Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/832

 780 COSTA RICA

The revenue is chiefly derived from direct taxation (land and sales taxes 1 ), customs (116,5932. in 1918), liquors, and railways, posts, and telegraphs. The largest items of expenditure are finance, public instruction, and internal development.

The foreign debt of the Republic outstanding on December 31, 1918, was 2,950,456/., made up of gold refunding bonds, 1911, of 2.000, 0002. (1,586,6602. issued) and the French Loan of 1912, of 35,000,000 francs (34,100,000 francs outstanding). The internal debt on December 31, 1919, amounted to 1,784,2042.

Defence.

Costa Rica had an army, including reserve and national guard, of 52,208 officers and men. The active army numbered 38,946, and consisted of 3 brigades, 1 battalion, 3 companies, and 135 unclassified soldiers. The peace strength is 1,000 men, and the war strength is estimated at 50,000 militia, as every male between 18 and 50 may be required to serve. Owing to the fall of the Tinoco Administration and the consequent confusion in the War Office, no later statistics are available. The Republic has also 1 motor launch on the Atlantic side and 1 on the Pacific side for Revenue purposes.

Production and Industry.

A considerable area of the country is high table-land, with a temperate climate, but the land along the coast is low, with tropical vegetation and a tropical climate. Agriculture is the principal industry. There are thousands of square miles of public lands in Costa Rica that have never been cleared, on which can be found quantities of virgin rosewood, cedar, mahogany, and other cabinet woods. The principal agricultural products are coffee (24,000,000 pounds estimated production in 1920-21), and bananas, 95,400 acres (7,129,655 bunches valued at 682,2632. in 1918 ; 8,651 bunches valued at 868,9512. in 1917). There is a banana trade with New Orleans, New York, and Boston. Bee-keeping has been commenced; it is estimated that there are 3,000 hives in the Republic. The second industry of importance is that of gold and silver mining on the Pacific slope. SfeTeraJ districts are auriferous, and mining is carried on in the Abangarez, Barranca, and Aguacate districts. Deposits of manganese ore have been discovered in the Pacific province of Guanacastc. Maize, sugar-cane, rice, and po1 are commonly cultivated. Some 2,700 acres are under tobacco. The distillation of spirits is a government monopoly. The live stock, in 1915 ; consisted of 347,475 cattle, 64,717 horses, 76,198 pigs, besides mules, sheep, and goats.

There are officially enumerated 3,296 factories and industries in the Republic, including coffee-drying establishments, starch, broom and wood- work factories. Electricity, derived from water power in the highlands, is widely used as motive power.

Commerce.

The value of imports into and exports from Costa Rica in 5 years (including coin and bullion) was as follows (in sterling 1 colon = 22 -9rf.):—

-

1915

1916

1917

£

1,203,277 2,447,777

1918

1919

Imports Exports

£

923,890 2,052,082

£

1. 4-2e, 199 2,391,649

£ 768,641

l,980,. r >26

£ 1,469,

3,288,112