The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-13
SOME FACTS ABOUT PANAMA

The commerce of Panama amounts
to- about s3,00O,00 per annum,e its
to about 100000 and It's
area to 81, ST., square miles, or%nearly
equal to that OF: the state OF Indiana.
These figures are supplied by the de-
partment of commerce and labor thru
its bureau of statistics, and are the
latest available data on commerce,
population and area. Those of COM
merce are from the reports Of; the
United States consuls at Panama and
Colon, which have just been received,
and not yet published; those of pop
ulation are based upon the latest Of
fetal estimate, which shows the pop
.ulation in 1881, and was based upon
the census of 1871; while the figures
Of area are from accepted geogra phi
cal authorities and are those OF the
area of the department of Panama OF
the Colombian republic. The pr1ncl-
pal ports are Panama, on the Pacific
coast, and Colon, on the Atlantic side,
and these ports are visited annually
by more than 1 900 vessels, which land
over 100000 tons of merchandise
and nearly 100000 passengers, chiefly
for transfer over the Panama railway;
forty-seven miles in length, connect
ing the Pacific port of Panama with
the Atlantic port of Colon.
Colon, or Aspinwall, as it is some
times called, has population Of about
5000 persons. The city Of Panama
has a population of about $4,000. 1t
was founded in 1919, burned in 1871,
and rebuilt in 1878, while Colon is of
much more, recent date, having been
founded in 1855.
The population which is already in
Dictated, amounts in number to about
100000, is composed of various ele-
ments-Spanish, Indian, negro, and
limited number from the European
countries and the United States, espe-
cially those engaged in commerce and
transportation and the operation of
the Panama railway. A considerable
number of the population is composed
of persons brought to the isthmus as
laborers for the construction Of the
canal, and of their descendants. SINCE
the abolition of slavery in Jamaica.
| considerable number of blacks and
mulattoes have settled on the isthmus
! some villages on the Atlantic side
| they are said to be in the majority.
and as a result the English language
| is much in: use, especially on the At
| lantic side. Some Of the native popu-
| lation have retained their customs,
! speech and physical type, especially
! those in the western part of the prov
| ince, and claim to be descendants of
the natives found in that section by
the Spaniards when they discovered
and conquered the country.
The Commerce of Panama.
4 OF the commerce of Panama the
! United States supplies a larger share
than any other country. The impor-
tations at the port of Colon during the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1903
amounted to $952,6S4. of which $614,-
Il 179 was from the United States, $119,.
OS6 from France, $11S,322 from Eng.
land, s76,3S6 from Germany. The
figures of the fiscal year 1903 show {
considerable increase oyer those OF
1902. in which the value of the i'm.
ports at Colon were s776,345. OF the
$614,179 imports from the United
States at Colon in 1903, $200.744 wa.
dry goods S1S9,333 provisions, $50,
$50 coal, s38,642 lumber, $32,90l
kerosene, s30,4O0 liquors, and $31,94t
hardware. The value of the importa
tons from the United States. in 100;
exceeded those of 1902 by about $3.50,
600. The exports to the United State
from Colon in 1908 amounted to s173,
$40. Of which s75,4S 2, was bananas