121,568

1,094,081

912,877



Total shipping (1917), 2,135,489 tons.

Antigua, area of 108 square miles ; Islands of Barbuda (62 square miles) and Redonda are dependencies. Antigua is the seat of government of the Colony. There is an Executive Council, nominated, and a Legislative Council consisting of eight official and eight unofficial members. The Governor presides at both Councils. Chief town, St. John, 9,262. In Antigua in 1919 the birth-rate per 1,000 was 34-12 ; the death-rate, 26*88 ;