Area and Population. The area of the republic was estimated to embrace 196,785 English square miles, with a population numbering 2,183,434 in 1880; since then there has been an increase of territory and population. The republic is divided into 20 provinces and 3 territories, of the following area and population, according to the census of November 26, 1885, going from south to north : In 1882 there were in Chile proper 1,117,801 males and 1,120,148 females. The average density between 24° and 44° is estimated at 160 per square mile, the rest of the country being very thinly peopled. The resident foreign population in 1875 (census) numbered 26,635, of whom 7,183 were Argentines, 4,267 English, 4,677 Germans, 3,314 French, 1,984 Italians, and 1,223 Spanish. In 1883 there were 96,264 births and 65,520 deaths, giving a surplus of 30,744. By the treaty (1881) with the Argentine Republic, the latter retains all Patagonia, except a small strip on the west coast and Magellan Straits, ceding to that country all except the eastern part of Tierra del Fuego. The territory of Antofagasta was taken from Bolivia during the last war, and Tarapaca ceded by Peru in terms of the peace of Oct. 20, 1883. The Peruvian province of Tacna is to continue in the possession of Chile for ten years, at the end of which time a plébiscite is to decide to which country it shall belong. The two largest towns of Chile are Santiago, the capital, and Valparaiso; the first of which had 200,000, and the second 95,000 inhabitants in 1884; other towns are Talca, 19,000; Concepcion, 19,000; Iquique, 16,430; Chillan, 16,000; Serena, 14,000 ; Copiapo, 10,374; San Felipe, 11,500; Curico, 11,000. Trade and Industry. The imports in 1884 were $52,886,846, in 1885 $40,096,629, while the corresponding exports were $57,766,450 and $51,490,286. The following tables give the leading imports and exports for 1884 and 1885:: The value of the nitre exported in 1884 was 27,344,985 pesos, and in 1885, 23,215,802 pesos; of copper in 1884, 12,657,539 pesos, and in 1885, 9,887,528 pesos; and of silver in 1884, $2,993,735, and in 1885, $6,805,298. There is a large transit and coasting trade. Trade is carried on largely with Great Britain, to the extent in 1885, according to Chilian returns (which, it will be seen, do not agree with British returns) of four-fifths of the imports and threeeighths of the exports; while Germany and France stand next in the list, followed by the United States, Peru, and the Argentine Republic. Four-fifths of the commerce are with Europe. The commercial intercourse between Chile and the United Kingdom is shown in the subjoined tabular statement in each of the five years from 1881 to 1885: The staple article of export from Chile to the United Kingdom is copper. In the year 1885 the value of the total exports of copper to Great Britain amounted to 1,234,6221. Of this total, the copper ore was valued at 9,1377., regulus at 111,3707., and unwrought or partly wrought copper at 1,114,1157. Next to copper, the most important articles exported to Great Britain are wheat and barley, of the value of 675,2071.; sugar, of the value of 95,4671.; chemical products, 61,7967.; raw cotton, 47,8631.; nitre, 88,1371.; and wool, of the value of 56,2167., in the year 1885. The principal articles of British produce imported into Chile are cotton and woollen manufactures and iron. In 1885 the total imports of cotton fabrics were of the value of 441,0547.; of woollens, 198,0077.; and of iron, wrought and unwrought, 229,6601.; hardware, 70,2691. The commercial navy of Chile consisted, in May 1885, of 166 vessels, of 72,614 tons, of which 35 were steamers, of 17,265 tons. In 1884, 1,766 vessels, of 1,893,087 tons entered, and 1,807, of 1,995,562 tons, cleared the various ports; of these, four-fifths in number and tonnage were British, and about one-ninth Chilian. In the coasting trade 6,743 vessels, of 5,665,354 tons, entered, and 6,541, of 5,405,462 tons, cleared. Chile was one of the first States in South America in the construction of railways. In 1885 the total length of lines open for traffic was 1,421 English miles, of which 600 belonged to the State. Receipts, 1884, 6,000,053 pesos, expenses 3,141,295 pesos. The cost of the State lines to the end of 1884 was 42,107,934 pesos. The post-office in 1885 transmitted 29,865,833 letters and packets. There were 411 post-offices open at the end of the year. The length of telegraph State lines was reported, at the end of 1884, at 7,625 miles. The number of telegraph offices at the same date was 152, of which 126 belonged to the State. In the year 1884 the telegraph carried 522,174 messages. Diplomatic and Consular Representatives. 1. OF CHILE IN GREAT BRITAIN. Envoy and Minister.-Don Ambroce Montt. 2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN CHILE. Minister and Consul-General.—Hugh Fraser, appointed February 17, 1885. Money, Weights, and Measures. The money, weights, and measures of Chile are— MONEY. The silver Peso = 100 Centavos, nominally equal to a dollar, but actually coined on the basis of the 5 franc pieco = 38. 4d. Ten dollar (condor), five-dollar (medio-condor, or doblon), two-dollar (escudo), and one-dollar (peso) gold pieces are coined, but the currency is practically a silver one. There are also half, fifth, tenth and twentieth parts of a dollar in The metric system of France has been legally established in Chile, but the old weights and measures are still in use to some extent. Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Chile. 1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Memorias presentandas al Congreso nacional por los Ministros de Estado en los departamentos de Relaciones Exteriores, Hacienda, &c. Santiago, 1886. Estadistica Comercial de la Républica de Chile. 8. Valparaiso, 1886. Synopsis Estadística y Geográfica de Chile 1885. Santiago, 1886. Report by Mr. Consul Drummond-Hay on the financial position of Chile, dated Valparaiso, August 11, 1876; in Reports from H.M.'s Consuls.' Part I. 1877. 8. London, 1877. Report on the trade and industries of Chile in Reports of the Consuls of the United States,' No. 39, 1885. Washington, 1885. Report on the trade and commerce of Coquimbo by Consul Grierson, in Part VII.; and on Antofagasta by Vice-Consul Barnett, in Part IX., of 'Reports from H.M.'s Consuls.' 1885. Report on the trade of Coquimbo by Consul Grierson; and of Caldera by Vice-Consul Stahmer, in Part V. of Reports of H.M.'s Consuls.' 1886. Trade of Chile with Great Britain; in Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries and British Possessions in the year 1885. Imp. 4. London, 1886. 2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Arana (Diego Barros), La Guerre du Pacifique. Paris, 1882; and Historia General de Chile. Asta-Buruaga (Francisco S.), Diccionario Geográfico de la República de Chile. 8. New York, 1868. Bates (H. W.), South America. London, 1882. Fonck (Dr. Fr.), Chile in der Gegenwart. 8. Berlin, 1870. Gay (Claudio). Historia General de Chile. Guerre entre le Chili, le Pérou et Bolivie en 1879. Paris, 1879. Innes (G. Rose), The progress and actual condition of Chile. 8. London, 1875. Mackenna (Vicuña). Obras históricas sobre Chile. Markham (C. R.), The war between Chile and Peru, 1879-81. London, 1883. Pissis (A.), Geografia Física de la Rep. de Chile. 8. Paris, 1875. Rosales (R. P. Diego de), Historia General de el Reyno de Chile. 3 vols. 8. Valparais, 1877-78. Wappaus (Prof. J. C.), Die Republiken von Süd-Amerika, geographisch und statistisch, 8. Göttingen, 1866. |