Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 09.djvu/236

* GREECE. 206 GKEECE. cotton and silk industries. Sparta and Athens weave che.<ip silks, and I'atias spins much cotton yarn. The nielallurgic industries are little de- velo[)ed, though some macliinery is made at Syra and a few other towns. The principal industries are those wliielt transform agricultural and ani- mal products into manufactured commodities, such a-s soap-works, tanneries, distilleries, and re- fineries. Sponge iislieries are actively carried on in the .Egean .Sea and along the coasts of Tunis and Tripoli, and the preparation of sponges for market is a considerable industry. As the sea trade is largely developed, ships are built in all the ports, the industry being most active in Syra and the Pir.'eus. Commerce. The following figures show the average vnhnne of the special trade of Greece (that is. the commerce exclusive of the forward- ing trade) : Imports.. Exports.. 1879-83 324.500,000 13,300,000 S-22.500,000 S-2.j,900.000 17.000,000 20,400.000 The chief imports in 1900 were : Cereals, $6,720,- 000 ; cloth and yarn, .$.3,290.000 ; coal. etc.. .$2,990.- 000 ; wood and timber, $2,220,000 ; fish and caviar, $1,230,000; chemicals, $830,000; rawhides, $070,- 000: live stock, ,$670,000; paper. $070,000; cofl'ee, $550,000; sugar, $510,000; glass and earthen- ware, $500,000. Currants are about one-half of the exports, and the only product for which there is considerable demand from many countries. The chief exports in 1000 were: Currants. $10,- 570.000: ores. $4,100,000: wine. $960,000; to- bacco, $710,000; figs, $4.S0.000; olive oil. $400,- 000; siik and cocoons, $280,000. Great Britain has the larger part both of the import and export trade, usually selling to Greece about one-third of her purchases (woven goods and yarns, coal, iron, and machinery), and buying from her about one-fourth of her sales (mainly currants, besides lead, iron, zinc and silver ores, raisins, sponges, and valonia). The influences of a common religious faith and the convenient com- munications between South Russian and Greek ports give Russia second place in the Greek trade ; and Austria-Hungary. Turkey. Kgypt. Ger- many. France, and Italy are the other most im- portant buyers and sellers. The United States sold to Greece in 1900 goods valued at a little over $300,000. chieflv machinery, and bought fron: it connnodities valued at about $1,000,000, chiefly currants. B.NKS. The Ionian Bank, established in 1839, with headquarters in London, and the National Bank, dating from 1841. with which was incorpo- rated the Epiro-Thessalian Bank in 1900. are the chief institutions of their kind in the coun- try. There are numerous private banks, and since 1899 an agricultural bank has been in operation at Patras with the object of freeing agricultur- ists from the machinations of usurious money- lenders by lending money at a fair rate of interest on land security. TR.]yspoRTATiON. As the sea is the main high- way, both in the domestic and foreign trade, the completion of the Corinth Canal across the Isth- mus of Corinth, in ISO.'?, was a most important addition to commercial facilities. This canal. 3.7 miles Ions', connects the Ionian .nnd .Eueau seas, and gives a tnuch shorter and smoother passage between Italy and Odessa and for all the small vessels plying between the ports of North- ern and Central Greece than that around the south end of the country. The sea trade was served in 1900 by 137 steamers of 115,530 tons, and 927 sailing vessels of 183,877 tons. More than half the trade is carried through the port of Pira'us. The Greek flag is more prominent than any other in the shipping trade of the eastern Mediterranean ports, and there are sev- eral thousands of small trading craft. The isl- ands are the great centre of sea life. The little island of Syra, in the centre of the C}'clades, has long been the largest trader in the .^Igean, though its importance has for some time been declining. A large part of the shipping of Greece belongs to the Ionian Islands. The railroads are as yet very inadequate for the needs of the country, only G03 miles having been in operation in 1900. The railroad, only partly built, between Athens and northern Thessaly. will be the trunk line of the country, with extensions into the Peloponnesus. It is intended to extend the line from Larissa to Saloniki, and thus bring Greece into rail communication with the rest of Europe. The common roads have been much improved, and there are now over 2000 miles of good highways. GovER^■ME^'T. Greece is a constitutional mon- archy, the kingship being vested in the royal House of Holstein - Sonderburg - (Jliicksburg, of which the present head is the King of Denmark, whose second son, CJeorge I. (Georgios), ascended the Greek throne in 1863. The legislative power is vested in a Chamber of Deputies (the Boule), which meets annually in Athens, the members being elected by popular vote for a term of four years. Th ^ sufTrage is restricted to males, twenty- one years old or over, ilembers of the Boule, and all officials, must be at least thirty years of age. The executive functions of the State are in the hands of the six heads of departments, who com- pose the ilinistry. ^Military sen-ice is compul- sory for two years in the active army, and for ten years in the reserve. The army <in a peace foot- ing numbers 25.180. including ofllcers and men; in time of war it is increased to 82.125. The fleet consists of 07 vessels, manned by 4042 officers and men. Besides three battle-ships and two other armor-clad shi])s. a cruiser, and a royal yacht, the navy includes coast -defense vessels, gunboats, and torpedo-boats. The aA-erage annual revenue is over $20,000,000. derived from the customs, stamps, monojiolies (salt, petroleum, matches, and playing-cards), and the tobacco tax. The receipts much more than provide for the cur- rent expenses, but as the net proceeds of the monopolies and tobacco and stamp taxes are ap- plied to diminishing the public debt, the budget usually sliows a small deficit. The public debt in 1899 was $157,200,000. not including the paper money in circulation. The monetary unit is the drachma, equivalent to the franc. The gold coins of the leading countries are accepted, by royal decree, as legal tender. The metric system of Weights and meastires was introduced in 1898 and is gradually supplanting the old system. Popti..^TiON .■v^-D People. The population of Greece according to the census of 1896 was about 2.443.806. Only about one-third of the Greek people live in Greece. There are about 1 000.000 Greeks in .sia ?rinor. between 1.000.000 and 2.000.000 in European Tnrkev. about 500.000 in the Ottoman islands, Cyjnus, and Crete, and