10
CHILE
about 3 million head of cattle and 3J million sheep, but there are no official statistics on the subject. About 1£ millions of the population are dependent on agriculture, and the country produces annually some 28^ million bushels of wheat and 82 million bushels of other cereals, “apart from fruits, vegetables, &c. Bee-keeping has some importance in the south, the annual expoit 01 honey being about 2800 tons. ,. , . e Nitrate Production.—By the acquisition of the provinces ot Tarapaca and Antofagasta (1880-84) and the occupation of the province of Tacna, Chile obtained a vast addition to its. mineral resources. The guano deposits lying on the coast of this region are nearly exhausted, but farther inland lies the nitrate zone, stretching with a breadth of about three miles, from the Azapa valley in the province of Tacna, through the province of Tarapaca and into the desert of Atacama, a total length of about 250 miles. In the provinces of Tarapaca and Antofagasta there aie many refineries for purifying the crude nitrate or caliche, the centre ot the industry being at Iquique. , A The weight (metric tons) and value of nitrate of soda exported from 1879 onwards were as follows :— Value. Tons. Years. Value. Years. 921,380 £5,771,220 1879 59,348 £751,690 1889 1,026,290 5,950,470 1880 226,090 2,290,710 1890 891,720 5,174,500 1881 358,100 3,624,530 1891 797,820 5,030,630 1882 489,340 4,543,900 1892 947,020 6.208.650 1883 584,790 5,073,560 1893 1,081,330 1884 559,640 3,984,140 1894 1,220,420 7,018,680 1885 429,660 3,191,040 1895 1,111,750 7,208,680 1886 452,780 3,044,750 1896 1,057,630 6,955,850 1887 712,760 4,456,070 1897 1,294,220 5,928,290 6.800.650 1888 784,240 5,361,730 1898 The output for export in 1899 was estimated at 1,360,000 tons, worth about £9,375,000 at the prices quoted m October. From the saline waters iodine is extracted m large quantities. The quantity of iodine exported in 1897 was 535,430 lb, and m 1898, 517,4601b. , . , , Other Minerals.—Cow™ is foUTld m abundance, notably in the provinces of Taracapa, Antofagasta, Atacama, Coquimbo, Aconcacnia, Santiago, and Maule. In 1876 the quantity of bar copper exported reached 41,766 tons, and m 1878,40,894 tons; but since then the output and the exportation have declined. During the eight years 1891-98 the export was as follows Tons. Years. Tons. Years. 20,042 1895 17,464 1891 20,592 1896 19,144 1892 19,011 1897 19,328 1893 20,600 1898 19,640 1894 Copper is exported in other forms in small quantities. In 1898, 3078 tons of copper ingots, 419 tons of copper and silver ingots, and 20,301 tons of copper ore were sent abroad. The production copper in 1899 was estimated at 25,000 tons. Gold and silver mining are carried on m various parts of Lime. Gold mining prospers at Taltal in the north, at several places 111 the central region, in the Magallanes territory and m Tierra del Fuego. Rich alluvial deposits have been found at Lonquimai, m the province of Temuco, and the future output will probably show a large increase. The exact amount of silver produced is not easily ascertained, as the official statement includes a quantity of Bolivian silver passing through Chilian ports as if it were Chilian. I he export of bar gold and silver from 1893 to 1898 was Gold. Silver. Years. Ounces. Ounces. 24,224 4,512,850 1893 . 47,435 4,942,200 1894 . 38,082 4,782,210 1895 34,321 4,861,930 1896 ’ . 36,383 4,614,850 1897 . 52,420 4,493,170 1898 The value of gold exported in 1897 was £160,000, and of silver £540 000 Iron, manganese, lead, cobalt, nickel, zinc, bismuth are abundant in various provinces. The city of Coronel is the centre of the coal industry ; in 1898 the coal output amounted to 28
The most important industries are connected with the mineral output There are about 55 nitrate refineries m the nitrate district, the chief being at Lagunas; and there works for the extraction of iodine. There are silver works at Playa Blanca, copper works at Lota, in Concepcion, and other places ; sulphui works at Valparaiso, Santiago, and Concepcion. In Valdivia there are iron-foundries for the manufacture of saws and other tools for forest work. Other industries are distilling from native produce, brewing, flour-milling, and sugar-refining.
[statistics
The distribution of the industries and the number of hands employed in the several groups are shown thus :— Number of Industries. Localities. Workers. 55,000 Nitrate Northern Chile . 30,000 Mining North and Central Chile 44,704 Manufacturing Central and South Chile 400,000 Agricultural 12,000 Stock-raising Commerce.—The annual value of the imports and exports, at intervals of five years from 1886 and in the years 189 i -99, is shown in the subjoined table. Conversions have been made for years up to and including 1896 at the rate of 38d. to the peso, for 189/-99 at 18d. to the peso :— Exports. Years. Imports. £8,113,100 1886. . . £6,993,600 10,401,800 10,005,700 1891. 11,773,500 11.729.800 1896. 10,247,300 10.365.800 1897. 12,605,200 7,669,700 1898. 12,232,960 7,969,500 1899. Of the imports in 1898, 71 per cent, in value, and of the exports 56 per cent, in value were subject to duty. The import diities amounted to £1,602,770 ; the export duties to £3,106,100. The most important article of export is nitrate, the value of the shipments of which amounted in 1886 to £3,044,760 ; in 1891, to £5,122,900; in 1896, to £6,955,900; in 1897, to £5,943,700; in 1898, to £6,800,650. The value of the iodine exported m 1891 was £671,342; in 1896, £326,790; in 1897, £384,647 ; in 1898, to £270,720. Of metals, the most important exports are copper m bars, amounting in 1886 to £1,296,183 ; in 1891, to £//l,600 ; in 1896, to £815,100 ; in 1897, to £893,780 ; in 1898, to £1,248,396. Bar silver was exported in 1886 to the value of £1,039,410; in 1891, £713,670 ; in 1896, £662,300 ; in 1897, £598,680 ; in 1898, to £523,986. Of agricultural produce the chief export is wheat, amounting in 1886 to the value of £7/3,360; in 1891, to £1,146,290; in 1896, to £653,450 ; in 1897, to £411,400 ; in 1898, to £5/5,234. The chief imports and exports in 1899 were as follows (conversion for both being made at 18d. to the peso):— Exports. Imports. . £10,322,800 £1,327,250 Mineral Food articles 794,850 2,179,350 Agricultural Textiles 289,650 1,626,700 Manufactures Raw materials 156,850 Animals and animal 378,750 Watches, jewellery, &c products . 952,130 Machinery, &c. . 24,946 426,460 Wines, &c. . Domestic articles 220,600 Paper, &c. . 126,800 Drugs, &c. . Of the value of imports in 1899, 41 per cent, were from Great Britain, 28 per cent, from Germany, 8 per cent, from the United States. Of the exports, 67 per cent, in value went to Great Britain, 13 per cent, to Germany, 5 per cent, to France, 4 per cent, to the United States. Of the imports in 1899, 63 per cent, in value was landed at Valparaiso, 12 per cent, at Talcahuano, 10 per cent, at Iquique. Of the exports in 1899, 43 per cent, in value was shipped from Iquique, 11 per cent, from Valparaiso, 9 per cent, from Pisagua. During 1899 trade was hampered by the depreciation of the currency and the fluctuation in the exchange value of the peso consequent on the suspension of the conversion law. Shipping.—In 1898, 7691 vessels of a total tonnage of 10,152,443 entered, and 7671 of 10,032,661 tonscleared. Of the vessels entered 1923 of 3,167,579 tons, and of those cleared, 1831 of 2,944,209 tons were engaged in foreign trade. British vessels numbering 1904’ with a total tonnage of 1,738,362, entered from, and 947 with a tonnage of 1,578,325 cleared for, ports outside of Chile. In the coasting trade 2057 British vessels with a tonnage of 3,164,515 entered, and 2081 of 2,246,230 tons cleared In 1899, in the foreign and coasting trade, 7267 vessels of altogether 10,016,704 tons entered and 7154 of 9,738,769 tons cleared at the ports of Chile. At the end of 1899 the merchant marine of Chile consisted of 142 vessels with an aggregate tonnage of 71,214 tons, including 39 steamers with a total of 27,387 tons. Chile is in regular communication with other American countries and with Europe by Chilian English, German, and French lines of steamers. Communications,—Chile has about 43,500 miles of public highways, with 25,000 miles of less important roads, and the length of navigable rivers is put at 2800 miles. . , onA The total extent of railway line within the republic m 1899 reached 2886 miles, of which 1458 miles belonged to the State and the remainder to companies. The projected trans - continental railway has been constructed on the Chilian side as far as Salto del Soldado, but 46 miles of line are still required to unite it with the Argentine section. The capital invested in the State railways up to the end of 1899 was approximately 85,907,165 pesos, which (at
