Poultry, rabbits, &c. Exports to Belgium: 372,493 352,183 360,738 394,497 391,371 1,104,711 1,026,862 1,096,337 1,278,891 1,398,108 387,504 448,465 350,069 330,583 294,126 Of foreign and colonial produce, amounting to 4,556,8347. sent from Great Britain to Belgium in 1897, raw cotton was valued at 373,8677., and wool at 1,653,4601. Shipping and Navigation. The condition of the merchant marine of Belgium is shown as follows on December 31:: The navigation at Belgian ports is shown as follows: Entered 7,357 5,785,980 7,272 6,513,730 7,249 6,858,237 7,814 7,483,206 8,241 7,971,950 Cleared 7,381 5,803,168 7,273 6,542,962 7,227 6,811,765 7,812 7,487,976 8,210 7,927,525 Total. 14,738 11,589,148 14,545 13,056,692 14,476 13,670,002 15,620 14,971,182 16,451 15,899,475 Of the total in 1897, 4,551 vessels of 3,023,916 tons entered from, and 5,781 of 4,644,281 tons cleared to England; the United States coming next with 361 of 929,991 tons entered, and 238 of 690,333 tons cleared. Internal Communications. The length of public roads in Belgium was 5,705 miles in 1896, and of navigable water (rivers and canals) 1,363 miles. The length of railways open in Belgium on January 1, 1897, was: lines worked by the State, 2,056 miles; worked by companies, 795 miles; total 2,851 miles. The total number of passengers conveyed by the State railways in 1896 was 82,676,592, and by the companies 24,155,216. The gross receipts in 1896 amounted for the State to 160,434,763 francs, of which 52,877,800 francs were for passengers; and for the companies 43,182,882 francs, of which 13,184,718 francs were for passengers; expenses for the State 90,757,306 francs; for the companies 20,429,910 francs. The first cost of the State railways from their origin in 1834 to the end of 1896 amounted to 1,434,552,921 francs; the net receipts from 1835 amounted to 1,574,864,517 francs, and the financial charges to 1,494,727,924 francs. The work of the Post Office in Belgium for three years was as follows :— On January 1, 1897, there were 893 post offices in Belgium. The gross revenue of the Post Office in the year 1897 amounted to 21,625,862 francs, and the expenditure to 11,710,829 francs. The telegraphs in Belgium carried 9,448,856 despatches, private and official, in the year 1897. In 1897 the total length of public telegraph lines was 3,955 miles, and the length of wires 41,895 miles. There were in 1897, 1,026 telegraph offices. Receipts in 1897, 7,141,089 francs ; expenses, 6,068,318 francs. Money and Credit. The nominal value of money minted and circulated in Belgium from 1832 to 1897 was: gold, 598,642,745 francs; silver, 556,342,745 francs; copper and nickel, 18,530,857 francs; total, 1,173,516,348 francs. gold has been minted since 1882, no silver since 1887, and no bronze or nickel since 1895. No The one bank of emission in Belgium is the National Bank, instituted 1850. Its capital, entirely paid up, is 550 million francs. It is the cashier of the State, and is authorised to carry on the usual banking operations. The situation of the Bank on December 1, 1898, was : The condition of the 54 joint-stock and private banks on December 31, 1896, was as follows: There are also agricultural banks, credit unions, and popular banks. The following are statistics of the State savings-banks :— Par value 25.22 to £1 sterling. Belgium belongs to the Latin Monetary Union. Diplomatic Representatives. 1. OF BELGIUM IN GREAT BRITAIN. Envoy and Minister. -Baron Whettnall, appointed February, 1894. First Secretary of Legation.-E. van Grootven. Second Secretary.-A. Delcoigne. Attaché.-A. du Bois. Consul-General in London.-F. H. Lenders. There are Consular representatives of Belgium in the following towns:Aberdeen, Belfast, Berwick, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Devon, Dublin, Dundee, Falmouth, Glasgow, Hull, Leith, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Portsmouth, Queenstown, Sheffield, Southampton. 2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN BELGIUM. Envoy and Minister.-Hon. Sir F. R. Plunkett, G.C.M.G., Envoy and Minister to Sweden and Norway, 1888; to Belgium, 1893. Secretary.-Arthur S. Raikes. There is a Consul-General at Antwerp, and Vice-Consuls at Brussels, Ghent, Liège, Louvain, Ostend, and Spa. Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Belgium. 1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Almanach Royal Officiel de Belgique, contenant notamment les attributions et le personnel de tous les services publics du royaume. Année 1898. Bruxelles, 1898. Annuaire statistique de la Belgique. Bruxelles, 1896. Documents statistiques, publiés par le départ. de l'Intérieur, avec concours de la commission centrale de statistique. Bruxelles, 1857-69. Bulletin de la commission centrale de statistique. Bruxelles, 1890. Moniteur belge. Budgets provinciaux. Exercice 1897. Bruxelles, 1897. Projet des Budgets des recettes et des dépenses pour l'exercice 1898. Bruxelles, 1897. Relevé du chiffre officiel de la population en 1897. Bruxelles, 1898. Rapport triennal sur la situation de l'instruction primaire en Belgique. Dix-septième Période Triennale, 1891-93. Bruxelles, 1896. Rapport triennal sur la situation de l'enseignement moyen, période 1891-93. Bruxelles 1896. Rapport triennal sur la situation de l'enseignement supérieur, période, 1892-94. Bruxelles, 1897. Situation générale du trésor public au 1er Janvier, 1897. Bruxelles, 1897. Compte générale de l'Administration des Finances pour l'année 1895. Bruxelles, 1897. Exposé de la situation du royaume, période 1841-50. 1 vol. Période 1851-60. 3 vols Période 1861-75. 2 vols. Publié par le Ministre de l'Intérieur. Bruxelles Statistique du mouvement de la population et de l'état civil. Annual. Brussels. Statistique de la Belgique. Population. Recensement général (31 Décembre, 1890) Bruxelles, 1893. 2 vols. 1885. Statistique de la Belgique. Agriculture. Recensement général de 1880. Bruxelles, Statistique de la Belgique. Aperçu de la situation de royaume dressé en Avril 1889 par les soins de la commission centrale de statistique de Belgique. Bruxelles, 1889. Statistique générale des recettes et dépenses du royaume, 1885-90. Bruxelles, 1895. Tableau général du commerce avec les pays étrangers, pendant l'année 1897, publié par le Ministre des Finances. Bruxelles, 1897. Compte-rendu des chemins de fer, postes, télégraphes et marine pour 1897. Bruxelles, 1897 British Consular and Diplomatic Reports. Annual. Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries. Imp. 4. London. 2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Allen (Grant), The Cities of Belgium. London, 1897. Harze (Em.), Statisque des mines, minières, &c., pour l'année, 1895. 8. Bruxelles, 1896 Jourdain (A.) and Stalle (L. von), Dictionnaire encyclopédique de géographie de Belgique 8. Brussels, 1895, &c. 8. Martel (H.), Le Developpement commercial de la Belgique, &c. 8. Brussels. Annual. Meulemans (Aug.), La Belgique, ses ressources agricoles, industrielles et commerciales. Bruxelles, 1866. Mossel (H. G.), Histoire de la Belgique. Brussels, 1881. Murray's Handbook for Holland and Belgium. London. Nicolai (E.), Les chemins de fer de l'état en Belgique 1834-84. Étude historique, économique et statistique. Bruxelles, 1885. Poullet (E.), Histoire politique interne de la Belgique. Louvain, 1879. Reclus (Elisée), Nouvelle géographie universelle. Tome IV L'Europe du Nord-Ouest. Paris, 1879. Report of the British Iron Trade Delegation on the Iron and Steel Industries of Belgium. London. 1896. BHUTÁN. AN independent State in the Eastern Himalayas, between 26° 45′ and 28° N. latitude, and between 89° and 92° E. longitude, bordered on the north-east and west by Tibet and on the south by British India. Extreme length from east to west 160 miles; extreme breadth 90 miles. The original inhabitants of Bhután, the Tephús, were subjugated about two centuries ago by a band of military colonists from Tibet. In 1774 the East India Company concluded a treaty with the ruler of Bhután, but since then repeated outrages on British subjects committed by the Bhután hill men have led from time to time to punitive measures, usually ending in the temporary or permanent annexation of various dwárs or submontane tracts with passes leading to the hills. In November 1864 the eleven western or Bengal dwars were thus annexed. The Bhutiás at first acquiesced in the annexation, but in January 1865 attacked an English outpost, and it was found necessary to send an expedition into their country. Peace being restored, a treaty was signed (November 1865) by which the rulers of Bhután receive a subsidy of Rs. 50,000, on condition of their good behaviour. This gives the Indian Government an effective control over them, while the occupation of two strong positions at Baxa and Diwángirí, within a few miles of their frontier, serves as a material guarantee against further aggression. The government of Bhután resembles that of Tibet, the chief authority being nominally divided between the Deb Rájá, or secular head, on the one hand, and the Dharm Rájá, or spiritual head of the State, on the other. Practically, the Deb Rájá is a mere instrument in the hands of powerful barons (penlops and jungpens), while the Dharm Rájá is only supposed to be concerned with the spiritual welfare of his people. In theory the Deb Rájá is elected by the penlops and jongpens, but he is usually the nominee of the most powerful chieftain for the time being. The Dharm Rájá is supposed to be the incarnation of his predecessor, and is chosen in infancy. The most powerful chieftains of Bhután are the penlops of Toungso, Páro, and Taka, and the jongpens of Thimbu, Punakhá, and Angdaphorang. Area about 16,800 square miles; population about 20,000 in 1864, but now much larger. The chief towns of Bhután are Punakha, the capital, a place of great natural strength; Tásichozong, Páro, Angdaphorang, Togsa, Taka, and Biaka. The people are nominally Buddhists, but their religious exercises consist chiefly in the propitiation of evil spirits and the recitation of sentences from the Tibetan Scriptures. Tásichozong, the chief monastery in Bhután, contains 300 priests. The military resources of the country are insignificant. Beyond the guards for the defence of the various castles, there is nothing like a standing army. The chief productions of Bhután are rice, Indian corn, millet, two kinds of cloth, musk, ponies, chowries, and silk. Muzzle-loading guns and swords of highly-tempered steel are manufactured. The trade between British India and Bhután amounted in 1897-98 to Rx. 14,685 imports into and Rx. 15,882 exports from India. The chief imports are tobacco, European cotton goods, betel-nuts, and rice; the chief exports, wool, musk, ponies, and caoutchouc. Report on Explorations in Sikkim, Bhután, and Tibet, 1856-86. Edited by Lieut-Colonel G. Stralian. Dehra Dun, 1889. Sandberg (G.), Bhotan, the Unknown State. [A Reprint from the Calcutta Review. Calcutta, 1898. |