Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/953

 FRENCH WEST AFRICA AND THE SAHARA" 901

There is a very complete system of telegraphs throughout the Colony from Kayes to Niamey, Zinder, and Lake Tchad.

The Senegal-Niger Railway goes from Kayes to Koulikoro, a distance of 344 miles. For about three months in the year small steamboats perform the service from Koulikoro to Timbuktu.

Wireless telegraph cqpnects Timbuktu and Bamako with the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

The Colony of the Upper Volta was formed by a decree of March 1, 1919, from the southern section of the Upper Senegal Niger. It lies within the bend of the Niger which, with the Military Territory forms its eastern boundary ; its southern boundary is formed by the river Makrom and the northern boundary of Dahomey, " Togoland, the Gold Coast, and the Ivory Coast ; thence the boundary runs in a north-easterly direction from the river Bage to the Niger, about 16° N., below Ausinge. It embraces the circles of Gacus, Bobo-Dioulasso, Dedeugon, Ouaga-dougou, Dori, Say, and Fada- N'Gourna. Area about 154,400 square miles, and population 3,000,100, including 100 Europeans. The administrative centre is Ouagadougou (population 19.332); other towns are Bobo-Dioulasso (8,736;, Gikasso (7,825). Administratively it is on the same footing as the other Colonies of French West Africa. Economically, industrially and commercially it possesses the same characteristics as the Upper Senegal Niger Colony. The budget for 1920 balanced at 5,102,125 francs.

Mauritania, formed into a Protectorate in May, 1903, and converted into a special " Civilian Territory," under the command of a Commissioner of the Government-General, in October, 1904, consists of the districts of Trarza, Brakna, Gorgol, Assaba, Tichit, Adrar, Levrier Bay, and Tagant, with a total area of 344,967 square miles. The native population numbers about 256,000, mostly Moorish Mussulmans. The northern limit of the Territory is approximate, and the foregoing area is obtained by taking the latitude 23'' 3' N. as the northern boundary.

The budget of the Protectorate for 1920 was 2,984,000 francs.

Togo. — Trie German Colony of Togoland has administratively been divided between France and England. The eastern section has been allotted to France, which took possession of the country as mandatory on October 1, 1920. An Administrative Council has been established, of which two Euro- pean non-officials and one native notable will be members. The Council will be consulted in drawing up the budget.

Togo is bounded to the west by the British Colony of the Gold Coast, to the north and to the east by French Western Africa, and to the south by the Gulf of Guinea. The colony has a seaboard of about 434 miles. It is a prolongation of the colony of Dahomey with identical climate and possibilities. It measures 33,659 square miles, and is populated by 1,100,000 natives of the Ewe race, kindred to the race which populates Dahomey. This race is fairly intelligent, hard-working and thrifty. Of the total area, 20,072 miles have been allotted to France.

The climate of Togo is not particularly suitable to Europeans, and the soil, while rich, requires considerable care during crop-growing periods. In 1917 the colony's exports of cocoa rose from 7 tons in 1913 to 1,569 tons (2,851 tons in 1919) ; exports of copra rose from 44 tons in 1913 to 734 tons in 1917 ; exports of palm oil products increased from 30,205 tons in 1913 to 39,589 tons in 1917. Togo is exceedingly rich in iron ore and various other minerals.