Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/951

 FREN'CH WEST AFRICA AND THE SAHARA 899

1843, but did not actively and continuously occupy the territory till 1883. Area about 121,976 square miles ; population, 1,407,030 ; Europeans, 1,030. The seat of administration was Bingerville, the capital, formerly called Adjame (European population, 69). There is a central school group at Bingerville and a number of Government schools in the districts. The chief ports, in a populous and comnien ial point of view, are Grand Bassam, with a lagoon (124 miles long, ami 12 to 15 f et deep), forming an excellent harbour of refuge ; Assinic, also with a lagoon ; Grand Lahou. the lagoon of which is connected by means of a canal with the lagoon of Grand Bassam : Sassandra, with a pier, and Tabou, which has a wireless station. The chief centres in the interior are Abijean, Dimbokro, Bouake, Aboisso. Bondoukou, and Korhogo. The natives cultivate maize, rice, plantains, pine-apples, and many other fruits. The Europeans culture with success coffee trees and cocoa trees, especially in Elima near Assinie and iD M'Bato near Bingerville. Coco-nuts and rubber are collected. The mahogany forests inland are worked. Gold is found near Grand Bassam in Baouli, on the Comoe and Bia Rivers, in Indenie. The imports in 1919 amounted to 23,537,038 francs, and the exports to 28,478,353 francs. Chief imports in 1919 were, tobacco, 7,956,197 francs ; wines, 636,484 francs ; cotton goods, 4,624,129 francs. Chief exports were, palm kernels, 10,517.531 francs; palm oil, 10,216,248 francs ; coffee, 284,147 francs ; cocoa, 1,811,538 francs ; rubber, 381,450 francs ; colo, 53,693 francs ; and mahogany, 3,422,391 francs. The ports of the Colony are visited by liners of several French, English and Belgian shipping companies. Number of vessels entered in 1919, 188 of 414,768 tons, and cleared 200 vessels, of 439,931 tons. From Abidjan, on the north side of the lagoon, a railway ha« been constructed, running between Abijean and Bouake (197 miles) Works are now contracted to lengthen this to the north. At the end of 1918, there were 2,300 miles of telegraphic and 117 miles of tele- phonic lines. The telegraph connects the principal towns and extends to adjoining colonies. Telephonic communication exists between Bassam and "Bingerville and other places. The budget of the colon v for 1920 has been fixed at 12,325,700 fh

Dahomey stretches from the coast between Togoland on the west and the British possessions of Lagos and Nigeria on the east, and extends northwards to the French Military Territories. France obtained a footing on the coast in 1851, and gradually extended her power until in 1894 the whole kingdom of Dahomey was annexed. The colony has only about 70 miles of coast, but opens out northwards into a wide hinterland. The area in 1920 was 42,460 square miles, and the population 860,590, in- cluding 590 Europeans. The seat of government is Porto Novo (the chief business centre), which has about 20,000 inhabitants. Village, regional, and urban schools are instituted under the new West African educational system, The natives are of pure Negro stock, and belong to the Fon branch of the Ewe family. They are industrious agriculturists in the coast region, and grow maize, manioc, yams, and potatoes. The forests contain oil palms, which have been profitably utilizrd. These furnish the chief exports— kernels and oiL Cotton cultivation has recently been successfully introduced in the central provinces. At Porto Novo there is an experimental station. The principal imports were cottons, machinery, liquors, and tobacco ; the chief exports were maize, palm kernels (45,188,505 francs in 1919), palm oil, (20,260,490 francs in 1919), copra ; the exports of kola nuts and of rubber are decreasing. In 1919 the United Kingdom participated in the foreign trade to the extent of 30 per cent, and France to 29 60 per cent. There are few roads in the colony, but in the last

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