Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/754

 "702

BELGIAN CONGO

Commerce and Shipping.— The value of the commerce for five years was as follows : —

Tears

Imports

Exports

Special

General

Special

General

1914 1915 1916 1917 1918

£ 1,779,685 938,128 2,150,633 1,412,054 1,504,190

£

2,064,158 1,184,823 2,749,591 1,793,555 2,014,301

£ 2,114,991 879,788 5,197,264 6,573,103 4,478,754

£

2,448,442 3,299,524 5,897,708 7,397,926 4,934,461

The chief imports for 1917 and 1918 and exports for 1918 and 1919 were: —

Imports

Exports

1917

1918

1918

1919

Francs

Francs

Kilogs.

Kilogs.

Arms, ammunition,

Rubber.

1,755,609

3,797,440

&c.

16,175

15,113

Ivory

127,117

513,630

Steamers and ships

338,238

1,027,326

Palm-nuts

31,363,163

34,350,030

Machinery

965,213

892,021

Palm-oil.

5,126,141

0,404,510

Wines, spirits, beer

1,921,1S3

2,608,049

Copal

3,610,913

—

Provisions

1,279,700

1 1,421,670

Gold, crude

2,433

4,410

Cottons.

12,095,806

1 10,223,131

Copper, ore and

crude.

19,419,423

2:?,0->S,000

Of the special imports (1918) the value of 28,712,502 francs came from Great Britain, 1,223,856 francs from France, 2,056,017 francs from Angola, 1,824,238 francs from the United States. Of the special exports 40,095 tons went to Great Britain; 653 tons to the United States ; and 13,619 tons to France.

According to the Board of Trade Returns the imports into the United Kingdom from the Belgian Congo in 1920 amounted to the value of 725, 11 11. ; and the exports of British produce and manufactures to the Belgian Congo to 981,0702.

At the port of Boma in 1918 of sea-going vessels there entered 23 of 66,489 tons, and cleared 23 vessels of 66,489 tons. The other two ports are Banana and Matadi. In the coasting trade there entered 150 vessels of 8,041 tons, and cleared 147 vessels of 7,957 tons.

The 1 administration possesses 17 steamers on the Lower Congo, and 46 on the Upper Congo. There are also aliout 51 private steamers on the Upper Congo.

Internal Communications. —The Congo is navigable for 93 miles from its mouth to Matadi, and on this section 15 steamers belonging to the State ply. Above this, for over 200 miles, are numerous rapids, which render the river unnavigable as far as Stanley Pool (L^opoldville), Above the Pool there are about 1,068 miles of navigable water, as far as Stanley Falls, while several of the great tributaries are navigable over a considerable extent of their course. Above the Stanley Falls the Congo is called Lualaba and is navigable for 585 miles, from Ponthierville to Kihdu and from Kongoloto Bukama (Katanga).

There are 5,609 miles of road partly suitable for motors. The