Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/726

 674

ARGENTINE REPUBLIC

237,768,000 acres suitable in general for pastoral colonisation, and these lands are conditionally offered free, or for sale or on lease.

The Argentine census of June 1, 1914, showed 1,074,964 real-estate owners in the Republic, classified as follows : — Argentinians, 673,409 ; Italians, 203,500; Spaniards, 104,339; French, 22,105; Uruguayans,' 13,973; Russians, 9,687; Austrians, 8,666; Ottomans, 7,709; Swiss, 4,730 ; Germans, 4,711 ; English, 4,344 ; others, 17,791.

The total area under cultivation in 1918-19 was 59,716,550 acres. The area and produce of principal crops are shown as follows : —

Wheat. Oats. Maize. Flax.

Acreage

17,175,000 3,015,000 9,800,000 3,456,625

1919-20

15,132,500 1,327,500 8,180,000 3,563,000

15,004,306 2,061,315

3,482,817

Produce (Metric Tons)

4,670,288 490,056

5,696,150 781,740

1920-21

5,828,000 6,070,000 829,000 ■ 830,000

1,068,430 | 1,400,000

From January 1 to December 31, 1919, the quantities of cereals exported were as follows :— Wheat, 3,286,260 tons ; flax, 855,455 tons ; oats, 333,423 tons ; maize, 2,485,465 tons. Cotton, sugar, wine, and tobacco are grown. The sugar industry is makiug great progress. The quantity of sugar manu- factured was 88,076 metric tons in 1917, and 260,000 metric tons in 1919. In 1919 there were 89,564,838 gallons of wine produced in Argentina (94,938,800 gallons in 1918).

In 1920 the number of animals within the Republic was estimated at cattle, 27,392,126 (25,866,763 in 1914) ; horses, 9,366,455 (8,323,815 in 1914) mules, 565,069 ; asses, 260,157 ; sheep, 45,303,419 (43,225,452 in 1914) goats, 4,670,130 ; pigs, 3,227,346. The Province of Buenos Aires con- tains over 43 per cent, of the sheep within the Republic. Total wool clip in 1917-18, 181,000 tons (160,000 tons in 1916-17).

Iu the provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, and Entre Rios, agricultural lands to the extent of 463,000 acres have been acquired by the Jewish Colonisation Association. Of this land 158,000 acres are under cultivation.

In 1914 (the last industrial census) there were 35,093 factories in Argentina, employing a total of 383,706 persons. The total capital was 105,187,596/.

Mining is of no great importance. Gold, silver, and copper are worked in Catamarca, and gold and copper in San Juan and La Rioja. Gold is also mined in the south-western territories. Coal has been discovered in Santa Cruz. There are no Government statistics as to mineral output, excepting only the output of petroleum at the Comodoro Rivadavia wells, which is as foilows : in 1917, 181,704 cubic metres ; in 1918, 197,573 cubic metres ; and in 1919, 188,092 cubic metres.

Commerce.

Real values in pounds sterling, exclusive of coin and bullion : —

Imports Kxporto

72,601,103 113,456,261

1920

75,311,121 99,109,450 129,855,900 170.S'.'(».niv> 108,944,562 158,706,230 204,151,536 201,360,000