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PERSIA. 



PERU. 



PERSIA, an empire in central Asia. The 

 Emperor, called officially the Shah-in-Shah, is 

 Nasreddin, born July 18. 1831, who succeeded 

 his father Muhammed in 1848. Muzaferedain, 

 the heir presumptive, was born in 1853. The 

 Grand Vizier is Ashghar Khan. 



The revenue for 1889 was estimated at 55,369,- 

 516 krans (1 kran is worth 12 cents in gold at 

 the present price of silver). Of this, 36,076.757 

 krans represent taxes paid in money, 10,100,983 

 krans taxes paid in kind, 8,000,000 krans cus- 

 toms receipts, and 1,191, 776 krans other receipts. 

 The budget of expenditure was 42.233,472 krans 

 for ordinary purposes and 1,000,000 krans for 

 the Shah's palace, leaving 8,000,000 krans to 



Teheran, in expectation of the re-establishment 

 of free transit through the Caucasus into Persia. 

 The British have not been able to make much, 

 use of the Karun river, which they obtained 

 leave to navigate through diplomacy, hoping 

 that it would give them access to the markets of 

 central Persia. When the trading firm of Lynch 

 put steamboats on the river that could navigate 

 the upper course, the Persians added artificial 

 obstructions to the natural ones at Abbas. 



The rich eastern province of Khorassan is ac- 

 cessible to Indian as well as to Russian trade. 

 The finer grades of Indian black tea and Indian 

 and English prints and muslin are in demand. 

 The Russians have obtained a large share of 



THE CITY OF KUSHAN, DESTROYED BY AN EARTHQUAKE. 



cover the deficit of the preceding year and 4,136,- 

 054 krans surplus. The ordinary expenditures 

 were 18,100.000 krans for the army and navy, 

 10,000,000 krans for pensions, 8,000,000 krans 

 for the Shah's household, 3,233,472 krans for 

 local expenses, including a subsidy of 600,000 

 krans for the Kajar tribe, 1,900,000 krans for 

 worship and education, and 1,000,000 krans for 

 foreign affairs. There is no public debt. 



The annual value of the imports is about $22,- 

 000,000, consisting largely of cloths, mostly cot- 

 tons, besides which sugar, glass, paper, iron, cop- 

 per, and tea are imported. The exports amount 

 to about $15,000,000. consisting of opium, pearls 

 and pearl shells, tobacco, cotton, silk, carpets, 

 skins, gums, cereals, legumes, wool, dates, rice, 

 etc. Of the exports, 61'6 per cent, are food 

 articles, 31*3 per cent, raw materials, and 7'1 per 

 cent, manufactured articles. There are 4,155 

 miles of telegraph lines, with 6,450 miles of wire, 

 but only 11 miles of railroad. This railroad, 

 which was built in the environs of Teheran by a 

 Belgian company, has been acquired and is be- 

 ing extended by Russians, who are also building 

 a road for vehicles from the Caspian Sea to 



the trade in piece goods, and take most of the 

 cotton and wool and a large proportion of the 

 other exports. The town of Kushan, in Khoras- 

 san, was destroyed by an earthquake on Nov. 17, 

 1893, and the fertile country of which it was 

 the center, planted in vineyards and gardens, 

 was inundated. By these calamities about 12.- 

 000 people lost their lives, and the property and 

 means of subsistence of the rest of the popula- 

 tion were taken away. The arched structures 

 in the illustration are brick-kilns. 



Earlier in the year there was great destitution 

 at the opposite extremity of Persia in Shiraz, 

 capital of the province of Pars. The people ac- 

 cused the authorities of forestalling grain, and 

 broke out in the middle of May in a riotous de- 

 mand for bread. The famishing people plun- 

 dered the bazaars, and the soldiers who were 

 sent to suppress the riots joined the rioters. 



PERU, a republic in South America. The 

 Senate has 40 and the Chamber of Deputies 80 

 members, elected indirectly for six years, one 

 third retiring every two years. The President 

 serves four years. Remigio Morales Bermudez 

 is President for the term ending Aug. 10, 1894. 



