THE BRITISH EMPIRE IN FIGURES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13921, 25 March 1909, Page 2

THE BRITISH EMPIRE IN FIGURES.

WORLD'S GREATEST GOLD PRODUCRE. Some idea of the immense size of the British Empire and of the teeming, millions .who inhabit it is obtained from the following figures: — The total area of the British colonies, possessions, and protectorates is 11,211,000 square miles, supporting a population of 343,748,000 subjects. Of this British India comprises 1,097,821 square miles, with 231,855,533 inhabitants; the Feudatory' Native States, which are not included, possessing 675,267 square miles and 62,461,549 people. The subjoined extracts from the financial tables indicate the richness of the Empire, and relate to 1907: — Possession. Expenditure. Revenue. British India ... £70,634,900 £71,177,500 Commonwealth of Australia 36,260,446 39,658,834 New Zealand 8,320,580 9,154,295 Natal 3,681,914 3,471,932 Cape of Good < • Hope 8,349,316 7,701,192 Transvaal ... 4,648,071 4,450,867 West Africa ... 2,722,756 2,758,267 Canada 10,594,777 13,971,473 West Indies ... 2,422,712 2,664,076 The total imports, including bullion and specie, into the various British dominions amounted in 1907 to £387,155,000, of which £176,957,000 was sent from the United Kingdom, £64,549,000 from British possessions, and £136,649,000 from foreign countries. The largest customer of the United Kingdom was India, which took imports worth £77,773,928. Australia was. next with £31,956,447, followed by Canada, £19,700,000: British South Africa, £16,237,363; and New Zealand, £10,278,019. The total value of the exports from the British possessions was £399,273,000, of which £175,667,000 went to the United Kingdom, £59,047,000 to British possessions, and £161,559,000 to foreign countries. British South Africa, with £45,375,259, sent the largest amount "home," followed by Australia, £33,975,579; British India, £32,724,414; and British North America, £27,950,817. The British Empire is the greatest gold producer in the world. The Transvaal comes first of its various States with a product of £27,410,000 in 1907; Australia is second with £13,511,000, Southern Rhodesia third with £2,178,000, and Inlia and New Zealand nearly K|ual in the fourth place, with each slightly over two millions worth of output. The total product of the Kmpire was almost exactly £50,000,000 worth of gold in 1907. •