the increase of our population is the fact that we have an excess of births over deaths, amounting to 40,000 per year in addition to which our average annual increase of white immigration is 37,000 per year."'

LOCATION

Cuba is the largest of the West Indies. It lies directly south of the United States. Its principal port, Havana, is only 110 miles from Key West, Florida. Cuba is located between the Gulf of Mexico and the Southern Seas. "It is crossed by the tropic of Cancer, refreshed by the northeast trades" and favored with a fertile soil and good climatic conditions. The island lies in a slightly northwesterly and southeasterly direction. The distance from Cape San Antonio at the western end of the island, in longitude 84° 55', to Cape Maysi, which forms the eastern terminus, in longitude 74° 12′, is 740 miles. Due north of this convex curve lie the great American markets and centers of distribution. To the east across the Atlantic lies Europe; to the south are Brazil, the Argentine, Chili and their sister republics. To the west are Mexico and Central America and, via the Panama Canal, the western coasts of North and South America and Oriental nations.

Geographically the location of Cuba is most favorable to a wide distribution of the products of its soil, its forests and its mines.

Cuba has an area of 45,881 square miles, or about that of the State of Pennsylvania.

CLIMATE

The prevailing winds are those of the northeast trades which blow from that direction with a velocity of about eight miles an hour for at least 300 days in a year.

The rainfall is about 54 inches, distributed over each month of the year. The heaviest precipitation occurs from the middle of May to the end of October.

The mean temperature ranges from 70°F. in January to 82° in July. The extremes are about 60° and 90°, although in the mountain districts as low a temperature as 50° is often recorded in winter. There is an abundance of good potable water. A high degree of healthfulness is claimed. Much attention has been given in recent years to sanitation. Havana, the capital, is said to be one of the cleanest cities in the world and to have a death rate lower than New York, Washington and other large American cities.

TOPOGRAPHY

Cuba has a thousand miles of sea coast, with many bays and indentations and many excellent harbors. The level lands of the coast vary in altitude from ten to one hundred feet, while the inland plains and plateaux reach an approximate height of from 500 to 1,000 feet. There are high mountain ranges, those of the west having an average altitude of 1,600 feet. In Santa Clara province toward the center of the island the elevation of the mountains is from 2,000 to 3,000 feet, while in Oriente province the average altitude of the Sierra Maestra range is about 3,500 feet, although the peak of the Turquino reaches a height of 8,000 feet.

There are many streams but no navigable rivers of importance.

SOIL AND PRODUCTS

Cuba has a very fertile soil-the vegetation is tropical in its species and luxuriance although trees usually

found only in colder climates are also found growing there.

There are many varieties of trees suited to the needs of commerce, such as ebony, lignum vitae, cedar and mahogany.

The plants of greatest economic value are sugar cane and tobacco; coffee, cacao and henequén are also cultivated. The latter, a fibre plant, has recently assumed considerable importance among the products of the island, but coffee production is comparatively neglected.

Many fruits are cultivated, the most important from an economic standpoint are bananas, cocoanuts, pineapples and to some extent the citrus fruits.

The two great money crops of Cuba today are sugarcane and tobacco. These two crops provide about 90% in value of the exports of the country. The export value of the sugar crop in the year ended June 30, 1915, is officially stated to have been $179,000,000; of the tobacco crop $23,000,000. The sugar crop for the year ended June 30, 1916-approximately 3,000,000 tonsexceeded that of the previous year by over 400,000 tons. The estimated value of this crop reaches the immense sum of around $250,000,000. Official figures are not obtainable at the time of going to press.

MINERAL WEALTH

Iron, copper, gold, manganese, asphalt and petroleum are found in the hills of Cuba. The only minerals at present of economic importance are iron and copper ores. The export value of iron ore in the fiscal year 1914 was $3,397,159; in 1915, $2,083,688.

The export value of copper ore in these years was respectively, $855,662 and $1,530,700.

RAILROADS AND SHIPPING

Cuba has over 1,700 miles of commercial railroads and probably 500 miles in addition operated on the great sugar estates.

There are about 200 miles of electric railroads.

There are said to be about 1,250 miles of good macadam roads and over 5,000 miles of government owned telegraph lines.

The foreign shipping of Cuba is of great importance. Steamship lines ply regularly between the port of Havana and the principal ports of the world. The tonnage handled at the Port of Havana is said to exceed that of any port in the United States, excepting of course New York.

COMMERCE

Following is a statement from official sources of exports and imports of Cuba in comparative form for the year 1906, for 1909 and for 1912 to 1915 inclusive. Two facts are patent, the great excess of exports over imports and the marked preponderance of the trade with the United States. The latter fact is partly due to preferential commercial treaties which exist between Cuba and the United States. Then again as the United States is Cuba's largest customer it is but natural that she should make her largest purchases here.

Figures are all in pesos. The peso is equivalent in value to the United States dollar. See reference to money under general heading of Finances.