Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/928

 SYO FRANCE: — ANNAM

hands of Europeans and Chinese, but about 22,000 Annamites are small traders. The chief exports are rice, fish and fish oil, pepper, cotton, copra, silk, shrimps, isinglass, hides, cardamoms. During 1919, 589 steamers of 895,592 tons entered at the port of Saigon of which 114 of 160,103 tons) were British. The vessels of the Messageries-Maritimes and of the Chargeurs Re'unis Companies visit Saigon regularly. There is also constant communi- cation with Hong Kong and Singapore by British vessels. (For railways see Indo-China.) At Saigon there are 5 banks or bank-agencies. The total exports n 1919 amounted to 980,777,780 francs, and imports to 84,202,744 francs. In 1919 the local budget balanced at 9,085,358 piastres.

Annam.

French intervention in the affairs of Annam, which began as early as 1787, was terminated by a treaty, signed on June 6, 1884, and ratified at Hue on February 23, 1886, by which a French protectorate has been estab- ished over Annam. The King Khai-Dinh, who succeeded to the throne in 1916, governs the country, assisted by a Council of Ministers, in accordance with the wishes of the French Government. The ports of Tourane, Qui-Nhon, and Xuan Day are opened to European commerce, and the customs revenue conceded to France ; French troops occupy part of the citadel (called Mang-Ca) of Hue, the capital (population 60,611). Binh-Dinb, the largest cown, has 74,400 inhabitants. Annamite functionaries, under the control of the French Government, administer all the internal affairs of Annam. The area of the protectorate is about 52,100 square miles, with a population in 1919 of 5,952,000, including 2,117 Europeans (exclusive of the military forces). The population is Annamite in the towns and along the coast, and consists of various tribes of Mois in the hilly tracts. At the end of 1920 the official schools of Annam were reorganised and placed under the direct control of the French Protectorate. There were 685 village schools with 14,438 pupils ; 98 elementary schools with 5,985 pupils ; 16 secondaiy schools with 5,058 pupils ; one higher secondary school, at Hue, with 552 pupils ; one higher secondary school for native girls with 289 pupils ; one professional school with 125 pupils; and one school of law and administration with 55 pupils. Local budget, 1919, balanced at 5,723,139 piastres. The Phanrang river has been utilised to irrigate about 10,000 acres, and similar works, on a smaller scale, have been carried out in Central Annam. Rice is one of the most important products. Others are cotton, maize, and other cereals, the areca nut, mulberry, cinnamon, tobacco, sugar, betel, manioc, bamboo ; excellent timber abounds, also caoutchouc, cardamoms, coffee, dye, and medicinal plants. Raw silk is produced, amounting annually to about 800,000 kilogrammes, one-third of which is exported, and the re- mainder used in native manufactures. There are about 681,000 head of cattle in Annam, and cattle rearing is of some importance. There are copper, zinc, and gold in the province of Quang-nam ; the mines are worked by natives. An important seam of haematite iron is worked about 9 kilometres from Thanhhoa. At Nongson, near Tourane, coal mines are worked, in North, Central, and Southern Annam there are salt works. Imports in 1919, 9,243,049 francs ; exports, 51,556,788 francs. The chief imports are cotton- yarn, cottons, tea, petroleum, paper goods, and tobacco ; chief exports, sugar, rice, cotton and silk tissues, cinnamon, tea, and paper. In 1919, 117 ships (6 Portuguese of 5,119 tons, 37 Japanese of 42,580 tons, 13 English of 15,114 tons, 52 Chinese of 22,520 tons, 4 Dutch of 2,160 tons, 4 American of 9,329 tons, and 1 Norwegian of 1,102 tons) of a total tonnage of 97,924 tons, cleared the port of Tourane.