494
CHINA
vicissitudes-political upheavals, civil wars; labour disputes, adverse exchange, boy- cotts, as well as climatic calamities-which the country has experienced, the results obtained in China's foreign trade during the year 1926 come as an unexpected and, so far as the Customs revenue is concerned, a pleasant surprise. Civil strife and political complications played a greater part than usual in the country's history, and in hardly any region of China was trade allowed to develop on normal lines." The Maritime Customs Revenue for 1927 was given on January 1st this year as Hk. Tls. 68,687,000.
AREA AND POPULATION
China proper, extending over 1,335,841 square miles, is divided into eighteen provinces. Considerable trouble and care were taken in 1919 by the Postal Administra- tion to obtain an estimate of the population of China. Recourse was had to the assist- ance of the provincial officials, which in most cases was willingly accorded. Below are given the results obtained. These, while they cannot be regarded as accurate, may be taken as a close approximation to actual figures. The footnote will show the limitations that have so far been imposed to a full record of the outlying districts:-
Province.
Anhui
Chekiang.
Chihli
Fukien
Hunan
Hupeh
Area, square miles.
Province.
Area, square miles
54,826
Kwangtung.
100,000
36,680
Shantung.
55,984
115,830
Szechuen
218,533
46,332
Yunnan...
146,718
83,398
Shansi
81,853
71,428
Shensi
75,290
Kiangsi......
Kiangsu Kwangsi
....
69,498
Kansu
125,483
38,610
Honan
67,954
.....
77,220
Kweichow
67,180
Total.....
1,532,819
Manchuria (Chinese estimate)
...
363,000
Population
Population
Peking District......
4,014,619
Chihli
30,172,092
Hunan Kiangsi
......
28,443,279
24,466,800
Shansi
11,080,827
Kiangsu
28,235,864
Honan
30,831,909
Shanghai
5,550,200
Shensi...
9,465,558
Anhui
19,832,665
Kansu
5,927,997
Chekiang
22,043,300
Sinkiang..
2,519,579
Fukien
13,157,791
Manchuria
...
13,701,819
Kwangtung
..... 4
37,167,701
Shantung
30,803,245
Kwangsi......
12,258,335
Szechuen
49,782,810
Yunnan
Hupeh....
27,167,244
Kweichow
9,839,180 .................... 11,216,400
TOTAL: 427,679,214
Not included in the above (no data available) :-
(a.) 1 Hsien and Mongolia in Peking District. (b.) 3 Isien in Manchuria District. (c.) Tibet.
The total number of foreigners in China was given in 1926 as 346,883 as compared with 336,841 in 1925. Of these, 235,339 were Japanese, 74,089 Russian, 14,670 British, 9,401 Americans, 2,963 Germans, 3,296 Portuguese and 2,270 French. The total of