THE EMPIRE IN FIGURES

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 247, 11 July 1908, Page 10

THE EMPIRE IN FIGURES

GROWTH OF FIFTY YEARS. A FAMILY OF 400,000,000. In an articlo in tho " Oversoas Daily Mail," Mr. 11. W. Wilson states:—Tho following figures will givo some idea of tho area and population of the Empire and of its various Statos, of its growth in the last fifty years, and of its military and naval resources. The area of tho British Empire is 13,000,000 square miles, or nioro' than onefifth of tho wholo area of land on the globe —which is calculated to be 55,000,000 squaro milos. The following aro the areas of the chief States 'or Colonies in order of their

The total population of tho Empire in 1901 was . 385,346,000, and in 1908 is over 400,000,000,' so that it is between one-fourth and one-fifth tho total population of the globe, which is estimated at 1,750,000,000 souls. It is larger than that of any other nation, for ■ though Chinese estimates put the total population of the Chinese Empiro at 450,000,000, they aro not accepted by statisticians. Of. the vast population of tho Empiro only a mere fraction is whito. The total whito population in 1908 stood, according to estimates, as follows: —

Subtracting this from the figures given for tho total population,- tho total for tho coloured population is 351,650,000. Thus there aro six coloured inhabitants of tho Empire for every whito one. . lu order of total population tho most important States of tho Empiro stand as fol-

Tho following 'figures show tho development of tho British Empire between 1860 and 1906-7, thus illustrating tho onormous advance in every concoivablo respect:—

Thus, in a poriod of slightly less than fifty years, the area and population'■have boen doubled; tho whito population has increased by 24,000,000; .tho revenue has. increased two and a half times ; and the'.volume of trade has beon moro< than, trebled;; I', Tho cost of all the defensive -.forces.of tho Empire is £91,000,000 out of -.a totallof £301,000,000 spent in administering thp Enii piro. ' This is . moro than any othor sihglo Powor in the world spends-upon its naval and military forces. The following are tho amounts contributed by tho various States of tho Empire,.to'navel' defence:— -

The peoplo of the United Kingdom thus ■ contribute 15s. per-.head, .and tho white inhabitants of tho Empire outside the British Isles only 6d. The strength of the Imperial Navy in 1908 stands as follows: — ; ,

• The following aro the main . figures ' for tho strength of. tho'lmperial military forces: British Army: Regulars in the

To tho abovo must bo added the British Militia, 88,000 strong, and tho British Territorial Army, at present about 120,000 strong. Tho total war strength of tho forces of tho Empire is .officially estimated at slightly ovor ono million men.

size:— sq. miles. Canada 3,745,000 Australia 2,974,000 Indian Empire 1,766,000 :SDuth African Colonies 1,238,000 ■ Wost Africau possessions 436,000 East Africa and Uganda 398,000 Newfoundland and Labrador 162,000 Unitkl Kingdom 121,000 Now Zealand 104,000

United Kingdom 44,800,000 . Canada 6,250,000. ' "Australia.. . 4,200,000 South Africa , 1,250,000 Now Zealand '• 900,000 Gibraltar, Malta, and Cyprus. ' 450,000 Other Colonies 500,000 58,350,000

lows: — Indian Empiro 300,000,000 . United Kingdom 44,800,000' West Africa 16,500,000 East Africa aiid Uganda ... 7,500,000 South Africa 6,400,000 Canada ■ 6,250,000 Australia 4,400,000 Coylon 4,000,000 West Indies :... 1,574,000 New Zealand '. 900,000

, .1860. 1906-7. Area square milos 5,850,000 11,445,000 Population 200,000,000 • 410,000,000 White population... 34,000,000 58,350,000 Eovenuo '... £114,000,000-£280,000,000 Trade (imports and oxportfs) ...£503,000,000 £1,526,000,000

Total naval expenditure 32,702,000 Contributed by India, for Indian Squadron ............ . 100,000 ' Trooping. Service . 4,000, -.'Australia vi; . 200,000 • Now Zealand 40,000 ■ Cape Colony 50,000 Natal ...... 35,000 Newfoundland .5,000 Total Colonial contributions £432,000 Paid: by tho taxpayer of the United Kingdom . ......... £32,270,000-

Officers and men: on active list 128,000 , 'Officers and men'in,reserves 50,000 Number of Dreadnoughts 12 Other battloships 51 Armoured Cruisers ; - 38 Other cruisers 77 Destroyers " * 175 Modem torpedo boats 49 Submarines 66

..United Kingdom 130,000 Do., in tho Colonics ■ 41,000 Do., in India 76,155 , Trained Ilesorves .'.129,000 Indian Army: Native forces ... 168,000 Do., Reserves 30,000 - Do., Imperial service troops ... 20,000 Indian Volunteers 30,000 — Canada: Activo Militia 51;27.7 Australia: Militia 16,774 Doi, Volunteers .................. 5,137 . . Do., Rifle clubs and cadets...... 61,400 * • Now Zealand: Volunteers ...... 17,998 • Cape Colony: Mounted Rifles... 705 Do., Mounted Police 1,743 Do., Volunteors ...'. 5,835 Natal: Mounted Polico 967 Do., Militia 2,703 Transvaal: Volunteers, Roservo, and Cadets 14,000