Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/943

 COMMERCE — SHIPPING AND COM Ml VICATIONS 891

antimony, manganese, nickel, su.lj.kur. graphite (27,833 tons in 1917), lignite ^first found in March, 1912), and also c«al have been found in various {arts of the island.

Commerce.

The trade of Mada<jascar has been as follows in five years : —

-

ltl9 1917

1919

Imports. Exports.

£ . l.r

3,958,909

The chief articles of import and export in 1917 and following: —

1913 were the

Im;

1918 K.xpi.rU

Cottons. Beverages Machinery Metals. Cement. I.irae

£ £ 1,154,224 — G-.'ld dust.

.'tie ....

.

Uatia fibre. Wax

10,184 510 70,«C6 21t,005

37.140

The trade in

1917 and 1918 was distributed as follows : —

From or to

Imports Exports

France French Coloi United Kingdom. British Possessions

£

£

1.763,021

2.600,194

2,441,369

596.674

181,366

495,581

116,752

499,639

414,496

1,275,085

127,021

193.312

According tu Board of Trade returns, the imptrts from Madagascar into Great Britain iu 1920 amounted ■ .'. (mainly beans and plumbago),

and the exports from Great Britain amounted to 294,201/. (mainly cotton goods).

Shipping and Communications.

Tamatave, the principal seaport of the island, is visited by the steamers of two French shipping companies, and the principal ports axe connected with each other l>y • -amers plying regularly. In 1918, vessels of

630,320 tons entered ar.d vessels of 632,133 tons cleared at the ports ■ it Madagascar. Of the total tonnage entering 490,563 tons were French, and 78,931 tons were British ; and of those clearing, 492,671 tons were French and 81, 3S4 tons British.

There are as yet but few roads in Madagascar in the European sense of the word. At the end of 1918 there were 1,611 miles of metalled roads. The transport of mails and by motor-cars is being extended. A

fortnightly ben ice of moto: -tablished between Antananarivo

and Miarinarivo (97 miles), and a service — twice weekly — between Antana-