Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/876

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ECUADOR

Total trade between Ecuador and the United Kingdom for five years (according to Board of Trade returns) : —

Imports from Ecuador into U.K. Exports to Ecuador from U.K.

1916

£

1,018,619

433,623

1917

£

204,507 595,862

ISIS

£ 142,240 372,671

£

1,230,780 376,608

£

1,627,241 1,361,571

Shipping and Internal Communications.

In 1918 there entered at Guayaquil 160 steam vessels of 195,958 tons (84 vessels of 117,341 tons British), and cleared 153 vessels of 181,537 tons (80 vessels of 102,719 tons British). Guayaquil is visited by the steamers of three European lines passing through Magellan's Straits, as well as by steamers plying only on the Pacific coast.

The roads of the country are mostly bridle-roads only, and often impass- able for half the year. The one highway is from Quito towards Guayaquil, for a distance of 115 miles, but the work of thus connecting the capital and the port has long been discontinued. In 1917 it was decided to construct a road of 20 miles from Guayaquil to Pasquales on the Daule river. There is river communication throughout the principal agricultural districts on the low grounds to the west of the Cordillera by the rivers Guayas, Daule, and Vinces (navigable for 200 miles by river steamers in the rainy season), and other small affluents thereof. Navigation of these inland waters is carried on by about 17 American and Ecuadorian-built side-wheel and screw steamers, 20 steam yachts or tow-ferry boats, many small steam launches, and a large fleet of gasoline launches, canoes, and other small craft.

A railway is open from Duran (opposite Guayaquil) to Quito (280 miles). Total length of lines about 365 miles (1917). The journey from Guayaquil to Quito takes two days, with a stop at Riobamba where the passengers spend the night ; 12 hours trip first day and 9 hours second day. Railways for the development of local trade have been undertaken by several local authorities.

The total length of telegraph line (1915) is about 4,360 miles, Quito being connected with Guayaquil and the coast, with the Republics of Colombia and Peru, and by cable with the rest of the world. There are 204 telegraph stations through which 400,000 messages were sent. In 1915 there were 2,926 telephone instruments in Ecuador (2,250 in Guayaquil) and 2,815 miles of wire. Wireless telegraphy has been installed. At present there are only in operation two stations one in Quito, and one in Guayaquil. Further stations are projected at Puna, Puerto-Bolivar, and Bahia.

On January 1st, 1915, there were 194 post offices in the country, handling 5,480,951 pieces of postal matter.

&'~ Banking and Credit.

Ecuador having no mint, the coin of the country is minted in England, the United States, and Peru.

There is no national money in Ecuador, the circulating medium being issued wholly by the banks under government direction and control. Four banks are authorised to issue notes for circulation, viz., the Banco del Ecuador, capital 300,000/., the Banco Comercial y Agricola, capital 500,000/., Banco del Azuay, capital 50,000/., and the Banco del Pichincha 200,000/. On December 31, 1918, there were in circulation in Ecuador Bank notes of the value of 1,862,321/. ; gold coin, 538,128/. ; and silver coin, 324,447/., making a total of 2,724,898/.