COREA. (CH'AO-HSIEN, Or Kaole.) Government. THE reigning monarch, named Li-Hi in Chinese, succeeded King Shoal Shing 1864, and is the twenty-ninth in succession since the founding of the present dynasty in 1392. His only son is 17 years of age. The Monarchy is hereditary and of an absolute type, modelled on that of China, as is also the penal code. There is an hereditary aristocracy. There is a standing army of about 2,000 men, armed principally with breechloading rifles, constituting a royal guard and police force for the city of Seoul. Besides which there is a numerous military class, of ancient origin, whose members, uniformed after a peculiar fashion, and armed, upon occasion, with matchlocks or spears, are attached as retainers to the various official establishments throughout the land. Since the seventeenth century Corea has acknowledged the suzerainty of China by sending an annual embassy, and announcing the succession of a new sovereign, and the dependent relation is plainly recognised and clearly stated in the Chinese-Corean Frontier Trade Regulations. The influence of China is paramount in the kingdom, and no important step in the relations of Corea with other countries is taken without China's consent. The government is carried on through the Ministers of the Nei Wu Fu, or Home Office. There are besides six Departments of Ceremonies, War, Civil Affairs, Justice, Public Works, and Finance, and a Foreign Office. The revenue is principally paid in grain, and depends upon the state of the harvests. There are besides the proceeds of the ginseng monopoly, of gold-mining privileges, of various irregular and ill-defined taxation, and the customs revenue. The last-named amounted in 1888 to 267,214 dollars, and in 1889 to 280,000 dollars. A military school, under the charge of two ex-army officers of the United States, has recently been established by the Government. There are about 7,000 troops. Area and Population. The Estimated area, 82,000 square miles; population estimated at from 8,000,000 to 16,000,000. Recent statistics give 2,356,267 families, and 10,528,937 inhabitants-5,312,323 males and 5,216,614 females. capital, Seoul, has about 250,000 inhabitants. Besides Japanese (Japanese, 5,555 in 1890) and Chinese (1,057 in 1890), there were about 150 foreign residents in Corea in 1890, mainly German (32), American (48), British (21), French (28). The language of the people is intermediate between MongoloTartar and Japanese, and an alphabetical system of writing is used to some extent; but in all official writing, and in the correspondence of the upper classes, the Chinese characters are used exclusively. RELIGION-COMMERCE Religion. 435 The worship of ancestors is observed with as much punctiliousness as in China, but, aside from this, religion holds a low place in the kingdom. Neither temples nor priests are allowed in the city of Seoul; but in the country, and especially in the many hills which cover the length and breadth of the land, are numerous monasteries of the Buddhists and Taoists. Confucianism is held in highest esteem by the upper classes, and a knowledge of the classics of China is the all-important aim of the Corean literati and aspirants for official station. There are about 15,000 Catholics and 300 Protestants. Commerce. In 1876 Corea concluded a treaty with Japan; in 1882 China (Trade and Frontier Regulations) and the United States; in 1883 Germany and Great Britain; in 1884 Italy and Russia; and in 1886 France. An overland Trade Convention has been concluded with Russia, whose frontier is separated from that of Corea by the Tumen River. In these treaties Corea was treated with as an independent State. By virtue of these treaties the three ports of Jenchuan, Fusan, and Yuensan are open to foreign commerce. The total value of the trade at the three ports has been as follows: The imports in 1889 were cotton goods, chiefly grey shirtings and muslins, value 1,680,541 dollars; metals, value 533,985 dollars; woollen goods, value 33,891 dollars; miscellaneous piece goods, 4,377 dollars; sundries, 1,125,021 dollars. Beans, cowhides, and ginseng formed the chief articles of export. Cowhides were exported to the value of 222,409 dollars; beans, 645,429 dollars; rice, 77,578 dollars; fish, 78,993 dollars. It is anticipated that the value of the trade for 1890 will be about double that for 1889. These trade statistics refer only to the three open ports, at which a customs service has been established conducted by foreigners detached from the Chinese customs service. Government has a monopoly of the important product ginseng, which is farmed out to a company and exported overland to China to the value of about 40,000l. annually. The principal customer of Corea is Japan, which exported 2,284,628 dollars worth to Corea in 1889, and imported from Corea 1,122,276 dollars worth. The remainder was divided between Russia and China, though, as a fact, Manchester goods are largely imported through Japan. Gold is found in considerable quantities in the country, but is not well worked; in 1889 it was exported to the value of 982,091 dollars, not included in the above returns. The number of vessels entering from foreign counties in 1889 was 1,224 (mostly junks) of 244,210 tons. The shipping is nearly all in Japanese hands; no British vessels called at any of the ports in 1889, while 20 German vessels of 8,229 tons entered. Transport in the interior is by horses and oxen. A telegraph line runs from Seoul north to the Chinese frontier, connecting with the line to Tientsin, and another line runs south to Fusan, connecting with the cable to Japan. Much of the country is mountainous, and there is a great deal of uncultivated land. The principal crops are rice, millet, beans, and jute, while coal is found in several parts. British Consul General at Seoul.-Walter C. Hillier (Acting). Books of Reference concerning Corea. Annual Reports and Returns on the Trade in Foreign Vessels. Shanghai, 1890. Dallet, Histoire de l'église de Corée. Paris, 1874. [This work contains much accurate information concerning the political and social life, geography, and language of Corea, with the history and progress of the introduction of Roman Catholicism into Corea, and its progress from 1784 to 1866.] Dictionnaire Coréen-Français, par les missionaires de Corée de la Société des Missions Etrangères de Paris. Yokohama, 1880. Grammaire Coréenne (by the same). Yokohama, 1881. [These two books contain much useful information concerning Corea. They treat of the language, geography (natural and political), administration, system of weights and measures, time measurement, royal genealogy, &c.] Griffis (W. E.), Corea: the Hermit Nation. London, 1882. Hall (J. C.), A Visit to Corea in 1882, in Proceedings of Royal Geographical Society, 1883. Lowell (Perceval), Choson, the Land of the Morning Calm. A Sketch of Korea. London, 1883. Oppert (Ernst), Corea: a Forbidden Land. Report for the Year 1889 on the Trade and Commerce of Corea, in 'Diplomatic and Consular Reports.' London, 1890. Reports by Vice-Consul Carles on Journeys in Corea. London, 1885. Ross (Rev. J.), History of Corea. Paisley, n.d. COSTA RICA. (REPÚBLICA DE COSTA RICA.) Constitution and Government. THE Republic of Costa Rica, an independent State since the year 1821, and forming part from 1824 to 1839 of the Confederation of Central America, is governed under a Constitution first promulgated in 1859, but modified very frequently since that date. Practically there was no constitution between 1870 and 1882. The legislative power is vested in a Chamber of Representatives-one representative to every 10,000 inhabitants-chosen in electoral assemblies, the members of which are returned by the suffrage of all who are able to live 'respectably.' There were 537 electors in 1889, and 26 deputies. The members of the Chamber are elected for the term of four years, one-half retiring every two years. The executive authority is in the hands of a president, elected, in the same manner as the Congress, for the term of four years. President of the Republic.-José Joaquin Rodriguez was popularly elected President on May 8, 1890. The administration is carried on, under the President, by four ministers -viz. of the Interior; of Foreign Affairs, Justice, and Worship; of Commerce and Finance; and of War and Marine. Area and Population. The area of the Republic is estimated at 20,000 English square miles. A census was taken in November 1883, and the official results show the population to number 182,073-89,789 males and 92,284 females-besides an additional 18,207 estimated or unenumerated, and 3,500 aboriginesgiving a total of 203,780. In 1889 the population was estimated at 209,644; there were 1,228 marriages, 9,151 births (19.7 per cent. illegitimate), and 5,238 deaths, giving a surplus of 3,913. In the same year 6,330 persons entered and 3,706 left Costa Rica. The population of European descent, many of them pure Spanish blood, dwell mostly around the capital, the city of San José (population 18,000), and in the towns of Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, Guanacaste, Puntarenas, and Limon. Instruction. Education is compulsory and free. In 1890 there were 300 primary schools with 15,000 pupils, besides 90 private schools with 2,500 pupils. In 1884 the number of children between 7 and 14 years of age was 27,245. In the budget for 1889-90, 350,000 dollars were devoted to education. 'Justice. Justice is administered by the Supreme Court of Justice, two Appeal Courts, and the Court of Cassation. There are also subordinate courts in the separate provinces, and local justices throughout the Republic. Finance. The revenue for the five years ending March 31, 1890, was, in pesos: 1885-86, 2,387,290; 1886-87, 2,435,189; 1887-88, 3,094,153; 1888-89, 3,687,594; 1889-90, 5,078,166. The expenditure for 1888-89 was, in pesos, 3,939,998; for 1889-90, 5,924,915 pesos. In 1889-90 the largest items of expenditure were: Debt, 2,046,647; war and national defence, 549,112; public instruction, 449,877; public works, 980,517 The foreign debt of the Republic consisted of a six per cent. loan of the nominal amount of 1,000,000l., contracted in England in 1871, and, a 7 per cent. loan, of the nominal amount of 2,400,0007.-issued at 82contracted in 1872. The amount outstanding in January 1887 was 2,691,3007., and the accumulated interest amounted to 2,119,512. This debt has been converted into a total amount of 2,000,0007. sterling at 5 per cent. from January 1, 1888, and has been taken over by the Costa Rica Railway Company. The total debt, external and internal, in 1890 amounted to 17,712,338 pesos (including 820,245 pesos paper money.) To facilitate agricultural operations and immigration, a concession has been granted for an agricultural bank with a capital of 1,000,0007. The bank will not only make advances on the security of lands and produce, but will bring out colonists and settle them on lands which will be ceded to the company. Defence. Costa Rica has an army of 600 men, and on a war footing can command 31,824 militia, as every male between 18 and 50 is bound to serve. Industry and Commerce. Almost anything can be grown in Costa Rica, but in 1889 the principal agricultural products were coffee and bananas, Maize, rice, wheat, potatoes, are commonly cultivated. In 1888 the agricultural produce was valued at 16,523,014 pesos. Gold and silver mines are worked; the value of the produce in 1888 being 37,496 pesos. In 1889 the live stock consisted of 292,808 cattle, 59,742 horses, and 2,382 sheep, valued at, in all, 5,429,231 pesos. The following is the value in pesos of the imports and exports for 1885-89: The imports in 1889 included railway materials to the value of 425,892 pesos. The most important export is coffee, the quantity exported in the year 1889 amounting to 12,756 tons, valued at 6,186,656 pesos. The other important exports are bananas, 569,020 pesos; hides, 56,823 pesos; skins, 16,217 pesos; cocoanuts, 13,434 pesos; cocoa, 12,386 pesos; mother-of-pearl, 10,002 pesos; mora wood, 11,152 pesos; cedar, 10,046 pesos; also coined money 55,167 pesos. Of the coffee exported, 7,554 tons, value 3,633,739 |