The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-01-25
Some Facts About venezuela.
From the Sew YORK Sum.

tidh thdt Ol an Otale III lne Onlteu
States. The area Of Texas is 265, 900
square miles.
The population of Venezuela by the last
census was 1850, ,OO0 By the Federal
census of five years ago the population of
Massachusetts was 2, 238, 000
Caracas, the capital and chief city of
Venezuela, has population of O,O0O,
or less than that of Fall River, Mass. 1t
is built on an elevation of 3, 900 feet above
the sea level. 1t was founded in 1867.
Caracas is an Indian name-the name of
the Indians of the neighborhood which the
Spanish pioneers affixed to the original
title of the new town, Santiago de Leon.
In 1872, the year of the latest American
war with Great Britain, an earthquake in
Caracas buried IL, 900 persons in the ruins
of part of the city The date of this
earthquake was March 26, 1912.
There are 200, 900, 00g acres of forest
lands in the republic of Venezuela Rose
wood, satinwood, mahogany and white and
black ebony are found.
The distance from New York to La
Guayra, the port Of Caracas, is 1900
miles. In addition to coffee, gold aud fine
woods, Venezuela exports hides, cocoa and
cattle. The distance from La Guayra to
London is nearly 5000 miles.
On the north shore of Venezuela, or
rather to the north of that republic, are
several islands of greater fame than large
area particularly the island of Curacao,
Dutch possession; the island of Trinidad,
British possession; the island of TOrtuga,
and the British isle of Saint George
The length of Venezuela from east to
west is 900 miles, and from north to south
IT'S miles.
There are fourteen varieties of monkeys
in Venezuela and no cuckoos. The name
Venezuela means Little Venice.
The coffee crop of Venezuela is worth
S15, 900, 900 year The average crop
is $4,000 tons year. Two-thirds of
this product is exported, mostly to England.
Venezuela first made declaration of its
independence in 1910. The present re-
public was formed in 1890, in the same
year that Belgium became an Independent
monarchy. The rival political parties in
Venezuela are the Unionists and the Fed
eralists The former favor centralized
government; the latter are for home rule.
Both are opposed to foreign invasion, en-
croachment or con6scation.
The army of Venezuela, on a peace
footing, consists of I 900 horsemen, 49,
900 infantry soldiers, and l, 900 artillery
men, exclusive of the local militia and ir-
regular troops. By the law all citizens
between the ages of Is and As (both in
clusive) are liable to service in the ma
tional miliatia.
The average gold product in year is
81, 900, 900. The standard of value in
the republic of Venezuela is the bolivar,
so called after Simon Bolivar, and the
value of it is the same as French franc
a little more than nineteen cents. Vene-
zuela does not produce silver Much Of
the foreign debt is held in England The
exports exceed the imports by 50, 900, 900
year.
There are more than 200 lakes in Vene-
zuela, one of the largest being l 900 feet
above the level of the sea. The Orinoco
river, is the largest, and l, 160 miles long.
1t is five times as long as the Hudson
river, but less than one-third the length of
the Amazon, and less than one-half the
length of the Mississippi. The roads are
inferior. Communication is difficult. The
Government, however, has expended large
sums of money for the improvement of
the approaches to some of the larger towns.
There are twenty States in Venezuela, the
official division being based on the Consti-
tuition of the United States There is also
Federal district, corresponding to the
District of Columbia, and there are several
outlying Territories.
The summer season in Venezuela lasts
from November to April. The winter
season lasts from April to November. The
climate of the temperate part of the coun-
try is the finest in South America, the
most equable and the most salubrious, out
side of Peru
The women of Venezuela are of the
Spanish type, and are celebrated for their
beauty The language of the country is
Spanish, no language is sweeter. About
45, 600, 600 persons altogether speak Span
ish as their native language, majority of
them living in South and Central America
Venezuela imports from the United
States in year about 81, 100, 600 worth
of goods, chiefly manufactured articles.
From Great Britain it imports SO, 800, 900,
from Germany 50, 100, 900, from France
80, 900, 900, and from Spain $500, 900.
This is the country from which Venezuela
imports most, and this is the country to
which Veuezuela exports most. Venezue-
la s exports to the United States average
S12, 900, 600, to France $1,000, 600, to
England SO, 100, 600, and to Germany
and Spain $500, 900 each.
The debt of Venezuela at the time Of
the last computation was s22, 900, 900, or
about one-ffth of the present debt of New
York city. The debt of Venezuela is 81
per capita. In the United States the per
capita debt is S14, in England ss7, and
in France SIG.
Venezuela is in the extreme northern
part of South America, directly facing the
Caribbean Sea- To the west of it the
republic of Colombia, to the south is Bra
zil, to the east are the territorial posses
sions of three European Governments COM
bined under the geographical name of Gui-
ana. The furthest away from Venezuela
is French Guiana territory of 46, 900
square miles and 25, 600 population, the
chief city of which is Cayenne, when comes
the Cayenne pepper, and to which French
criminals convicted of serious offenses are
transported. Next nearest to Venezuela,
but not touching it at any point, is Dutch
Guiana, territory of almost exactly the
same size as the French colony, but having
a population twice as large. Paramaribo
is the chief town. Next, and adjacent to
Venezuela, is British Guiana, the size of
which is in dispute.
$50 Miles an Hour.