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COMMERCE

731

acres, or 31 per cent., of which are cultivated, and 4,892,580 acres, or 22 per cent. , uncultivated, the remainder being forest land.

The area and yield of cereals in 1919 is given as follows : —

Cereals Ar ,f. un t ? er cultivation

Crop

o— £Sv^£ oo,

AciM Wheat . 2,080,000 Rye 450,000 Meslin . 273,"00 Barley 475,000 Oats . . IN Spelt 17,800

Tons 926,112 IM,« i 94,541 225,809 J 07,226 7,523

A i- res Millet . . 33,170 13,847 Maize 1,876,90.1 985,296 Rice . 43,6*0 .'.?••• Buckwheat . « 45

Total . 1 5,204,535 ' 2,527,«55

Fruit grows in abundance, especially in the neighbourhood of Kustendil ; 100,945 acres are under vines ; under tobacco were 63,000 acres, yielding 42,000,000 pounds. There is considerable silkworm culture ; in 1919 416,000 pounds of cocoons were exported, valued at 680,000/.

In 1917 there were in Bulgaria 7,340,904 sheep, 924,554 goats, 1,885,620 head of cattle and buffaloes.

Mining development has been slow. Besides the coal mines at Pernik, worked by the Government, coal of good quality has also been found in Balkans near Trevna, and several working concessions have been granted. Coal production in 1919, 18,141 tons, valued at 43,450/. ; lignite, 523,145 tons. About 1,000,000 cubic metres of stone (mainly lime- stone and marble, are quarried annually. Iron is found in large quantities ; gold, silver, lead, manganese, and copper also exist in the country. The chief manufactures are flour (about 1,800,000/. annually, 40 per cent, sold abroad), woollen goods, cottons, cord, and cigarettes There are 388 State-encouraged industrial institutions. Machinery is being gradually introduced.

Commerce.

Imports and exports for 5 years : —

-

1914

191!,

1916

1917

£ 6,739,661 11,556,256

1919

Imports . Exports .

£ 9,659,611 6,177,000

£ 2,939,798 4,376,623

£ 3,577,121 3,831,824

£

38,557.64'.* 22,090,138

The following table shows the trade by principal countries for 1914 and 1019:—

Imports

Country

Country

Exports

U. Kingdom

Austria- Hungary

Belgium

Germany

France

Italy .

Turkev

United States

Greece

£

1,379,015 2,530,607 200,025 2,153,648 781,055 611,975 441,844 105,494

&

4,193,959

7,800

134

12,103

231,190

13,835,7+7

784,473

65,345 2,133,646 Greece

I". Kingdom Aust ria-H ungary Belgium France Germany . Turkey Rumania . United States

1914

1919

£

£

756,670

850,940

431,166

704,237

1.447,027

5,600

493,823

BM.0U

nt,m

836,526

447,824

2,561,841

135,334

496,910

269,665

7,392,035

623,91 S

1.23S.130