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 1829 of the Confederation of Central America, is governed under a Constitution first promulgated in 1870, but modified very frequently since that date. Practically there was no constitution, but only dictatorships, between 1870 and 1882. The legislative power is vested in a Chamber of Representatives one representative to every 8,000 inhabitants -chosen in electoral assemblies, the members of which are returned by the suffrage of all who are able to support themselves. There were 537 electors in 1889, and 26 deputies (32 in 1895). The members of the Chamber are elected for the term of four years, one-half retiring every two years. executive authority is in the hands of a president, elected, in the same manner as the Congress, for the term of four years. The President of the Republic.-Rafael Yglesias, re-elected November 1897. The administration normally is carried on, under the President, by four ministers—viz. of the Interior; of Foreign Affairs, Education, Justice, and Worship; of Finance and Commerce; and of War and Marine. Area and Population. The area of the Republic is estimated at 23,000 English square miles divided into five provinces, San José, Alajuela, Heredia, Cartago, and Guanacaste; and two comarcas, Puntarenas, part of the Pacific coast-line, and Limon, the whole of the Caribbean coast. The boundary with Colombia is in dispute; the President of the French Republic has accepted the office of arbitrator. The boundary with Nicaragua is also in dispute, and in July, 1896, a commission was appointed, with an arbitrator, nominated by the President of the United States, to decide points of difference. According to the census of February 18, 1892, the population was 243,205 (122,480 males and 120,725 females), besides 19,456 (estimated) unenumerated, and about 3,500 aborigines. There were 6,289 foreigners, of whom 831 were from Spain; 622 from Italy; 342 from Germany; 246 from England; 204 from the United States; and 634 were British subjects from the West Indies. The enumerated population gives on an average 10 5 inhabitants to the square mile. In March, 1897, the population was put at 294,940. There were in 1897, 1,763 marriages, 13,012 births, and 9,925 deaths. The average immigration since 1894 is stated to be about 1,000 annually. The population of European descent, many of them pure Spanish blood, dwell mostly around the capital, the city of San José (25,000), and in the towns of Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia (6,047), Guanacaste, Puntarenas, and Limon (4000). The government encourages immigration by the sale of land on easy terms. many concessions were made for colonising and agricultural purposes. For the purpose of public health the country has been divided into 21 districts, superintended by medical men paid by the national Treasury. Religion and Instruction. In 1893 The Roman Catholic is the religion of the State, but there is entire religious liberty under the Constitution. In 1892 there were in the Republic 2,245 Protestants, 35 Jews, and 224 Buddhists, &c. Education is compulsory and free. In 1897 there were 327 primary schools, with 21,913 pupils in attendance, besides five establishments for higher education. In 1896, 354,723 pesos were devoted to education. Public instruction in all its branches is rigidly enforced. 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. Capital punishment cannot be inflicted. Finance. The revenue and expenditure for five years have been : The revenue is chiefly derived from customs, 2,766,248 pesos, and excise, 2,242,174 pesos, in 1896-97; while the expenditure is chiefly for the various departments of Government, 3,501,354 pesos, and debt, 1,072,690 pesos in 1896-97. The foreign debt of the Republic outstanding in 1887 was 2,691,3007., and the arrears of interest amounted to 2,119,5127. In 1888 an arrangement was made with the creditors, but in 1895 the Government again went into default, and in March, 1897 a new arrangement was agreed to. The interest on 525,000l. of the capital is reduced to 3 per cent., and that on 1,475,000l. to 2 per cent. Amortization at the rate of 10,000l. annually will begin in 1917. The unpaid interest coupons, January, 1895, to April, 1897, will be cancelled on the payment by Costa Rica at once of 31,562., and of 100,0007. by annual instalments of 5,000. The total foreign debt in 1898 stood at 2,095,000. The internal debt on March 31, 1897, amounted to 1,116,784 pesos. It is being rapidly redeemed. Defence. Costa Rica has an army of 600 men and 12,000 militia, but on a war footing can command 34,000 militia, as every male between 18 and 50 may be required to serve. The Republic has also one torpedo boat, and a gunboat. Industry and Commerce. Almost anything can be grown in Costa Rica, but the principal agricultural products are coffee and bananas. Maize, rice, and potatoes are commonly cultivated, and cocoa culture is extending. Several districts are richly auriferous, and gold and silver mines were recently worked, but at present the industry is almost entirely discontinued. In 1892 the live stock con sisted of 345,665 cattle, 77,043 horses, and 2,765 sheep, valued at, in all, 5,827,606 pesos. In 1897 the estimated value was 12,695,065 pesos. The following is the value in pesos (gold 1892-93, paper 1894-95, gold 1896) of the imports and exports for five years. 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 Imports 5,389,749 5,833,427 10,165,201 13,250,000 4,748,818 9,113,948 9,619,064 12,183,609 12,218,550 5,979,727 The value of the trade for three years is stated as follows in sterling: Imports, 1894, 853,0007.; 1895, 802,0007.; 1896, 989,000l.; exports, 1894, 1,053,000Z.; 1895, 1,234,0007.; 1896, 1,084, 0007. For the first six months of 1897 the imports amounted to 469,0007. and the exports to 1,084,0007. The most important export is coffee, the quantity exported in the year 1896 being 11,089,523 kilogrammes, valued at 4,318,286 pesos gold. Other exports were bananas, 670,072 pesos; hides and skins, cedar, and various woods. The coffee exports are to Great Britain, the United States, and the continent of Europe According to the Board of Trade Returns, the trade of the United Kingdom with Costa Rica has been : The chief article imported from Costa Rica in 1897 was coffee, value 328,7741. The chief domestic exports to Costa Rica in 1897 were cottons, value 67,5447.; iron, wrought and unwrought, 26,5247.; woollens and worsteds, 18,2437. Shipping and Communications. In 1898 Costa Rica had 3 merchant steamers of 600 tons and 2 sailing vessel of 551 tons. In 1896 there entered the ports of Limon and Puntarenas 476 vessels of 471,125 tons (178 of 205,937 tons British; 45 of 57,041 tons German; 77 of 96,925 tons United States); and cleared 475 of 473,929 tons (173 of 205,336 tons British; 47 of 58,976 tons German; 76 of 96,476 tons United States). The railway system of Costa Rica extends from Limon, on the Atlantic coast, inland to Alajuela, 117 miles. From Puntarenas, on the Pacific, a line extends to Esparza, 14 miles. This line is being continued to Alajuela, and when it is completed there will be railway communication between the east and west coasts. Other railways are projected. In 1897 there were 83 post offices. internal, 1,164,807; external, 822,190. Letters, &c., despatched (1896): There are (1897) telegraph lines of a total length of 917 English miles, with 43 telegraph offices. The number of messages in 1897 was 382,116. Money, Weights, and Measures. There are two banks in Costa Rica, the Anglo-Costa Rican Bank, and the Bank of Costa Rica, with a capital of 1,200,000 pesos, and 2,000,000 pesos respectively. The paper in circulation in 1896 amounted to 3,300,000 pesos, the specie reserve being 1,250,000 pesos. The silver in circulation amounts to about 350,000 pesos. The Peso or Dollar, of 100 Centavas: par value, 4s. The paper peso is worth about 1s. 10d. On October 26, 1896, an Act was passed for the adoption of a gold standard, at the ratio of 1 to 26, the monetary unit will be the gold colon, weighing 778 grammes, 900 fine. The present silver coinage will continue in circulation; the new silver coinage will consist of fractions of the colon, viz., 50, 25, 10, and 5-cent pieces 750 fine silver will be legal tender up to 10 colons, and copper up to 1 colon. Foreign gold will be legal, but not foreign silver. This project had not in 1898 been carried out; steps are being taken towards its completion. The metric system is now in use; the following are the old weights and =1 imperial bushel. The old weights and measures of Spain are in general use, but the introduction of the French metric system is legally established. Diplomatic and Consular Representatives. 1. OF COSTA RICA IN GREAT BRITAIN. Envoy and Minister.-M. Peralta (residing in Paris). There are Consular Representatives at Birmingham, Cardiff, Falmouth, Gibraltar, Glasgow, Hull, Kingston (Jamaica), Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Southampton, Swansea. 2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN COSTA RICA. Minister and Consul-General.-G. F. B. Jenner, resident at Guatemala. There are Vice-Consuls at Port Limon and Puntarenas. Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Costa Rica. 1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Anuario estadístico de la República de Costa Rica. San José. Calvo (J. B.), República de Costa Rica. Apuntamientos geográficos, estadísticos e históricos. San José, 1887. Censo General de la Republica de Costa Rica. 18 Febrero, 1892. San José, 1893. Costa Rica-Bulletin No. 31 of the Bureau of the American Republics. S. Washington, 1892. Estadística del comercio exterior de la República de Costa Rica. San José. Memoria de la secretaria de guerra y marina. San José. San José. 5. San José. Villavicencio (Enrique), Director of Statistical Bureau. República de Costa Rica. Año de 1886. San José, 1886. Foreign Office Reports, Annual Series. London. Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries and British Possessions. Imp. 4. London. 2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Barrantes, (F. Montero), Elementos de Historia de Costa Rica. 8. San José. 1892. Bates (H. W.), Central and South America. New edition. London, 1882. Boyle (Frederick), Ride across a Continent: a Personal Narrative of Wanderings through Nicaragua and Costa Rica. 2 vols. 8. London, 1868. Caceres (J. M.), Geografía de Centro-America. Paris, 1882. Calvo (J. B.), The Republic of Costa Rica. Chicago, 1890. Camphuis (G. W.), Costa Rica: The Country for Emigrants. London. Church (Col. G. E.), Costa Rica. In Geographical Journal, vol. x., No. 1 (July, 1897). London. Fernandez (L.) Historia de Costa Rica, 1502-1821. 8. Madrid. 1889. Marr (N.), Reise nach Centralamerika. 2 vols. 8. Hamburg, 1863. Morelot (L.), Voyage dans l'Amérique centrale. 2 vols. 8. Paris, 1859. Peralta (Manuel M.), Costa Rica: its Climate, Constitution, and Resources. With a survey of its present financial position. 8. London, 1873. Scherzer (Karl, Ritter von), Statistisch-commerzielle Ergebnisse einer Reise um die Erde. 8. Leipzig, 1867. Scherzer (Karl, Ritter von), Wanderungen durch die mittelamerikanischen Freistaaten. 8. Braunschweig, 1857. Schroeder (J.), Costa Rica State Immigration. San José, 1894. Wagner (Moritz), Die Republik Costa Rica in Centralamerika. 8. Leipzig, 1856, DENMARK. (KONGERIGET DANMARK.) Reigning King. Christian IX., born April 8, 1818, the fourth son of the late Duke Wilhelm of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, and of Princess Louise of Hesse-Cassel. Appointed to the succession of the crown of Denmark by the treaty of London of May 8, 1852, and by the Danish law of succession of July 31, 1853. Succeeded to the throne on the death of King Frederik VII., November 15, 1863. Married, May 26, 1842, to Queen Louise, born September 7, 1817, died September 29, 1898, the daughter of Landgrave Wilhelm of Hesse-Cassel. Children of the King. I. Prince Frederik, heir apparent, born June 3, 1843; married July 28, 1869, to Princess Lowisa, daughter of King Carl XV. of Sweden and Norway. Offspring of the union are :—1. Prince Christian, born September 26, 1870; married April 26, 1898, to Princess Alexandra of Mecklenburg. 2. Prince Karl, born August 3, 1872; married July 22, 1896, to Princess Maud Alexandra of Great Britain. 3. Princess Lowisa, born February 17, 1875; married, May 5, 1896, to Prince Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Bruno of Schaumburg-Lippe. 4. Prince Harald, born October 8, 1876. 5. Princess Ingeborg, born August 2, 1878; married August 27, 1897, to Prince Charles of Sweden. 6. Princess Thyra, born March 14, 1880. 7. Prince Gustav, born March 4, 1887. 8. Princess Dagmar, born May 23, 1890. II. Princess Alexandra, born December 1, 1844; married, March 10, 1863, to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales. III. Prince Wilhelm, born December 24, 1845; elected King of the Hellenes, under the title of Georgios I., by the Greek National Assembly, March 31, 1863; married, October 27, 1867, to Olga Constantinowna, Grand Duchess of Russia. IV. Princess Marie Dagmar (Empress Maria Feodorovna), born November 26, 1847; married, November 9, 1866, to Alexander III., Emperor of Russia; widow, November 1, 1894. V. Princess Thyra, born September 29, 1853; married, December 21, 1878, to Prince Ernest August, Duke of Cumber land. VI. Prince Waldemar, born October 27, 1858; married, October 22, 1885, to Princess Marie d'Orléans, eldest daughter of the Duc de Chartres, born January 13, 1865; offspring, Prince |