GOVERNMENT AND LAW. 



Ill 



DIVISION OF AFRICA 



AMONG THE EUROPEAN POWERS. 



Egypt and the Egyptian Soudan, although nominally under the suzerainty of Turkey, are really controlled 

 by Great Britain, and it is only a matter oTf time as to when they will be incorporated into the British Empire. 

 Adding Egypt and the Soudan to the Empire would increase the figures above given to 2,987,755 square miles and 

 47,951,218 population, t Negotiations have been concluded between Great Britain and Germany on the one part 

 and Portugal on the other, by which the latter sells and disposes of all her African possessions to the two former, 

 which divide the purchases between them. The details are not yet made public further than that Great Britain 

 gets Delagoa Bay, thus hemming in the South African Republic from the sea, save through British territory. 



The remaining territory of Africa unoccupied is a part of the great Desert of Sahara and the Independent 

 States of Abyssinia and Liberia. Even this territory, except the last, is destined to pass under the power of the 

 Ku mi leans. The tabular figures are from " The Statesman's Year-Book." 



Egyptian (British)and French territory in the Soudan, according to British claims, touches along the line of 

 the 27th degree of latitude. Prior to the revolt of the Mahdi in 1882. Egypt claimed Darfar, Kordofan, Senaar, 

 Taka, the Equatorial Province, and the Bahr-el-Ghazal Province. Though authority over these was lost by the 

 success of the Mahdi, Egypt did not relinquish her claim, and her full authority was resumed by the victories of 

 General Kitchener in 1898. The French were disposed to dispute these claims and assert a right to territory as 

 far east as the banks of the Nile, thus covering the Bahr-el-Ghazal Province. Hence the appearance of Major 

 Marchand at Fashoda on the Nile, many miles south of Khartoum. But this position the French have now 

 abandoned. 



INDEBTEDNESS OF NATIONS. 



COMPILED FROM THE ELEVENTH UNITED STATES CENSUS, 1890. 



* Inclusive of floating debt, but exclusive of annuities, whose capitalized value is estimated 'oy good authority 

 to be not less than $2,000,000,000. 



The national debts of the larger nations in 1896 or 1897 were a.z follows : Austria-Hungary, 1897, $3,225,405,000 ; 

 France, 18%, $6,218,851,34S; German Empire, 1896, $510,006,120; Prussia. 1897, $1 ,625,000,000 : Great Britain and 

 Ireland, 1897, $3,203,868,395; Italy, 1897, $1.182,471.200; Spain, 1897, 1.416 330.000; ttussia, 1896, $3,307 .512.500; United 

 States, 1898, $1,904,837,130 



