CHINA
375
All previous records were eclipsed by the Maritime Customs revenue collection for the year, which, surpassing the amount collected in 1930 by 65 million. Haikwan taels, reached a total of 246.08 million taels.
AREA AND POPULATION
China proper, extending over 1,335,841 square miles, is divided into eighteen provinces. Considerable trouble and care has been taken by the Postal Administration to obtain an estimate of the population of China. Recourse was had to the assistance of the provincial officials, which in most cases was willingly accorded. Below is given 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
Population
Manchuria·
19,290,000
Hopeh
27,952,932*
Province Kiangsu Chekiang
Population
32,128,236
20,632,701
Shantung
38,000,000
Fukien
-
12,157,741
Szechuen
76,613,000
Kwangtung
30,000,000
Hunan
31,591,211
Kwangsi
12,258,580
Hupeh
26,105,969+
Yunnan
11,020,607
Kiangsi
24,467,000
Other Provinces -
55,000,000
Anhwei
21,715,396
Total
438,933,373
* Not including Tientsin.
+Not including Hankow
The total number of foreigners in China was given in 1931 as 370,393 made up as
follows:---
Firms. Persons.
Nationality.
Firms.
Persons.
Nationality.
American
559
8,637
Japanese
7,249
260,621
Austrian
15
245
Mexican
4
Belgian
22
546
Norwegian
22
229
British
1,021
13,344
Polish
.1
14
Czechoslovaks
9
276
Portugese
150
2,368
Danish
36
650
Russian
1,04
66,479
Dutch
29
700
Spanish
24
334
Finnish
3
89
Swedish
10
242
French
197
8,651
Swiss
41
309
German
340
3,444
Other Countries
22
2,455
}
Italian
35
756
Total
10,889
370,393
:
The principal dependencies of China have been Mongolia, with an area of 1,288,035 square miles, and some 2,000,000 people; and Manchuria, with an area of 363,000 square miles, and an estimated population of 13,700,000 Outer Mongolia in 1912 asserted her independence of Chinese sovereignty, and obtained the formal recognition of Russia, but under the Russo-Chinese Treaty concluded in 1915 the suzerainty of China was recognised and the autonomy of Outer Mongolia agreed to. Towards the end of 1919 Outer Mongolia petitioned to return to the authority of Peking. The petition was granted, and the several treaties with Russia were abrogated. Conditions in Outer Mongolia, however, have been by no means stabilised by the ostensible return of Mongolia to China's fold. The invasion of Baron Ungern von Sternberg with an anti-Bolshevik army in Feb- ruary, 1921, caused the intervention of Soviet Russia, whose troops, having dislodged Ungern's men, entered into possession of Urga, the capital of Mon- golia, and the Territory stretching up to the Russian frontier. Inner Mon- golia has been formed into three special administrative districts, viz., Jehol, Chahar and Suiyuan. Manchuria has in recent years been steadily and rapidly colonised by Chinese, who greatly outnumber the Manchus in their own