AREAS SEAS AND LAKES.
| Square Miles. | Square Miles. | ||
| Alakton-kul | 1,300 | Palter | 1,600 |
| Aral | 24,500 | Po-yang | 2,800 |
| Baikal | 12,500 | Tingri-noor | 2,800 |
| Balkash | 8,600 | Tong-Lung | 3,000 |
| Caspian | 180,000 | Van | 2,000 |
| Dead Sea | 400 | Zaisang | 1,300 |
| Gennesaret | 90 | Zurrah | 4,000 |
| Koko-nor | 2,040 | ||
| JAPAN. | Zipangu. "Sunrise Kingdom." |
An empire composed of islands lying east of Asia. Supposed to have been founded 660 B.C. Area, 148,456 square miles. Pop., 36,700,118. The population is divided into classes, as follows: Imperial family, 39; kwazokii, or nobles, 3,204; shizoku, or knights, 1,931,824; common people, 34,765,051. Tokio, formerly known as Jeddo, or Yedo, is the capital; pop., 823,557.
The government is an absolute monarchy. The title of the sovereign is Supreme Lord, or Emperor (Mikado).
Agriculture is followed to a great extent. The chief annual agricultural products are: rice, 155,629,409 bu.; wheat, 62,049,940 bu.; beans, 10,795,717 bu. The annual value of silk production is $20,500,000. The principal manufactures are silk and cotton goods, japanned ware, porcelain and bronze. The value of the exports, 1883, was $35,609,000; of imports, $28,548,000.
A law went into effect in 1874, by which the government gives nine bushels of rice annually to each person over seventy or under fifteen years of age unable to work, and to foundlings until they reach the age of thirteen. Latest reports place the number of paupers at 10,050, and expenditures at $88,975.
School attendance is compulsory. There are 30,275 schools in the empire, of which 71 are normal, 98 are technical, and 2 are universities; also, a military college and military school, with 1,200 students. Latest reports give 82,213 teachers and 2,703,343 pupils. School age is from 6 to 14. Total number of school age, 5,750,946. Public libraries, 21. Shintoism is the ancient religious faith; but Buddhism is the religion of nearly all the common people.
The first railroad in the empire was opened June, 1875; it extended from Hiogo to Osaka, twenty-five miles. At the end of June, 1884, there were 236 miles of railway in the empire. There are 4,880 miles of telegraph, with 13,144 miles of wire. Postoffices were first established in 1871, and now number about 5,200.
CHINESE EMPIRE.
An immense empire of Eastern Asia; in territorial extent, the second in the world; in population, the largest. Area, 4,419,150 square miles. Pop., 371,180,000.
Longest rivers: Yang-tse-kiang, 3,320 miles; with basin, 950,000 sq. miles. Hoang-ho, 2,800 miles; with basin, 715,000 sq. miles.
Capital Pekin; pop., 500,000. Twenty-three cities have more than 100,000 population; and 66, more than 50,000.
The state religion has no outward ceremonial, except a few symbolical rites observed at New Year. It consists in the study of the teachings of Confucius and Lao-tse. The majority of the people are Buddhists. Education is almost universal, there being few adults unable to read and write. The Chinese have had newspapers at least ten centuries.
Value of imports, 1883, $103,071,415; exports, $98,349,895. The chief imports were: opium, valued at $35,510,260; and cotton goods, valued at $30,888,465. Chief exports: tea,—value, $45,077,135; and silk, chiefly raw, $33,537,990. The coal fields of China are among the first in the world; about 3,000,000 tons are mined each year. The mines at Kai-p'ing, in 1883, produced 600 tons per day.
In June, 1876, a railway of twenty miles, between Shanghai and Woosung, was opened for traffic; but the following year it was purchased by the Chinese authorities, and closed. There are 20,000 Imperial roads in the empire. In 1884 there were 3,089 miles of telegraph line, with 5,482 miles of wire.
ANAM.An`nam´.
An empire of Indo-China under the protectorate of France. Area, 198,043 square miles. Population, 12,000,000. Drained by many rivers. In January, temperature 41° throughout the north; in southern part of Cochin China, mean annual temperature is 83°. The elephant, panther and tiger found in the forests of Anam.
Inhabitants essentially agricultural. Country rich in metals. Government is an absolute monarchy. Social equality exists among citizens. Buddhism and doctrines of Confucius are dominant. Hue is the capital; pop., 100,000.
BURMA.Bur´mah.
As a result of the late war with Great Britain, Burma was on Jan. 1, 1886, declared a part of the British Empire. The government is now administered by the Governor General of India, though the country is not yet incorporated with the Indian Empire. The late government was a despotism, dependent on the will of the King. The area is 190,500 square miles. Population estimated to be about 3,000,000. Capital, Mandalay; population, 70,000. Bhamo, on the Chinese frontier, is an important town. Education is in the hands of the priests, but is very general. Buddhism is the prevailing religion.
The country is not so fertile as British Burma; but wheat, corn, rice, pulse, indigo, cotton, tobacco, and a large variety of fruits are grown. The forests produce valuable timber trees in great variety. Minerals abound, but are not generally worked. Petroleum, however, is quite largely produced. Burma possessing no seacoast, the foreign trade is inconsiderable.
SIAM.Sī-am´.
A kingdom of Southeastern Asia, divided into 41 Provinces. The government is an absolute monarchy. Area and population are but imperfectly known; foreign estimates place the former at 280,564 square miles, and the population at about 5,750,000. Prevailing religion, Buddhism. Siam has no public debt. Capital, Bangkok; population, 600,000. There is a small standing army, and a general armament of the people in form of a militia.
Though much of the land is fertile, it is badly cultivated. Chief products, rice, gums, teak, sandalwood, rosewood, spices and fruits. Foreign commerce centres at Bangkok. Total value of exports from there in 1883, $8,525,655; imports, $4,783,570. Commercial marine numbers 44 sailing vessels and 1 steam vessel. In 1883, 884 vessels, of 185,612 tons, cleared the port of Bangkok.
MALAY.Ma-lā´.
A peninsula of Asia; the southernmost point of the continent.
Area about 70,000 square miles. Estimated population, 650,000. Less known of the interior than of any other point in Asia. Surface very uneven. Climate is moist and hot: temperature on the Makran coast and in Persian Gulf, 110°; and at times, 125°. Out of 365 days, 190 are rainy; rainfall from 100 to 130 inches.
Politically, Malay consists of the Straits Settlements of Great Britain, 6 Provinces of Siam, and a number of small Malay States, either tributary to or in treaty with the above powers. The Straits Settlements comprise the Islands of Singapore and Penang and the territories of Malacca and Province of Wellesley. Area, 1,445 square miles; pop., 423,384.
COREA.Ko-ree´a.
A kingdom of Eastern Asia. Area estimated at 82,000 square miles. Population, 16,227,885. Climate variable, on account of the unevenness of the country; the thermometer at times registers 15° below zero.
The history of Corea dates back to 1120, when the Chinese gained possession of it. Seems first to have been subjugated by the Tartars. Japanese ruled it between 1692 and 1698, when it reverted to China. The country pays an annual tribute of 800 ounces of silver to the Chinese Emperor. The King of Corea is an absolute despot. Capital, Seoul; pop., 199,127.
Minerals are said to abound in the peninsula; but the low state of civilization in the country will not admit of their development. The country is mountainous, and the cultivable portion small; principal crops are rice, millet, beans and jute.
Value of imports, 1881, $1,944,735; exports, $1,882,650. Principal exports, ginseng, hides, rice and silk. Wheeled vehicles are unknown, and there are no bridges over the many streams. Doctrine of Confucius the established creed.
HONG KONG.
A colony of Great Britain, formerly a part of China. It consists of the Island of Hong Kong, ceded to Great Britain in 1841, and the opposite peninsula of Kow-loon, ceded to Great Britain, 1861. The government is administered by a Governor, aided by an Executive Council. There is also a Legislative Council. The chief city is Victoria. In 1883 the government sustained 87 schools, with 5,597 pupils. The total population of Hong Kong is 160,420, of whom but 7,990 are white persons.
Hong Kong forms the centre of trade for many different kinds of goods. Its commerce is virtually a part of that of China, and is chiefly carried on with Great Britain, the United States and Germany. Of the exports and imports only mercantile estimates are known; these place the former at about $10,000,000, and the latter at $20,000,000. The tea and silk trade of China is largely in the hands of Hong Kong firms. In 1882, 28,668 vessels, of 4,976,233 tons, entered the ports of Hong Kong.
ARABIA.A-ra´be-a.
A peninsula of Asia. Area, 1,000,000 square miles; length, 1,200 miles; breadth, 900 miles. Sandy desert comprises most of the country; fertile regions are shores of the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. Seacoast, 1,200 miles in length. Heat intense: rainfall light.
Population variously estimated from 8,500,000 to 15,000,000. Claims descent from Ishmael; nomadic habits; Mohammedans in belief.
The pearl fisheries, which are of great commercial importance, begin at the Bahrein Islands, and extend southeast along the Persian Gulf, a distance of nearly 200 miles. The yearly produce is estimated to be worth, over $1,250,000.
Coffee, probably indigenous, chief article of export. Wheat, barley, beans, millet, dates and lentils form food of the natives. Rivers unimportant.
Arabia was never subject to one sovereign. Inhabitants broken up into petty tribes, each ruled by its own chief.
INDIA.In´de-a.
An empire of Asia, divided into British territory and feudatory states, acknowledging sovereignty of Great Britain. Richest and most populous dependency of the English Crown. Area, 1,383,504 square miles. Population, 253,906,449.
Government is entrusted to Secretary of State for India; he is aided by a Council of 15 members. Executive authority vested in Governor General, appointed by the British Crown, and a Council of 7 members. Salary of Governor General, $125,000 per year.
Population dense. The density varies from 441 per square mile to 43; the average for all India being 184. Agriculture backward. Means of transportation poor but improving. Eight famines have visited India, and decimated the population of various Provinces. Soil is productive; rice, corn, millet, barley and wheat are grown; cotton, indigo, opium and sugar cane are largely exported.
Large quantities of bullion are imported for the manufacture of ornaments. In 1884, imports of gold, $27,347,280; silver, $37,042,530. Leading imports, 1883-84: cotton manufactures, $125,584,245; metals, $25,909,250; machinery, $8,955,740. Chief exports: raw cotton, $71,806,605; opium, $56,472,300; seeds, $50,450,990; wheat, $44,399,155; rice, $41,816,400. Total imports, 1884, $318,007,480; exports, $445,006,975.
Capital, Calcutta; population, 871,504; 60 towns of over 50,000 inhabitants. Over 19 dialects and languages spoken in the empire.
Number vessels entered Indian ports, 1884, 5,812; cleared, 5,850; number steamships entered by Suez Canal, 1,091; number vessels engaged in interportal trade, 103,503. Miles of railway, 1854, 21; in 1885 there were 10,832; unfinished, 1,823. Miles of telegraph, 21,740; messages, 1,799,179.
Education progressing. Schools, 109,212; scholars, 2,790,783; universities, 3; governmental schools, 15,845; commission of investigation appointed in 1883.
European and native army, 190,476 men. Native states have an army of 349,835 men; 4,237 guns.
CEYLON.See-lon´.
An island situated in the Indian Ocean, southeast of India. Area, 25,364 square miles; length, 260 miles; average breadth, 100 miles. Climate much pleasanter than that of Southern India. Ceylon was first settled in 1505; formed into a separate colony in 1798; fell under British rule in 1815.
By the constitution of 1831 and 1833, government is administered by a Governor, with an Executive Council and a Legislative Council. Minerals abound; precious stones are often found; pearl fisheries of western coast are famous. Bread-fruit, cinnamon, pepper, rice, cotton and tobacco are among the chief products of the soil.
Principal exports in 1883: coffee (the least since 1853), valued at $6,338,155; tea, $430,000; cinchona bark, $2,105,000; cocoanut oil, $2,030,000. Total exports in 1883, $16,654,500; imports, $22,643,335.
There were 164 miles of railway open for traffic in 1884; 16 miles in course of construction. Miles of telegraph were 989.
Estimated population, 1884, 2,822,009; 1,698,070 Buddhists, 493,630 Hindoos, 197,775 Mohammedans, and 147,977 Christians. The Europeans numbered about 5,000, of whom 4,000 were English. There were 1,703 schools, with nominal attendance of 102,109 pupils.
Colombo is the capital; pop., 111,942.
PERSIA.Per´she-a.
A kingdom of Western Asia. Area, 610,000 square miles. Population, 7,653,600. Temperature ranges from 10° to 110°; winters severe in central territory; summers hot and dry.
The government is an unlimited despotism. The Koran is law, the Shah being looked upon as the vicegerent of the prophet. Persia has no national debt. Persian army numbers 105,500 men on war basis; peace footing, 30,000.
Soil, in some of the extensive valleys, very fertile. Wheat and other cereals, cotton, sugar, rice, tobacco and opium yield well; silk is an important product of the country. Fruit trees and vegetables flourish. Mineral resources undeveloped. Diamonds have been taken from mines in Khorasan for centuries. Pearl fisheries of the Persian Gulf the most extensive in the world.
Commerce centres at Tabriz. Bushire and Lingah principal ports. Imports, by Lingah and Bushire, in 1883, $5,724,665. Exports, by same ports, $3,071,705; opium, $1,403,415; grain and pulse, $342,250. System of telegraph in the hands of Europeans; miles of line, 3,647; of wire, 5,947; offices, 78. Mail service from Julfa to Tabriz and Teheran, thence to Resht, established in 1877.
Capital, Teheran; pop., 100,000. Of total population, 1,963,800 live in cities, 1,909,800 are nomadic tribes, 3,780,000 inhabit country districts and villages. Education among the upper classes advanced; many colleges are sustained by government.
AFGHANISTAN.Af-gan`is-tan´.
Name given to plateau on northwest frontier of India. Estimated area, 278,000 square miles. Temperature at Ghazni, 10° to 15° below zero; at Kandahar, heat in summer reaches 120°. No other country of equal area has such diversities of climate. Distinguished for the mountain passes, through which India has been frequently invaded.
Government is a despotism. Capital, Kabul. Population, 2,500,000, consisting of numerous warlike clans. The Amir is a military dictator, with a yearly revenue of $2,000,000, and a subsidy of $600,000 from India. Two-thirds of inhabitants Mohammedans.
Agricultural and pastoral pursuits the chief industries of the people; wheat the most important crop; rice, barley and millet grown. On terraces, 6,000 and 7,000 feet high, all the vegetables and fruits of Europe grow; in the south, sugar cane and date palm.
BELUCHISTAN.Bel-oo`chis-tan´.
A country of Asia lying east of Persia. Area, 140,000 square miles. Population, 1,000,000. Climate diverse; in higher parts, extremely cold; in valleys, heat is oppressive. Deficiency of water throughout the whole country. Surface rugged and barren.
The soil is unproductive, but has been cultivated until it supplies the natives with necessaries. Fruits and vegetables flourish near the towns.
The only exports are horses, grain and dates. Imports: Indian silk, cotton goods, rice, sugar, spices, and dye stuffs in small quantities.
The government is a despotism. Khan has unlimited power over life, person and property; resides at Kelat, the capital, a city with a population of 10,000. Inhabitants divided into many tribes, ruled by chiefs.
AFRICA.
A large insular continent lying south of Europe, from which it is separated by the Mediterranean. Area, 11,512,480 square miles; extreme length, 4,330 miles; extreme breadth, 4,000 miles; coast line, only about 16,000 miles, there being few indentations, and a lack of good harbors.