MADAGASCAR

Defence.

The troops in Madagascar (including the forces at Diego-Suaieij) consist of 2,411 Europeans, and 6.376 natives. The police and militia are main- tained on the local budget.

Production and Industry.

In 1896, on the completion of the French occupation of the Island, the Malagasy system of land tenure was modified ; foreigners were permitted to acquire land, and registration of land was begun. Government lands, urban or non-urban, are let or sold to private persons, or to companies for agri- culture, pasturage, or mining.

Cattle breeding and agriculture are the chief occupations of the people ; there were in 1910, 4,492,131 cattle in the island ; 2,125 horses, asses, and mules ; 246,955 sheep (rough, native breed) 98,421 goats, and 407,732 pigs. The area under cultivation by Europeans in 1910 was 976,379 acres in extent, of which 105,343 acres were actually cultivated. In addition the following areas were under crops cultivated by natives : sweet potatoes, 55,622 hectares ; manioc, 42,794 hectares ; maize, 36,764 hectares ; potatoes.. 12,421 hectares ; haricots, 10,635 hectares. Madagascar is a rice exporting country. In 1910 there were 875,000 acres under rice cultivation, producing 700,000 tons. Other farm products are sugar, coflee, cotton, cacao, vanilla, tobacco, cloves, mulberry trees, and rubber trees. Sericulture is encouraged. The forests abound with many valuable woods, while caoutchouc, gums, resins, plants for textile, tanning, dyeing, and medicinal purposes abound. The principal article at present produced in the island is caoutchouc, which is exported to London, Hamburg, and Marseilles. Silk and cotton weaving are carried on, and the manufacture of textures from the raphia palm fibre, and of metal work. Works for the preparation of sugar, rice, soap, beer, &c., are being undertaken by Europeans.

Of minerals, gold, iron, copper, lead, silver, zinc, antimony, manganese, nickel, sulphur, graphite, lignite (March, 1912) and also coal have been found. Mining is carried on under the Decree of May 23, 1907. In 1909, 400 concessions for gold-mining, embracing 299,894 hectares were worked. In 1912 metals and minerals were produced as follows: gold, 64,185 ozs. ; graphite, 2,732 tons ; rock crystal, 56^ tons ; and corundum, 469 tons.

Commerce.

The trade of Madagascar has been as follows in five years : —

— 1907

1908 1909

1910 1911

' £ Imports . . . 1,005,180 Exports. . . 1,114,520

£ £ 1,206,670 1,365,613 923,640 1,335,127

£ £

1,337,477 1 1,790,555 1,817,531 ; 1,901,413

The chief articles of import and export in 1911 were the following :-

Imports

1011

Export.'

1911

Cottons .

£715,786

Gold .

ozs.

92,022

Wines, common .

£77,617

Cattle .

liead

20,446

Spirits .

.

£30,729

Tanning Bark

tons

53,358

Coal

tons

6,805

Rice .

6,175

Cement .

,,

4,089

Hides .

^,-i^^

Lime .

2,742

Rafla fibre .

, ^

6,808

Ironwork

"

1,58/

Manioc

i>

13,304 t