Administration in the hands of Governor and Military Commandant.
Capital, Cayenne; pop., 10,000.
Coffee, introduced in 1716, is extensively grown. Guiana cocoa, bread-fruit, arrow-root, bananas, yams, oil, and date palm are among the products; but the principal source of food is manioc. Contains valuable gold deposits. French criminal penitentiaries located in this country.
BRAZIL.Bra-zil´.
This is the largest of the South American countries, and the only empire in the New World. Contains many rivers. Amazon, the longest, drains 800,000 square miles of Brazilian territory. Temperature in the valley of the Amazon ranges from 68° to 85°, while at Rio Janeiro the average is 75°. Area, 3,288,963. Population, 9,883,622. Capital, Rio de Janeiro; pop., 274,972.
Executive power is vested in the Emperor, ministers and Secretaries of State; legislative authority rests with the Senate and and Chamber of Deputies. The empire is divided into 20 Provinces.
Country rich in minerals and precious stones. Total value of diamond washings for the first 100 years was about $20,000,000. Diamond mines are now owned by private individuals. Manufactures in late years improved by the introduction of American machinery.
During the last 16 years the increase in exports has been 20 per cent.; in imports, 22 per cent. The value of coffee exported in 1882-83 was $52,720,000; sugar, $16,250,000; raw cotton, $4,063,650; tobacco, $5,344,500; India rubber, $5,965,000. Total imports, 1882-83, $111,434,300; exports, $134,945,100. In 1883, 2,989 vessels, of 2,367,296 tons, entered, and 2,522, of 2,095,237 tons, cleared, Brazilian ports.
Number miles railway, January, 1884, 3,500; 1,500 in process of construction. Telegraph system under the control of the government; miles of wire in 1883, 4,900. Army, on peace footing, 13,500 strong; in time of war, 32,000. Naval force consists of 35 steam vessels, with 123 guns and 5,704 seamen.