Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/948

 896 FRANCE : — FRENCH WEST AFRICA AND THE SAHARA

river frontage not exceeding 436 yards ; the lease, at first, to be for 30 years. It is further stipulated that, within the boundaries indicated in the conven- tion, British and French as regards persons and merchandise shall enjoy for 30 years the same treatment in all matters of river navigation, of commerce, and of tariff and fiscal treatment and taxes of all kinds.

Under the Anglo-French Convention of April 8, 1904, the river port of Yarbatenda on the Gambia (belonging to the British colony of Gambia), with all its landing places, was ceded to France, and, if this port should prove inaccessible to sea-going merchantmen, access to the river will be granted to France at an accessible point lower down. At the same time the Los Islands were ceded to France.

By an agreement, dated July 6, 1911, between England and France, the boundary line between French Guinea and Sierra Leone was readjusted.

By a Convention between Great Britain and France the former recognised the right of France to all territory west of the Nile basin, which practically includes the whole of the Sahara (exclusive of the Libyan Desert), and the State of Wadai. The French Sahara may be roughly estimated at about 1J million square miles.

Over the whole of French West Africa there is a Governor-General, who is assisted by a Council, the seat of the general government being at Dakar. The Colonies are each under a Lieutenant-Governor, subject to the direction of the Governor-General, who has been relieved of the direct administration of any portion of his Government, and is free to devote the whole of his attention to directing and controlling the common interests of all the Colonies. To facilitate this object a General Budget has been created, drawn up by the Governor-General, which provides for all the services which are common to all the Colonies, and the funds for which are pro- vided by the customs and shipping dues of each of the Colonies, which have now only their internal revenues to depend upon for their local budgets, which have, however, been relieved of the cost of all the general services.

The general budget of the Colonies for 1920 amounted to 40,509,800 francs. The military forces in peace times consist of 13,500 men, of whom 1,500 are Europeans. The police force numbers 3,000.

Schools are at work for elementary primary, superior and commercial primary, and technical education, with a central normal school for training native teachers for the village schools, and a certain number of professional schools in the different colonies, with a central professional training school at Goreo (near Dakar). Over 13,000 children are receiving elementary instruction, about 3,000 of the pupils being girls.

The imports into French West Africa are mostly food substances, tissues, mechanical implements, and beverages ; the exports from these colonies ure chiefly fruits, oils and oil seeds, as well as rubber, cotton, cacao and timber. The following is a comparative table of values of the imports and exports during 1918 and 1919 for each of the colonies : —

Imports Exports

Colonies

Senegal

French Guinea Ivory Coast Dahomey.

Total |.

1918

1019

1918

1919

francs

290,777,860

23,029,972

16,787,678

38,848,926

francs

198,164,926

20, 9 18, 941

23,587,088

44,384,084

francs

215,219,431

12,6*9,621

13,15t\'.>7'-' 29,986,819

! 271,187,843

francs 208,178,941

23,535,011 28,478,853 70,104,610

362,942,3S3

292,009,689

324,296,815