Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/964

 912 FRANCE: — AUSTRALASIA AND OCEANIA

area of about 800 square miles. The chief culture in the islands is that of coconuts ; the chief export, copra and rubber.

4. The Huon Islands, 170 miles north-west of New Caledonia, a most barren group.

5. Futuna and Aloft, south of the Wallis Islands, with about 1,500 inhabitants, were annexed by France in 1888.

The New Hebrides, in accordance with the Anglo-French convention of February (ratified in October), 1906, are jointly administered by the High Commissioners of His Britannic Majesty and the French Republic, In 1914 an Anglo-French conference was appointed to devise means of remedying the defects of the condominium. There are French and English courts, and a mixed court with a judge foreign to both nations. Maize, coffee, vanilla, coconut trees are grown. In some places sulphur is abundant.

British Consul at Noumea. — Mr. Johnston.

FRENCH ESTABLISHMENTS IN OCEANIA.

These, scattered over a wide area in the Eastern Pacific, are ad- ministered by a governor with an Administrative Council consisting of certain officials, the maire of Papeete, and the Presidents of the Chambers of Commerce and Agriculture. The establishments consist of the Society Islands, the most important of which are Tahiti and Moorea, the former with an area of about 600 square miles and 11,691 inhabitants, the latter with an area of 50 square miles and 1,564 inhabitants ; the principal pro- duct is phosphate (annual production, 80,000 metric tons). Other groups are the Marquezas Islands, with a total area of 480 square miles and 3,424 inhabitants, the two largest islands being Nukahivaand Hivaoa ; theTuamotu group, consisting of two parallel ranges of islands from King George's Island on the north to Gloucester Island on the south, their total population being 3,828 ; the Leeward Islands (lies sous le Vent), of which the more important are Huahine (pop. 1,230), Raiatea and Tahaa (pop. 3,347), and Bora-Bora- Maupiti (pop. 1.295); the Gambier, Tubuai, anu Rapa Islands; the Gambier group (of which Mangareva is the principal) having six square miles of area and 1,533 inhabitants ; the Tubuai (or southern) Islands, of which Rurutn is the largest, Raivavae (or Yavitu), Rimatara, and, far to the south, Rapa, having together an area of 115 square miles and about 2,550 inhabi tants. The total areaof the Establishments is estimated at 1,520 square miles, and their population on December 29, 1911, at 31,477, of whom 26,219 were natives. There were 28,875 French, 2,656 other Europeans, and 975 Chinese. In 1903 it was decreed that separate islands or groups should no longer be regarded as distinct Establishments, but that all should be united to form a homogeneous colony. Local budget 1919, 3,879,000 francs.

The most important of the islands is Tahiti, whose chief town is Papeete with 3,617 inhabitants, of whom 1,909 are French. A higher primary school, with a normal school, has been established at Papeete, and there are 6 primary schools, each with about 100 pupils, in various islands, besides 4 Catholic and 2 Protestant mission schools. Pearls and mothur-o'-poarl are important products. The island is mountainous and picturesque with a fertile coast- land bearing coconut, banana, and orange trees, sugar-cane, vanilla, and other tropical fruits, besides vegetables grown in temperate climates. Cotton, coffee, and tobacco are now little cultivated. The chief industries are the preparation of copra, sugar, and rum. Value of imports (1917) 312,256^.,