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* GUATEMALA. 336 GUATEMALA. tent by the United States. The value of the ex- ports of Guatemala for 1899 amounted to $8,- 370,555 gold, a falling off since 1896, when it amounted to $10,037,193 gold. The imports for 1899 amounted to $4,117,659 gold, as against $11,429,200 in 1896. The commerce with the United States was for a long time greatly handi- capped by the lack of direct steamship lines be- tween the Pacific ports of the two countries. The establishment of a direct steamship line between San Francisco and Guatemala in 1900 has been followed by an increase in the United States im- ports to Guatemala from $785,462 gold in 1900 to $1,424,814 in 1901. The latter figure, however, still falls short of the exports from the United States in 1890, when they exceeded $3,000,000. The imports from Guatemala into the United Stales in 1900 amounted to over $2,000,000, con- sisting chiefly of coffee, bananas, hides, skins, and rubber. GovERNiiENT AND FINANCES. Guatemala has a democratic form of government, and is gov- erned under the Constitution proclaimed in 1879. The executive power is vested in the President (who is elected directly for six years and is assisted by a Cabinet of six Ministers), and by a Council of State consisting of 13 members partly elected by the Assembly and partly ap- pointed by the 'President. The legislative au- thority is vested in the National Assembly of 69 members, elected directly for a period of four years, at the rate of one Deputy for every 20.000 inhabitants. For the administration of justice Guatemala has a Supreme Court, consisting of a Chief Justice and four associate justices, elected by the people; six courts of appeals, consisting each of a Chief Justice and two associate jus- tices, all elected by the people; and minor courts whose judges are appointed by the President at the recommendation of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. For governmental purposes the country is divided into 22 departments, w'hich are subdivided into municipal districts. Each department is administered by an official called Jefe Politico. He is appointed by the President. The municipal districts are administered by one or more alcaldes each, and by municipal councils, all elected by the people. The regular army of Guatemala numbers about 7000 officers and men. The effective army is esti- mated at 56.000 men, and the reserve at 30.000. The metric system of weights and measures is in use. The chief source of the revenue of Guatemala is customs duties. As the imports have declined about two-thirds since 1896, the revenue also has shown a considerable falling off. The re- ceipts, which amounted in 1896 to $15,150,741 currencv, were estimated in the budget of 1900-01 at $9,770,000, of which $4,340,000 was to be de- rived from customs. However, the expenditure also decreased from $17,437,452 in 1896 to $9,- 611.201 in 1900. The chief items of expenditure in the budget of 1900-01 were: For Department of Financed $3,157,856; Departments of Interior and .Justice. $1,421,524: War, $1,998,203: and In- struction, $1,513,915. The total foreign indebted- ness of the countrv, including arrears of inter- est, amounted at the end of 1900 to $9,352,694 gold. It runs mostly at 4 per cent, interest, and is held in Great Britain and Germany. The internal debt amounted at the end of 1900 to $28,118,068 silver. Guatemala has six banks of issue, whose notes are legal tender even in case of debts contracted to be paid in silver. Guate- mala is practically on a paper basis, gold and silver coins being little circulated. The value of the silver peso in United States currency fell from nearly $1 in 1874 to about 40 cents in 1902, while the paper peso is subject to frequent fluc- tuations, and for some time in 1902 was as low as 15 cents in United States currency. PopuL.TiON. The inhabitants numbered 1,574,- 000 in 1900. The density of population is great- est on the high, cool plateaus. About 65 per cent, are Indians and negroes, and 35 per cent, are Spanish-Americans and mixed breeds, the last slightly exceeding the whites in number. The foreign population is only about 12,000, Guatemala being unable as yet, in spite of favor- able legislation, to attract many immigrants. Nearly the entire population adheres to the Roman Catholic faith. There is no State religion. Perfect liberty of worship is granted. Education is free, and nominally compulsory. In 1895, 64,015 children were enrolled in 1284 schools. The educational system is the best in the Cen- tral American States. History. Extensive ruins of cities, temples, and aqueducts found in all parts of Guatemala testify to the existence of a highly developed people before the advent of Europeans. The most careful study of these ancient remains, however, has as yet failed to reveal anything of the history of this prehistoric race, which was probably allied to, if not identical with, the Toltees'of Mexico. The countiy was conquered by the Spaniards, under Alvarado. between 1522 and 1524, and in no province of Spanish America were the natives so mercilessly oppressed as in Guatemala. Las Casas states that in the first fifteen or sixteen years of Spanish misrule be- tween four and five millions of Indians perished. The proi'ince was governed as a captaincy-gen- eral under the vicerovalty of New Spain down to the declaration of independence in 1821. In 1822 Guatemala was declared annexed to Itur hide's Mexican empire, a status which lasted for fifteen months, and was followed by tlie creation of the Confederation of Central America, con- sisting of the five States of Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Salvador, and Costa Rica. In 1825 a federal constitution was adopted, and the con- federation thus formed endured until 1838 or 1839. The new State of Guatemala then adopted a liberal constitution, and plunged into a condi- tion of chronic warfare with its neighbors. Under the firm guidance of Rafael Carrera the country successfully withstood an attempt made by Gen- eral Merazan in 1842 to establish an autocratic Government in Central America. In 1850 the republics of Honduras, Salvador, and Nicara- gua endeavored to force Guatemala into a new confederation, but were decisively defeated at Arada. Since that time there has been an ever- present tendency to resolve the office of Presi- dent into that of dictator, from the attempt of Carrera. who was made President for life in 1854 and maintained himself in office until his death in 1805, to Jose ^laria Regna Barrios, who installed himself as dictator in 1897, and was assassinated in the following year. Nor has Guatemala been able to resist the temptation of effecting by force of arms a new union of the Central Amei;ican States, and in 1885 Rufino Barrios, who had come into power in 1873, fell